Key terms for exam 1 Flashcards
(168 cards)
1
Q
Abnormal psychology definition
A
-the scientific study of troublesome feelings, thoughts, and behaviors associated with mental disorders to better understand and predict mental disorders and help those who are in need
2
Q
asylum defintion
A
Places reserved exclusively to treat people with a mental disorder, usually separate from general population
3
Q
maladaptive behavior
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A behavior that interferes with a persons life, including ability to care for themself, have a good relationship w others, and function well at school or work
4
Q
mental disorder defintion
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A group of emotional (feelings) cognitive (thinking) or behavioral symptoms that cause distress or significant problems
5
Q
mental hygiene definition
A
The science of promoting mental health and thwarting mental disorder through education, early treatment, and public health issues
6
Q
primary prevention definition
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A type of prevention targeting large groups of people who have not yet developed a mental disorder
7
Q
psychopathologists
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Professionals who study mental problems to see how disorders develop and continue and how the can be prevented or alleviated
8
Q
Public health model
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A model that focuses on promoting good health and good health practices to advert diseases
9
Q
Secondary prevention
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A type of prevention that addresses emerging problems while they are still manageable before they become resistant to intervention
10
Q
Stigma defintion
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A characterization by others of disgrace or reproach based on an individual characteristic
11
Q
tertiary prevention definition (C1) mental
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a type of prevention aimed to reduce the severity, duration, and the negative effects of a mental disorder after its occurred
12
Q
What is avoidance conditioning
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A theory of fear development that combines classical and operant conditioning with internal states such as driving or motivating factors.
13
Q
What is the basal ganglia
A
Brain structures that control posture and motor activity.
14
Q
Behavior genetics
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A research specialty that evaluates genetic and environmental influences on development of behavior.
15
Q
Behavioral perspective
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A perspective of abnormal behavior that assumes that problematic symptoms develop because of the way we learn or observe others.
16
Q
What is the biological model?
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A perspective of mental disorder that assumes that mental states, emotions, and behaviors arise from brain function and processes.
17
Q
What is the central nervous system?
A
The brain and spinal cord, which are necessary to process information from our sensory organs and prompt our body into action if necessary.
18
Q
What is the cerebral cortex
A
Gray matter of the brain that covers almost all of each hemisphere.
19
Q
What is classical conditioning?
A
Pairing of an unconditioned stimulus so the future presentation of a conditioned stimulus results in a conditioned response.
20
Q
Client-centered therapy
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A humanistic therapy that relies heavily on unconditional positive regard and empathy.
21
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Cognitive distortions
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Irrational, inaccurate thoughts that people have about environmental events.
22
Q
What is A Cognitive schema
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Set of beliefs or expectations that represent a network of already accumulated knowledge.
23
Q
cognitive-behavioral therapy
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A type of treatment that focuses on the connection between thinking patterns, emotions, and behavior and uses cognitive and behavioral techniques to change dysfunctional thinking patterns.
24
Q
conditional positive regard
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An environment in which others set conditions or standards for one’s life.
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culture defintion
The unique behavior and lifestyle shared by a group of people.
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What are culture-bound syndromes
Syndromes caused by culturally shared beliefs and ideas that lead to high levels of stress and mental disorder.
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defense mechanisms
Strategies used by the ego to stave off threats from the id or superego.
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What is dopamine
A neurotransmitter that regulates novelty seeking, exploration, sociability, and movement.
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What is dream analysis
A psychodynamic technique to access unconscious material thought to be symbolized in dreams.
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What is ego?
The organized, rational component of the personality.
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ethnicity
Clusters of individuals who share cultural traits that distinguish themselves from others.
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exposure treatment
A behavioral technique for reducing anxiety in which clients expose themselves to fear and avoided situations.
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expressed emotion
Family interactions characterized by high levels of emotional over involvement, hostility, and criticism.
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family systems perspective
The idea that each family has its own structure and rules that can affect the mental health of individual family members.
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fixation
Frustration and anxiety at a psychosexual stage that can cause a person to be arrested at that level of development.
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free association
A psychodynamic technique in which a client speaks continuously without censorship.
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frontal lobe
An area of the brain in front of the brain that is responsible for movement, planning, organizing, inhibiting behavior, and decision making.
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functional analysis
A behavioral assessment strategy to understand antecedents and consequences of behavior.
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gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)
A neurotransmitter that inhibits various behaviors, arousal, and emotions such as anxiety.
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Genotype
The genetic composition of an individual that is fixed at birth and received from one’s parents.
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humanistic model A
Model of abnormal behavior that emphasizes personal growth, free will, and responsibility.
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hypothalamus
A region of the brain below the thalamus that influences body temperature, food intake, sleep, and sex drive.
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ID
The deep, inaccessible portion of the personality that contains instinctual urges.
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What is insight?
(1) An active treatment ingredient whereby a client comes to understand reasons for his maladaptive behavior and how to address it.
(2) Understanding the unconscious determinants of irrational feelings, thoughts, or behaviors that create problems or distress.
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What's interpretation?
A method in which a psychodynamic theorist reveals unconscious meanings of a client’s thoughts and behaviors to help the person achieve insight.
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latent content
The symbolic meaning of a dream’s events.
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limbic system
An area of the brain in the forebrain that regulates emotions and impulses and is responsible for basic drives like thirst, sex, and aggression.
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manifest content
The literal meaning of a dream.
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model
A systematic way of viewing and explaining what we observe.
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modeling
Learning a new skill or set of behaviors by observing another person perform the skill or behavior.
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molecular genetics
Analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) to identify links between specific genetic material and mental disorders.
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negative reinforcement
Removing an aversive event following a behavior to increase frequency of the behavior.
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neuron
The basic unit of the nervous system that comprises a cell body, dendrites, one or more axons, and terminal buttons.
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neurotransmitters
Chemical messengers that allow a nerve impulse to cross the synapse.
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norepinephrine
A neurotransmitter that regulates certain behaviors and reactions, including those necessary for emergency or highly arousing situations.
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occipital lobe
An area of the brain behind the parietal and temporal lobes and associated with vision.
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operant conditioning
A learning principle that behavior followed by positive or pleasurable consequences is likely to be repeated but behavior followed by negative consequences is not likely to be repeated.
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parietal lobe
An area of the brain behind the frontal lobe that is associated with the sensation of touch.
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peripheral nervous system
The somatic and autonomic nervous system that controls muscles and voluntary movement, impacts the cardiovascular and endocrine system, assists with digestion, and regulates body temperature.
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phenomenological approach
An assumption that one’s behavior is determined by perceptions of herself and others.
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phenotype
Observable characteristics of an individual.
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pleasure principle
The rule of conduct by the id to seek pleasure and avoid pain.
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positive reinforcement
Presenting a pleasant event or consequence after a behavior to increase frequency of the behavior.
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primary process
The irrational and impulsive type of thinking that characterizes the id.
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projection
A defense mechanism used when a person attributes his or her unconscious feelings to someone else.
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projective hypothesis
The assumption that, when faced with unstructured or ambiguous stimuli or tasks, individuals impose their own structure and reveal something of themselves.
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psychic determinism
An assumption of psychodynamic theory that everything we do has meaning and purpose and is goal-directed.
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psychodynamic model
A model of abnormal behavior that assumes all mental states, emotions, and behaviors to arise from unconscious motives and intrapsychic conflicts.
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psychosexual stages of development
A series of developmental stages marked by a particular erogenous zone of the body.
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race
A socially constructed category typically based on physical characteristics.
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rational restructuring
A set of techniques to teach individuals to examine their assumptions about situations or the world in general and think more realistically.
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reaction formation
A defense mechanism that occurs when an unconscious impulse is consciously expressed by its behavioral opposite.
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reality principle
The rule of conduct by the ego that defers gratification of instinctual urges until a suitable object and mode of satisfaction are discovered.
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regression
A defense mechanism that occurs when a person returns to a life stage that once provided substantial gratification.
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repression
A defense mechanism that involves keeping highly threatening sexual or aggressive material out of conscious awareness.
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reuptake
A feedback mechanism that informs a neuron about the amount of neurotransmitter needed to be released in the future.
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secondary process
The rational and self-preservative type of thinking that characterizes the ego.
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self-actualization
A striving to be the best one can be.
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serotonin
A major neurotransmitter that influences the way we process information and that regulates our behavior and mood.
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sociocultural perspective
A perspective of abnormal behavior that focuses on influences that other people, social institutions, and social forces exert on a person’s mental health.
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superego
A component of the personality representing the ideals and values of society as conveyed by parents.
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synapse
A small gap between ends of neurons.
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systematic desensitization
A behavioral technique for reducing anxiety in which clients practice relaxation while visualizing anxiety-provoking situations of increasing intensity.
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temporal lobe
A middle area of the brain associated with auditory discrimination.
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thalamus
A structure within the forebrain that relays sensory information to the cerebral cortex.
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token economy
An operant conditioning system in which desired behaviors are promoted through reinforcements.
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token economy
An operant conditioning system in which desired behaviors are promoted through reinforcements.
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unconditional positive regard
An environment in which a person is fully accepted as she is and allowed to pursue her own desires and goals.
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unconscious motivation
Motivation that resides outside conscious awareness.
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Cohort effects
Significant differences in the expression of a disorder depending on age.
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comorbidity
Two or more disorders in one person.
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diathesis
A biological or psychological predisposition to disorder.
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epidemiologists
Scientists who study the incidence, prevalence, and risk factors of disorders.
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epidemiology
The study of patterns of diseases, disorders, and other health-related behavior in a population of interest.
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etiology
Cause of mental disorders.
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incidence
Rate of new cases of a disorder that occur or develop during a specific time period such as a month or year.
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indicated prevention
Preventive intervention targeting individuals at high risk for developing extensive problems in the future.
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lifetime prevalence
Proportion of those who exhibit symptoms of a disorder up to the point they were assessed.
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prevention
Interventions intended to arrest the development of later problems.
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primary prevention
A type of prevention targeting large groups of people who have not yet developed a mental disorder
101
protective factor
A factor that buffers one against the development of a mental disorder.
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resilience
Ability of an individual to withstand and rise above extreme adversity.
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risk factor
An individual, contextual, or environmental characteristic correlated with an outcome or condition such as a mental disorder that precedes the development of the disorder.
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secondary prevention
A type of prevention that addresses emerging problems while they are still manageable and before they become resistant to intervention.
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selective prevention
Preventive intervention targeting subgroups of people at risk for a particular problem.
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tertiary prevention
A type of prevention aimed to reduce the severity, duration, and negative effects of a mental disorder after it has occurred
107
universal prevention
Preventive intervention targeting large groups of people not afflicted by a particular problem.
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antecedents
Stimuli or events that precede a behavior.
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behavioral assessment
An assessment approach that focuses on measuring overt behaviors or responses.
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case study method
In-depth examination and observation of one person over time.
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category
An approach to defining mental disorder by examining large classes of behavior.
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classification
Arranging mental disorders into broad categories or classes based on similar features.
113
computerized axial tomography (CT scan)
A neuroimaging technique that uses X-rays of the brain to identify structural abnormalities.
114
concurrent validity
Whether current test or interview results relate to an important feature or characteristic at the present time.
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confounds
Factors that may account for group differences on a dependent variable.
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Consequences
Outcomes or events that follow a behavior.
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Construct validity
Whether test or interview results relate to other measures or behaviors in a logical, theoretically expected fashion.
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Content validity
Degree to which test or interview items actually cover aspects of the variable or diagnosis under study.
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Control group
Those who do not receive the active independent variable in an experiment.
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controlled observation
A behavioral assessment technique that involves analogue tests or tasks to approximate situations people face in real life and that may elicit a certain problem behavior.
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correlational study
A study that allows researchers to make some statements about the association or relationship between variables based on the extent to which they change together in a predictable way.
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cross-sectional study
A developmental design examining different groups of people at one point in time.
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dependent variable
Variables that measure a certain outcome that a researcher is trying to explain or predict.
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diagnosis
A category of mental disorder defined by certain rules that outline how many and what features of a disorder must be present.
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dimension
An approach to defining mental disorder along a continuum.
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electrocardiogram
A psychophysiological measure of brain activity.
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experiment
A research method that allows scientists to draw cause-and-effect conclusions.
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experimental group
Those receiving the active independent variable in an experiment.
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external validity
Ability to generalize results from one investigation to the general population.
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functional analysis
A behavioral assessment strategy to understand antecedents and consequences of behavior.
131
functional MRI (fMRI)
A neuroimaging technique that assesses brain structure and function as well as metabolic changes.
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galvanic skin conductance
A psychophysiological measure of the electrical conductance of skin.
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hypothesis
A statement about the cause of an event or about the relationship between two events.
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independent variable
A variable manipulated by a researcher that is hypothesized to be the cause of the outcome.
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intelligence tests
Measures of cognitive functioning that provide estimates of intellectual ability.
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internal consistency reliability
Extent to which test items appear to be measuring the same thing.
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internal validity
Extent to which a researcher can be confident that changes in the dependent variable are truly the result of manipulation of the independent variable.
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interrater reliability
Extent to which two raters or observers agree about their ratings or judgments of a person’s behavior.
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longitudinal study
A developmental design examining the same group of people over a long period of time.
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magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
A neuroimaging technique that can produce high-resolution images of brain structure.
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mental disorder
A group of emotional (feelings), cognitive (thinking), or behavioral symptoms that cause distress or significant problems
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metabolites
By-products of neurotransmitters that can be detected in urine, blood, and cerebral spinal fluid.
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MMPI-2 clinical scales
Subscales of the MMPI-2 used to identify various problematic behaviors and personality styles.
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MMPI-2 validity scales
Subscales of the MMPI-2 used to identify a person’s defensiveness during testing and response sets.
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naturalistic observation
A behavioral assessment technique that involves observing a person in his or her natural environment.
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negative correlation
Two variables highly related to one another such that an increase in one variable is accompanied by a decrease in the other variable.
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neurochemical assessment
Biological assessment of dysfunctions in specific neurotransmitter systems.
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neuropsychological assessment
Indirect measures of brain and physical function by evaluating a person’s performance on standardized tests and tasks that indicate brain-behavior relationships.
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objective personality measures
Measures of personality that involve administering a standard set of questions or statements to which a person responds using set options.
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organismic variables
A person’s physiological or cognitive characteristics important for understanding a problem and determining treatment.
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personality assessment
Instruments measuring different traits or aspects of character.
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positive correlation
Two variables highly related to one another such that an increase in one variable is accompanied by an increase in the other variable.
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positron emission tomography (PET scan)
An invasive neuroimaging procedure that assesses brain structure and functioning.
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predictive validity
Whether test or interview results accurately predict some behavior or event in the future.
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projective tests
Psychological testing techniques based on the assumption that people faced with an ambiguous stimulus such as an inkblot will project their own needs, personality, conflicts, and wishes.
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psychophysiological assessment
Evaluating bodily changes possibly associated with certain mental conditions.
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quasi-experimental method
A study in which an independent variable is manipulated but people are not randomly selected or assigned to groups.
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randomization
Selecting and assigning people to groups so each person has the same chance of being assigned to any one group.
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reliability
Consistency of test scores or diagnoses.
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scientific method
A set of agreed upon rules for systematically gathering information that involves generating a hypothesis, developing a research design, and analyzing and interpreting data to test the hypothesis.
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self-monitoring
A behavioral assessment technique where a person observes and records his own behaviors, thoughts, and emotions.
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sequential design
A developmental design involving aspects of longitudinal and cross-sectional studies.
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standardization
Administering or conducting clinical assessment measures in the same way for all examinees.
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structured interviews
A type of clinical interview that requires an interviewer to ask standardized questions in a specified sequence.
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syndrome
Symptoms that cluster or group together within individuals.
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test-retest reliability
Extent to which a person provides similar answers to the same test items across time.
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unstructured interview
A type of clinical interview in which clinicians ask any questions that come to mind in any order.
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validity
Extent to which an assessment technique measures what it is supposed to measure.
