Abnormal Psych Exam 1

Front 1

psychopathology

Back 1

pathology of the mind; the symptoms and signs of mental disorders

Front 2

abnormal psych

Back 2

area of psych that studies mental disorders, abnormal behavior patterns & ways to help those affected by these behaviors

Front 3

challenges of teaching & studying abnormal psych

Back 3

-using appropriate words
-heterogeneity in experience
-understanding both personal experience and statistics and the difference
-maintain objectivity
-avoid preconceived notions
-medical student syndrome: "that describes me"
-reduce stigma

Front 4

stigma

Back 4

destructive beliefs and attitudes held by a society that are ascribed to groups considered diff in some manner (like people w/mental illness); remains a central problem

Front 5

4 characteristics of stigma

Back 5

1. distinguishing label is applied - those people are crazy
2. label refers to undesirable attributes - crazy people are dangerous
3. people with the label are seen as diff - us vs. them; we're not like those crazy ppl
4. ppl with the label are discriminated against - a clinic for crazies can't be built in our neighborhood

Front 6

4 key characteristics that any comprehensive mental disorder def has to have; these define mental disorder

Back 6

1. personal distress: emotional pain and suffering; helplessness and hopelessness of depression
2. disability: impairment in a key area (work, relationships); chronic substance abuse results in job loss
3. violation of social norms: makes others uncomfortable or causes probs; antisocial behavior of the psychopath
4. dysfunction: wakefield's harmful dysfunction- failure of internal mechanisms in the mind to function properly
-mental disorder determined based on presence of several characteristics at one time; one symptom by itself is seldom sufficient to make a diagnosis

Front 7

characteristics essential to the concept of mental disorder

Back 7

-disorder occurs within individual
-clinically significant difficulties in thinking, feeling, behaving
-dysfunction in processes that support mental functioning
-not a culturally specific reaction to an event (ex: death of a loved one)
-not a primary result of social deviance or conflict w/society

Front 8

by what criteria do we decide whether a particular set of behaviors or emotional reactions should be viewed as a mental disorder?

Back 8

-individual experience of personal distress
-statistical norms- how common or rare is it in the general population

Front 9

harmful dysfunction

Back 9

the condition results from the inability of some internal mechanism to perform its natural function; the condition causes some harm to the person as judged by the standards of the person's culture
-not every dysfunction leads to a disorder
-2 parts: value judgment (harmful) & an objective scientific component (dysfunction)
-problem: internal mechanisms involved in mental disorders are unknown - we can't say what may not be functioning properly

Front 10

dysfunction

Back 10

behavioral, psychological, and biological dysfunctions are all interrelated

Front 11

culture

Back 11

values, beliefs & practices that are shared by a specific community or group of people
-cultural values influences the opinions regarding normal and abnormal behavior
-many instances in which groups representing particular social values have brought pressure to bear on decisions shaping the diagnostic manual

Front 12

dark ages

Back 12

-2nd century ad
-monks cared & prayed for mentally ill
-witches: torture sometimes led to bizarre delusional sounding confessions (concourse w/demons); historians concluded many of the accused were mentally ill; little support for that conclusion
-no win situation if accused of being a witch; many weren't mentally ill; many roamed countryside

Front 13

lunacy trials

Back 13

-trials held to determine sanity
-13th century England
-municipal authorities assumed responsibility for care of mentally ill (crowns)
-lunacy attributes insanity to misalignment of mood (luna) and stars
-put in asylums- treatments=cruel and unhelpful
-leprasariums were converted to asylums

Front 14

phrenology and physiognomy

Back 14

-franz gall
-phrenology: says bumps on your head indicate behavior/personality
-surface of skull reveals organs of the brain
-brain is center of character and emotion
-popular theory throughout 19th century
-argued for humane treatment of mentally ill

Front 15

psychiatric hospitals

Back 15

-today's mental hospitals: mostly private; many va hospitals or floors within med hospitals; often in-patient and out-patient therapy available
-goals: safety; medication stabilization/observation; some therapy (individual & group); growth of group therapy and partial hospitalization and intensive outpatient programs
-mental hospitals = overcrowded & understaffed

Front 16

evolution of contemporary thought regarding mental illness

Back 16

-influenced by theorists and scientists
-1810- about half causes were biological and half were psychological and 10% spiritual (causes of mental illness)

Front 17

empirical approach

Back 17

direct observation

Front 18

3 people involved in psychological approaches

Back 18

1. Mesmer- treated patients with hysteria using "animal magnetism" ; early practitioner of hypnosis; hysteria caused by uneven distribution of universal fluid
2. charcot- his support legitimizes hypnosis as treatment for hysteria; hysteria=problem with nervous system & had biological cause; was influenced by mesmer
3. breuer- used hypnosis to facilitate catharsis in Anna O.
-attributed mental disorders to psychological malfunctions

Front 19

cathartic method

Back 19

release of emotional tension triggered by reliving and talking about event; talk about earlier tragic event

Front 20

hysteria

Back 20

physical incapability (blindness/paralysis) for which no physical cause can be found

Front 21

neo-freudians

Back 21

1. jung: analytical psych; collective unconscious (archetypes-basic categories that all humans use in conceptualizing about the world) ; catalogued personality characteristics (extraversion vs. introversion)
2. adler: individual psych; fulfillment derived from working for the social good; wanted patients to think more rationally

Front 22

Pussin (former patient)

Back 22

released patients from their chains

Front 23

psychosexual stages

Back 23

oral, anal, phallic/latency, genital
-w/e satisfies the id

Front 24

behavior therapy

Back 24

1. systematic desensitization: used to treat phobias and anxiety; combines deep muscle relaxation & gradual exposure to the feared condition or object; starts w/minimal anxiety producing condition & gradually progresses to most fear
2. intermittent reinforcement: rewarding a behavior only occasionally more effective than continuous schedules of reinforcement (ex: slot machine- you never know when you're going to win)
-attempt to change behavior, thoughts & feelings by applying in a clinical context the methods use & the discoveries made by experimental psychologists

Front 25

limitations of behavior therapy

Back 25

how we think or appraise a situation influences our feelings & behaviors

Front 26

cognitive therapy

Back 26

emphasizes how people think about themselves & their experiences can be a major determinant of psychopathology; focuses on understanding maladaptive thoughts; change cognitions to change feelings & behaviors

Front 27

Ellis

Back 27

REBT (rational-emotive behavior therapy)
-emotional rxn caused by internal sentences that ppl repeat to themselves, these self statements reflect sometimes unspoken assumptions (irrational beliefs) about what's necessary to lead a meaningful life
-aim: eliminate self defeating beliefs
-emphasizes that the thoughts & demands ppl impose on themselves are counterproductive & lead to diff types of emotional distress

Front 28

gene expression

Back 28

proteins influence whether the action of a specific gene will occur

Front 29

polygenic transmission

Back 29

multiple gene pairs vs. single gene

Front 30

behavior genetics

Back 30

study of the degree to which genes & environmental factors influence behavior; methods to determine genetic predisposition (concordance) to psychopathology

Front 31

twin studies

Back 31

mono vs. di; can provide strong evidence about genetic & environmental contributions to a disorder; concordance rate (compare mono & di; if both have high concordance rates, environment); influenced by more than one gene

Front 32

adoption studies

Back 32

biological & adoptive relatives; compare & look at concordance rates

Front 33

probands

Back 33

identify where in fam disorder started; start w/one person & expand out and look at rest of fam

Front 34

molecular genetics

Back 34

identifies particular genes & their functions

Front 35

alleles

Back 35

diff form of the same gene

Front 36

polymorphism

Back 36

difference in dna sequence on a gene occurring in a pop

Front 37

SNPs (single nucleotide polymorphism)

Back 37

identify differences in sequence of genes

Front 38

CNVs (copy number variations)

Back 38

identify differences in structure of genes; can be additions or deletions in dna w/in genes (abnormal copy)

Front 39

knockout studies

Back 39

removing specific genes in animals to observe effect on behavior

Front 40

gene-environment interaction

Back 40

one's response to a specific environmental event is influenced by genes

Front 41

epigenetics

Back 41

study of how the environment can alter gene expression or function
-cross fostering: rats born to mothers w/low parenting skills who were raised by mothers w/high parenting skills showed lower levels of stress reactivity; environment (mothering) was responsible for turning on or up the expression of a particular gene

Front 42

neuroscience paradigm

Back 42

examines the contribution of brain structure & function to psychopathology; mental disorders are linked to aberrant processes in the brain

Front 43

3 major components of neuroscience paradigm

Back 43

neurons & neurotransmitters; brain structure & function; neuroendocrine system

Front 44

neurotransmitters

Back 44

chemicals that allow neurons to send a signal across the synapse to another neuron; receptor sites on postsynaptic neuron absorb neurotransmitter (excitatory & inhibitory); reuptake- reabsorption of leftover neurotransmitter by presynaptic neuron

Front 45

serotonin & dopamine

Back 45

implicated in depression, mania, & schizophrenia

Front 46

norepinephrine

Back 46

implicated in anxiety & other stress-related disorders

Front 47

GABA

Back 47

inhibits nerve impulses; implicated in anxiety

Front 48

possible mechanisms for neurotransmitters

Back 48

excessive or inadequate levels; insufficient reuptake; excessive number or sensitivity of postsynaptic receptors; second messengers help neurons adjust receptor sensitivity after periods of high activity

Front 49

White matter interior in brain

Back 49

-myelinated (sheathed) nerve fibers
-thalamus: sensory relay station (except olfactory)
-brain stem: pons & medulla oblongata
-cerebellum: responsible for balance, posture, equilibrium

Front 50

psychophysiology

Back 50

study of changes in the functioning of the body that result from psychological experiences
-psychophysiological responses: pounding heart, flushed face, tears, sexual excitement

Front 51

amygdala

Back 51

key structure for researchers due to role in attending to emotionally salient stimuli & in emotionally relevant memories

Front 52

reductionism

Back 52

view that behavior can be best understood by reducing it to its basic biological components; ignores more complex views of behavior

Front 53

cognitive behavioral paradigm

Back 53

roots in learning principles & cognitive science; behavior is reinforced by consequences (attention, escape or avoidance, sensory stimulation, access to desirable objects or events
-to alter behavior, modify consequences

Front 54

cognition

Back 54

mental process that includes perceiving, recognizing, conceiving, judging & reasoning

Front 55

role of attention in psychopathology

Back 55

anxious individuals more like to attend to threat or danger

Front 56

Beck's cognitive therapy

Back 56

initially developed for depression
-depression caused by distorted thoughts (nothing ever goes right for me)
-help patients recognize & change maladaptive thought patterns

Front 57

info-processing bias

Back 57

attention, interpretation & recall of negative & positive info biased in depression

Front 58

attachment theory

Back 58

based in the concept of human nature
-strong bonds between infants & caregivers are found across many species
-disruptions in human attachments may contribute to abnormal behavior
-formed during first yrs of life

Front 59

implicit memory

Back 59

unconscious may reflect efficient info processing rather than being a repository for troubling material

Front 60

ideal affect?

Back 60

happiness vs. calmness

Front 61

object relations theory

Back 61

longstanding patterns of relating to others

Front 62

relational self

Back 62

individuals will describe themselves differently depending on which close relations are told to think about

Front 63

interpersonal therapy (IPT)

Back 63

impact of current relationships on psychopathology
-unresolved grief; role transitions; role disputes; social deficits

Front 64

classification system

Back 64

used to subdivide or organize a set of objs; at what level should a problem be conceptualized

Front 65

diagnosis

Back 65

-identification or recognition of a disorder on the basis of its characteristics
-enables clinician to refer to the base of knowledge that has accumulated w/regard to the disorder
-assigning a diagnosis doesn't mean that etiology is known

Front 66

pros and cons of classification systems

Back 66

pros: communication of findings; prevalence rates; 3rd party payments

cons: loss of individuality for the person; labeling; oversimplification; imperfection of systems; dichotomous (yes or no) vs. continuous; 3rd party payments

Front 67

rosenhan study

Back 67

being sane in insane places

Front 68

2 diagnostic systems

Back 68

diagnostic statistical manual (dsm) & international classification of diseases (icd)
-prev widely criticized btwn 1950 and 1960
-dsm 5 = most recent edition
-dsm from apa & icd from world health assoc

Front 69

how is dsm organized?

Back 69

on basis of symptoms, not causes - big dispute

Front 70

pros & cons of having a diagnosis ?

Back 70

pro: they can get help
con: stigma
-people are individuals & mental illness can affect them in diff ways

Front 71

purposes of clinical assessment

Back 71

-process of collecting & interpreting info that will be used to understand another person
-assessor must adopt a theoretical perspective regarding the nature of the disorder
-used for several purposes: making predictions, planning treatments, & evaluating treatments

Front 72

assumptions about consistency of behavior

Back 72

-psychologists must be concerned about the consistency of behavior across time & situations
-psychologists generally seek out more than one source of info when conducting an assessment

Front 73

evaluating usefulness of assessment procedures

Back 73

reliability (test retest, split half) & validity

Front 74

Rorschach inkblot tests

Back 74

shows images.. what do you see?

Front 75

Tat (thematic apperception)

Back 75

ambiguous drawings - tell story about it

Front 76

metabolite study

Back 76

-look at the amounts of broken down neurotransmitters or metabolites in the body
-These studies are effected by where you sample the fluid from
-They are correlational

Front 77

brain imaging techniques

Back 77

some of these procedures provide static pictures of various brain structures at rest & others create dynamic images of brain image

Front 78

ct

Back 78

static images; assess structural brain abnormalities; expensive; xray

Front 79

mri

Back 79

better than ct; higher quality pics; no radiation

Front 80

fmri

Back 80

brain structure & function

Front 81

pet

Back 81

structure & func - not as precise

Front 82

psychophysiological assessment

Back 82

-autonomic nervous system
-results inconsistent
-changes in heart rate, respiration rate, & skin conductance provide info on psychological adjustment
-pns :somatic & autonomic
-cns
-pros: eliminate subjectivity
cons: expensive, intimidating, validity & reliability = questionable

Front 83

science

Back 83

systematic pursuit of knowledge thru observation
-scientists gather data to test theories

Front 84

theory

Back 84

precise; can be disproven
-set of propositions developed to explain what is observed
-good theory=falsifiable
-allows for disconfirmation

Front 85

hypothesis

Back 85

specific predictions about what will occur if theory is correct

Front 86

statistical & clinical significance

Back 86

statistical: probability less than or equal to .05; can be influenced by number of participants; larger samples increase likelihood of significance
clinical: is the assoc meaningful as well as statistically significant?

Front 87

longitudinal vs. cross sectional

Back 87

longitudinal: studies participants over time; examines whether causes are present before disorder develops; high risk method- include only those who are at greatest likelihood of developing disorder; reduces cost of longitudinal research
cross sectional: causes & effects measured at the same time

Front 88

confounds

Back 88

3rd variable may produce changes in 2 correlated variables

Front 89

epidemiology

Back 89

study of the distribution of disorders in a population & possible correlates

Front 90

3 features of a disorder

Back 90

1. prevalence: proportion of people w/the disorder either currently or during their lifetime
2. incidence: number of new cases during specific time
3. risk factors: variables related to likelihood of developing disorder

Front 91

national comorbidity survey

Back 91

-replication
-large scale national survey
-used structured interviews to collect info on the prevalence of several diagnosis

Front 92

4 types of behavior genetics studies?

Back 92

family, twin, adoptees, cross fostering

Front 93

association studies

Back 93

examine relationship between a specific allele & a trait or behavior in the pop

Front 94

genome wide association studies

Back 94

examines entire genome of a large group of people to identify variations between people

Front 95

correlational vs. experimental studies

Back 95

correlational: participants complete same measures-> measure recent life stress -> measure blood press -> correlate life stress & blood press

experimental: participants randomly assigned -> sit quietly OR give speech in front of audience -> measure blood press -> compare blood press readings of 2 groups

Front 96

experiment

Back 96

-provides info about casual relationships
-involves: random assignment, iv (manipulated), dv (measured)
-can evaluate treatment effectiveness
-experimental effect: diff between groups

Front 97

basic features of experimental design

Back 97

-investigator manipulates iv
-participants assigned to conditions by random assignment
-researcher measures a dv that's expected to vary w/conditions of the iv
-experimental effect: diff between conditions on the dv

Front 98

control group

Back 98

participants who don't receive treatment; standard against which treatment effectiveness is judged

Front 99

internal vs external validity

Back 99

internal: extent to which experimental effect is due to iv
external: extent to which results generalize beyond this study (would results apply to others besides the study participants?)

Front 100

empirically supported treatments

Back 100

-treatment manuals
-control groups: placebo (no treatment/fake); double blind procedure (no one knows who's getting placebo - prevents bias)
-sample composition : exclusion of diverse populations
-efficacy & effectiveness
-need for dissemination

Front 101

analogue experiment

Back 101

-experiments not always possible in psychopathology (ethical or practical restraints)
-examine related or similar behavior in the lab : induce temp symptoms, recruit participants w/similarities to diagnosable disorders, college students who tend to be anxious or depressed; animal research

Front 102

meta-analysis

Back 102

-identify relevant studies
-compute effect size-transforms results to a common scale

Front 103

smith et al.

Back 103

-meta analyzed 475 outcome studies
-involved 25000 subjects
-results: psychotherapy is effective