Historical background and research methods

Question 1

abnormal psychology

Answer 1

The scientific study of abnormal behavior undertaken to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning.

Question 2

Features of patterns of psychological abnormality

Answer 2

• Deviant: abnormal behavior, thoughts, and emotions differ markedly from a society’s ideas about proper functioning.
• Distress
• Dysfunction
• Danger

Question 3

Trephination

Answer 3

An ancient operation in which a stone instrument was used to cut away a circular section of the skull to treat abnormal behavior.

Question 4

Humors

Answer 4

Hippocrates believed that the imbalance of fluids (humors) caused brain pathology.

sanguine: happy
melancholic: depressed
plegmatic: lethargic
choleric: anger, mania

Plato and Aristotle also believed in the internal cause for abnormal behavior.

Question 5

Johann Weyer

Answer 5

1500’s, physician considered the founder of the modern study of psychopathology

Question 6

Moral treatment

Answer 6

A 19th century approach to treating people with mental dysfunction that emphasized moral guidance and humane and respectful treatment.

Question 7

Dorothy Dix

Answer 7

“moral hygiene”: campaigned state legislatures and Congress for funding to improve the treatment of people with mental disorders

Question 8

Mental assylum

Answer 8

Places of cruelty and filth, like prisons for the mentally ill. Became popular in the 16th century.

Question 9

Somatogenic perspective

Answer 9

the view which emerged in the 1800’s that abnormal psychological functioning has physical causes. (discovery of syphilis and general paresis led to this view.)

Question 10

Psychogenic perspective

Answer 10

The view that the chief causes of abnormal functioning are psychological

Question 11

Managed care program

Answer 11

Health care coverage in which the insurance company largely controls the nature, scope, and cost of medical or psychological services.

Question 12

Are the mentally ill more violent than general population?

Answer 12

Not especially, but depends on diagnosis- substance abuse disorders and severe schizophrenia could cause more violence. Violence against people with mental illness is much higher than the general population.

Question 13

NIMH study

Answer 13

come back to this card- check powerpoint

Question 14

Prevalence

Answer 14

Number in population with disorder

Question 15

Incidence

Answer 15

Number of new cases per year

Question 16

ADDRESSING model

Answer 16

Take demographic factors into account:
Age
Developmental disability
Disabilities (other)
Race
Ethnicity
Socioeconomic status
Sexual orientation
Indigenous heritage
National origin
Gender

Question 17

Types of onset

Answer 17

acute- sudden

insidious- slower to develop, such as neurological disorders like dementia.

Question 18

Course of illness

Answer 18

chronic- depression
episodic- mania
progressive- Alzheimer’s

Question 19

Which disorders qualify as SMI?

Answer 19

Serious mental illnesses: bipolar, chronic depression/major depressive, schizophrenia spectrum

Question 20

What is the prevalence of psychological disorders and SMI?

Answer 20

18.1% of all U.S. adults experienced a diagnosable disorder in the past year (excl. substance use disorders). 4.2% SMI

Question 21

What is the lifetime prevalance for psychological disorders?

Answer 21

46% experience symptoms of a psychological disorder at some point in their lives.
Anxiety- 29%
Mood disorders- 21%
ADHD- 8%

Question 22

What are the gender differences in mental illness prevalence?

Answer 22

Women have higher prevalence of depression and anxiety disorders. Men have higher prevalence of substance abuse, antisocial personality disorder, learning disorders, Autism, and ADHD.

Question 23

Supernatural conceptualization of mental illness

Answer 23

Caused by external spiritual influences. Some of these ideas remain pervasive.

Question 24

Community mental health movement

Answer 24

1963- deinstitutionalization and shift to outpatient treatment, managed care

Question 25

Chemical imbalance theories of mental illness

Answer 25

``` Antipsychotic medications (chlorpromazine) in the 1950's changed conceptualization and treatment. Also: antidepressants, anticonvulsants/mood stabilizers ```

Question 26

Scientific Method

Answer 26

``` Hypothesis- formulate a question Design study and collect data Analyze data Come to a conclusion Write up/report results ```

Question 27

Operational definitions for variables

Answer 27

Defines a variable in terms of how it is measured, changed, or manipulated. Allows for understanding and consensus on terms and replicability.

Question 28

Independent variable

Answer 28

The variable you manipulate (treatment v. no treatment)

Question 29

Dependent variable

Answer 29

The outcome

Question 30

Internal validity

Answer 30

Has the study been designed properly to connect the independent and dependent variables? Book: the accuracy with which a study can pinpoint one factor as the cause of a phenomenon.

Question 31

External validity

Answer 31

Do results from the study apply to the real world? - observer effects - control v. generalizability: demographic issues, purity of sample - application of treatment to general population

Question 32

Statistical significance

Answer 32

How likely are the results obtained by chance? (based on p value, greatly impacted by sample size)

Question 33

Clinical significance

Answer 33

Does this treatment make a difference in people's lives? - percentage of patients benefitting - quality of life - based on effect size

Question 34

Case study

Answer 34

Highly detailed description of a single individual Generally used to investigate very uncommon disorders Can yield useful info regarding "normal" psychological phenomenon Often difficult to determine causality Very difficult to generalize

Question 35

Correlational study

Answer 35

Collects a set of facts organized into two or more categories and then examines the relationship between categories. Typically generalizable and inexpensive. High external validity; lack internal validity

Question 36

Correlation coefficient

Answer 36

Numerical indication of magnitude and direction of relationship between two variables, falls between -1 and +1

Question 37

Epidemiological Studies

Answer 37

- Quasi experimental, an example of correlational methods - Study incidence, prevalence, course of disorders - Examples: AIDS, trauma following disaster - Requires large samples (massive survey projects, public records review)

Question 38

Experimental Studies

Answer 38

Manipulate a single IV and observe change in DV. (require control/comparison group) - Attempt to establish causation - Requires strong internal validity, often at the price of external validity.

Question 39

Types of control groups

Answer 39

``` No tx Wait list Attention Placebo Alternate tx ```

Question 40

Blind designs

Answer 40

single- an experiment in which participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or the control condition. double- the researcher is also unaware which group is getting treatment and which is getting placebo, to avoid the Rosenthal effect.

Question 41

Single-subject designs

Answer 41

- Rigorous study of single cases over varied experimental conditions and time - Measurements are repeated over time - Subject serves as own control - Stats are nearly impossible to examine - Very powerful design when multiple subjects are combined in single analysis

Question 42

Ways to improve internal validity

Answer 42

- minimize confounds - use appropriate control group - randomized and representative sample - valid and reliable measures (measure what you intend to measure)

Question 43

Positive correlation

Answer 43

when variables change in the same direction

Question 44

Negative correlation

Answer 44

the value of one variable increases as the value of the other variable decreases.

Question 45

Quasi-experimental design

Answer 45

a research design that fails to include key elements of a “pure” experiment and/or intermixes elements of both experimental and correlational studies. (also called a mixed design)

Question 46

Matched design

Answer 46

a research design that matches the experimental participants with control participants who are similar on key characteristics. (Ex: comparing children who have been abused, but controlling for things like age, sex, race, SES)

Question 47

Natural experiment

Answer 47

an experiment in which nature, rather than an experimenter, manipulates and independent variable. (ex: used to study psychological effects of things like floods, plane crashes, and fires.)

Question 48

longitudinal studies

Answer 48

a study that observes the same participants on many occasions over a long period of time.