Abnormal Psychology

Front 1

the study of people who suffer mental, emotional, and often physical pain as a result of some form of psychological or mental disorder

Back 1

psychopathology

Front 2

circumstances surrounding a behaviour

Back 2

context

Front 3

expectations for the behaviour of an individual based on his or her gender

Back 3

gender roles

Front 4

perspective that holds that there are no universal standards or rules for labeling a behaviour as abnormal

Back 4

cultural relativism (perspective)

Front 5

a second standard that has been used for designating behaviours as abnormal

Back 5

unusualness

Front 6

perspective that suggests that behaviours should be considered abnormal only if the individual suffers discomfort and wishes to be rid of the behaviours

Back 6

discomfort (perspective)

Front 7

perspective that defines abnormality as behaviours that result from mental disease or illness

Back 7

mental illness (perspective)

Front 8

perspective that behaviours and feelings that cause people to suffer distress and that prevent them from functioning in daily life are abnormal and should be the focus of research and intervention

Back 8

maladaptive (perspective)

Front 9

the behaviours or feelings prevent the person from functioning in daily life

Back 9

dysfunction

Front 10

the behaviours or feelings cause the person (or others) significant distress

Back 10

distress

Front 11

the behaviours or feelings are highly unusual

Back 11

deviance

Front 12

theories that saw abnormal behaviour as similar to physical diseases, cause by breakdowns of systems in the body

Back 12

biological theories

Front 13

theories that saw abnormal behaviour as a result of divine intervention, curses, demonic possession, and personal sin

Back 13

supernatural theories

Front 14

theories that saw abnormal behaviour as a result of traumas, such as bereavement or chronic stress

Back 14

psychological theories

Front 15

treatment for abnormality in the Stone Ages; to drill holes in the skulls of people displaying abnormal behaviour to allow the spirits to depart

Back 15

trephination

Front 16

a phenomenon in which large numbers of people begin to engage in unusual behaviours that appear to have a psychological origin

Back 16

psychic epidemics

Front 17

treatment designed to restore patients' self-restraint by treating them with respect and dignity and encouraging them to exercise self-control

Back 17

moral treatment

Front 18

a disease that leads to paralysis, insanity, and eventually death; discovery of its cause (syphilis) in the mid-1800s was one of the most important discoveries underpinning modern biological theories of abnormality

Back 18

general paresis

Front 19

methods used by Austrian physician Mesmer in the 18th century; "cures" caused in his psychiatric patients were attributed to the trancelike states he induced in his patients (hypnosis)

Back 19

mesmerism

Front 20

the study of the unconscious

Back 20

psychoanalysis

Front 21

the study of the impact of reinforcements and punishments on behaviour

Back 21

behaviourism

Front 22

thought processes that influence behaviour and emotion

Back 22

cognitions

Front 23

peoples' beliefs about their ability to execute the behaviours necessary to control important events

Back 23

self-efficacy beliefs

Front 24

movement which began in 1960; advocates argued that mental patients can recover more fully or live more satisfying lives if they are integrated into the community, with the support of community-based treatment facilities

Back 24

patients' rights movement

Front 25

process of integrating patients into the community, with the support of community-based treatment facilities

Back 25

deinstitutionalization

Front 26

movement which attempted to provide coordinated mental-health services to people in community-based centers

Back 26

community mental-health movement

Front 27

generally a loose collection of methods for organizing health care that ranges from simple monitoring all the way to total control over what care can be provided and paid for

Back 27

managed care

Front 28

approach that examines the biological, psychological, and social theories of a given disorder and focuses on how these factors interact and influence each other to produce and maintain mental-health problems

Back 28

integrationist approach

Front 29

movement started by Clifford Beers in the early 1900s for the reform of mental-health treatment

Back 29

mental hygiene movement

Front 30

a set of ideas that provides a framework for asking questions about a phenomenon, as well as gathering and interpreting information about that phenomenon

Back 30

theory

Front 31

approach that suggests that symptoms are caused by a biological factor; focuses on structural damage to the brain, biochemical imbalances, and genetic abnormalities

Back 31

biological approach

Front 32

approach that suggests that symptoms are rooted in psychological factors; focuses on unconscious conflicts, poor skills, and maladaptive cognitions

Back 32

psychological approach

Front 33

approach that a patient's symptoms are caused by their interpersonal relationships and the social environment in which they live; focuses on maladaptive upbringing and chronic stress

Back 33

social approach

Front 34

models integrating biological, psychological, and social approaches to develop comprehensive models of the many factors that lead some people to develop a given mental disorder

Back 34

vunerability-stress models

Front 35

an area of the brain involved in many of our most advanced thinking processes

Back 35

cerebral cortex

Front 36

area of the brain which regulates basic biological needs (eating, drinking, sexual behaviour) and influences basic emotions

Back 36

hypothalamus

Front 37

a collection of structures that are closely interconnected with the hypothalamus and appear to exert additional control over some of the instinctive behaviours regulated by the hypothalamus

Back 37

limbic system

Front 38

biochemicals that act as messengers, carrying impulses from one neuron (or nerve cell) to another in the brain and in other parts of the nervous system

Back 38

neurotransmitters

Front 39

the slight gap between the synaptic terminals and the adjacent neurons

Back 39

synapse

Front 40

molecules on the membranes of adjacent neurons

Back 40

receptors

Front 41

process which occurs when the initial neuron releasing the neurotransmitter into the synapse reabsorbs the neurotransmitter, decreasing the amount left in the synapse

Back 41

reuptake

Front 42

process which occurs when the receiving neuron releases an enzyme into the synapse that breaks down the neurotransmitter into other biochemicals

Back 42

degradation

Front 43

system of glands which produces many different chemicals called hormones which are released directly into the blood

Back 43

endocrine system

Front 44

carries messages throughout the body, potentially affecting a person's moods, levels of energy, and reaction to stress

Back 44

hormone

Front 45

one of the major endocrine glands; has been called the "master gland" because it produces the largest number of different hormones and controls the secretion of other endocrine glands; partly an outgrowth of the brain and lies just below the hypothalamus

Back 45

pituitary

Front 46

the study of the genetics of personality and anormality

Back 46

behaviour genetics

Front 47

process which takes multiple genetic abnormalities coming together in one individual to create a disorder

Back 47

polygenic

Front 48

study in which scientists first identify people who clearly have the disorder in question (probands), and also identify a control group of people who clearly do not have the disorder, then trace the family pedigrees (family trees) of the individuals in these two groups and determine how many of their relatives have the disorder

Back 48

family history study

Front 49

twins that come from a single fertilized egg which splits into two identical parts

Back 49

monozygotic twins

Front 50

twins that come from two separate eggs fertilized by separate sperm

Back 50

dizygotic twins

Front 51

studies used by researchers to investigate the contribution of genetics to many disorders through observing differences between MZ and DZ twins

Back 51

twin studies

Front 52

probability that both twins have the disorder if one twin has the disorder

Back 52

concordance rate

Front 53

a tendency to develop a disorder

Back 53

predisposition

Front 54

study in which researchers identify people who have the disorder of interest who were adopted shortly after birth, then determine the rates of the disorder in the biological relatives of these adoptees and the adoptive relatives of the adoptees

Back 54

adoption study

Front 55

theories that suggest that all behaviour, thoughts, and emotions, whether normal or abnormal, are influenced to a large extent by unconscious processes

Back 55

psychodynamic theories

Front 56

method developed by Freud which is (1) a theory of personality and psychopathology, (2) a method of investigating the mind, and (3) a form of treatment for psychopathology

Back 56

psychoanalysis

Front 57

the release of emotions connected to distressing memories

Back 57

catharsis

Front 58

the motivated forgetting of a difficult experience

Back 58

repression

Front 59

sexual drive

Back 59

libido

Front 60

the system from which the libido emerges, and its drives and impulses seek immediate release

Back 60

id

Front 61

the drive to maximize pleasure and minimize pain, as quickly as possible; operates the id

Back 61

pleasure principle

Front 62

when direct action cannot be taken, humans may use fantasies or memories to conjure up the desired object or action

Back 62

primary procss thinking, or wish fulfillment

Front 63

the force that seeks to gratify wishes and needs in ways that remain within the rules of society for their appropriate expression

Back 63

ego

Front 64

the drive to satisfy our needs within the realities of society's rules

Back 64

reality principle

Front 65

the ego's primary mode of operation; rational deliberation about how to satisfy primitive urges within the constraints of society

Back 65

secondary process thinking

Front 66

the storehouse of rules and regulations for the conduct of behaviour that are learned from one's parents and from society; made up of two components, the conscience (constantly evaluates whether we are conforming our behaviour to our internalized moral standards) and the ego ideal (an image of the person we wish to become)

Back 66

superego

Front 67

internalizing moral standards

Back 67

introject

Front 68

completely out of our awareness

Back 68

unconscious

Front 69

way station, or buffer, between unconscious and conscious

Back 69

preconscious

Front 70

completely part of our awareness

Back 70

conscious

Front 71

strategies that the ego uses to disguise or transform unconscious wishes

Back 71

defense mechanisms

Front 72

when a person's behaviour becomes ruled by defense mechanisms or when the mechanisms themselves are maladaptive, the defense mechanisms can result in abnormal, pathologicalc behaviour

Back 72

neurotic paradox

Front 73

Freud's proposition that as children develop, they pass through a series of univeral stages; in each stage, sexual drives are focused on the stimulation of certain body areas, and particular psychological issues can arouse anxiety

Back 73

psychosexual stages

Front 74

earliest stage of life; 0-18 months; libidinal impulses are best satisfied through stimulation of the mouth area, usually through feeding or sucking; central issues of this stage are of one's dependence and the reliability of others

Back 74

oral stage

Front 75

stage from 1.5-3 years; the focus of gratification is the anus

Back 75

anal stage

Front 76

stage from 3-6 years; the focus of pleasure is the genitals

Back 76

phallic stage

Front 77

boys become sexually attracted to their mothers and hate their fathers as rivals

Back 77

Oedipus complex

Front 78

boys with Oedipus complex fear that their fathers will retaliate against them by castrating them, motivating them to put aside their desire for their mothers and aspire to become like their fathers

Back 78

castration anxiety

Front 79

girls develop an attraction for their fathers, in hopes that their fathers will provide the penis they lack

Back 79

Electra complex

Front 80

the wish to have the male sex organ

Back 80

penis envy

Front 81

stage from 6-12 years; libidinal drives are quelled somewhat and attention turns to developing skills and interests and becoming fully socialized into the world

Back 81

latency stage

Front 82

stage from 12 years on; sexual interests turn to heterosexual interests; begin to pursue romantic alliances

Back 82

genital stage

Front 83

theory that suggests that our early relationships create images, or representations, of ourselves and others; we carry these images throughout adulthood and they affect all our subsequent relationships

Back 83

object relations theory

Front 84

the image of the self and other is split into the good image and the bad image, with no appreciation for the mixed qualities of good and bad that are true of all people

Back 84

splitting

Front 85

pairing a previously neutral stimulus with a stimulus that naturally leads to a certain response, and eventually the neutral stimulus is able to elicit that response

Back 85

classical conditioning

Front 86

the stimulus that naturally produces the desired response

Back 86

unconditioned stimulus

Front 87

the response created by the unconditioned stimulus

Back 87

unconditioned response

Front 88

the previously neutral stimulus

Back 88

conditioned stimulus

Front 89

the response the conditioned stimulus elicited

Back 89

conditioned response

Front 90

the shaping of behaviours by providing rewards for desired behaviours and punishments for undesired behaviours

Back 90

operant conditioning

Front 91

behaviours are paired with the reward or punishment every time the behavious is emitted

Back 91

continuous reinforcement schedule

Front 92

the reward or punishment occurs only sometimes in response to the behaviour

Back 92

partial reinforcement schedule

Front 93

the elimination of a learned behaviour

Back 93

extinction

Front 94

theory that suggests that people can learn behaviours by watching other people

Back 94

social learning theory

Front 95

people learn new behaviours from imitating the behaviours modeled by important people in their lives

Back 95

modeling

Front 96

a person observes the rewards and punishments that another person received for his or her behaviour and then behaves in accord with those rewards and punishments

Back 96

observational learning

Front 97

thoughts and beliefs

Back 97

cognitions

Front 98

theories that argue that cognitions shape our behaviours and the emotions we experience

Back 98

cognitive theories

Front 99

our answer to "why" an event happened

Back 99

causal attribution

Front 100

theory that focuses on people's expectations regarding their abilities to control important events

Back 100

control theory

Front 101

broad beliefs about how things work

Back 101

global assumptions

Front 102

theories of abnormality that focus on what we might call "the person" behind the cognitions, the behaviours, and the unconscious conflicts; based on the assumption that humans have an innate capacity for goodness and for living a full life; pressure from society to conform to certain norms, rather than to seek one's most developed self, interferes with the fulfillment of this capacity

Back 102

humanistic and existential theories

Front 103

the fulfillment of one's potential for love, creativity, and meaning

Back 103

self-actualization

Front 104

form of therapy designed to help people realize their genuine selves, accept themselves entirely, and begin growing toward self-actualization

Back 104

client-centered therapy

Front 105

theories that center their explanations of the development of normal and abnormal behaviour on the fact that humans are social beings

Back 105

interpersonal theories

Front 106

images of the self and others in relation to the self

Back 106

prototypes

Front 107

theories that see the family as a complex system, which works to maintain the status quo or homeostasis

Back 107

family systems theories

Front 108

theories that suggest that we need to look beyond the family to the larger society to find the causes of psychopathology in individuals

Back 108

social structural theories

Front 109

process in which steps are designed to obtain and evaluate information relevant to a problem in a systematic way

Back 109

scientific method

Front 110

expectation that there is no relationship between the phenomena being studied

Back 110

null hypothesis

Front 111

a factor or characteristic that can vary within an individual or between individuals

Back 111

variable

Front 112

the factor being predicted in a study

Back 112

dependent variable

Front 113

the factor that is believed to affect the dependent variable

Back 113

independent variable

Front 114

the way a researcher measures or manipulates the variables in a study

Back 114

operationalization

Front 115

a testable statement of what we predict will happen in the study

Back 115

hypothesis

Front 116

detailed histories of individuals who have suffered a form of psychological disopder

Back 116

case studies

Front 117

the ability to apply what has been learned to other individuals or groups

Back 117

generalizability

Front 118

one case study repeats the conclusions of another

Back 118

replication

Front 119

studies which examine the relationship between an independent variable and a dependent variable without manipulating either variable

Back 119

correlational studies

Front 120

a variable measured along a continuum

Back 120

continuous variable

Front 121

study in which researchers are interested in the relationship between people's membership in a particular group and their scores on some other variable

Back 121

group comparison study

Front 122

studies in which researchers observe people at only one point in time

Back 122

cross-sectional

Front 123

studies in which researchers observe people on two or more occasions over time

Back 123

longitudinal

Front 124

a statistic used to represent the relationship between variables; often denoted with the symbol r

Back 124

correlation coefficient

Front 125

an index of how likely a particular result occurred simply by chance

Back 125

statistical significance

Front 126

the possibility that variables not measured in a study are the real cause of the relationship between the variables measured in the study

Back 126

third variable problem

Front 127

a group of people taken from the population that we want to study

Back 127

sample

Front 128

the extent to which a study's results can be generalized to the phenomena in real life

Back 128

external validity

Front 129

the study of the frequency and distribution of a disorder, or a group of disorders, in a population

Back 129

epidemiology

Front 130

the proportion of the population that has the disorder at a given point or period in time

Back 130

prevalence

Front 131

the number of new cases of a disorder that delelop during a specific period of time

Back 131

incidence

Front 132

conditions or factors that are associated with a higher risk of having the disorder

Back 132

risk factors

Front 133

studies in which researchers attempt to control the independent variable and any potentially problematic third variables, rather than simply observing them as they naturally occur

Back 133

experimental studies

Front 134

study in which participants are exposed to a stressor in a laboratory and then researchers determine whether it causes an increase in depressed mood

Back 134

human laboratory study or analogue study

Front 135

changes in the dependent variable can be confidently attributed to the manipulation of the independent variable, not to other factors

Back 135

internal validity

Front 136

participants have all the same experiences as the group of main interest in the study, except that they do not receive the key manipulation

Back 136

control group

Front 137

group of main interest in the study, exposed to the key manipulation

Back 137

experimental group

Front 138

each participant has an equal chance of being assigned to the experimental or the control group

Back 138

random assignment

Front 139

situations that cause participants to guess the hypothesis of the study and change their behaviour as a result

Back 139

demand characteristics

Front 140

studies that attempt to reduce psychopathology by reducing the factors believed to cause it

Back 140

therapy outcome study

Front 141

participants do not receive the therapy when the experimental group does, but they go onto a wait list to receive the intervention at a later date when the study is complete

Back 141

wait list control group

Front 142

participants have the same interactions with experimenters as do the participants in the experimental group, but they take pills that are placebos (inactive substances) rather than the real drug

Back 142

placebo control group

Front 143

both the participants and the experimenters are unaware of what condition the participants are in

Back 143

double-blind experiment

Front 144

how well a therapy works in highly controlled settings with a narrowly defined group of people

Back 144

efficacy

Front 145

how well a therapy works in real-world settings with all the complications

Back 145

effectiveness

Front 146

study in which one individual or a small group of people is studied intensively

Back 146

single-case experimental design

Front 147

intervention is introduced, withdrawn, and then reinstated, and the behaviour of the participant is examined on and off the treatment

Back 147

ABAB or reveral design

Front 148

studies in which animals are subjected to situations in the laboratory that would not be ethical to impose on humans

Back 148

animal studies

Front 149

a statistical technique for summarizing the results across several studies

Back 149

meta-analysis

Front 150

the process of gathering information about people's symptoms and the possible causes of those symptoms

Back 150

assessment

Front 151

a label attached to a set of symptoms that tend to occur with one another

Back 151

diagnosis

Front 152

a determination of which of several possible disorders an individual may be suffering

Back 152

differential diagnosis

Front 153

the extent to which a person identifies with his or her group of origin and its culture

Back 153

acculturation

Front 154

interview with only a few questions that are open-ended

Back 154

unstructured interview

Front 155

interview in which the clinician asks the respondent a series of questions about symptoms he or she is experiencing or has experienced in the past; format is highly structured and standardized; clinician uses concrete criteria to score the person's answers to each question

Back 155

structured interview

Front 156

the individual being assessed does not want to be assessed or treated

Back 156

resistance

Front 157

the accuracy of a test in assessing what it is supposed to measure

Back 157

validity

Front 158

on face value, the items seem to be measuring what the test is intended to measure

Back 158

face validity

Front 159

the extent to which a test assesses all the important aspects of a phenomenon that it purports to measure

Back 159

content validity

Front 160

the extent to which a test yields the same results as other measures of the same behaviour, thoughts, or feelings

Back 160

concurrent validity

Front 161

the extent to which a test is good at predicting how a person will think, act, or feel in the future

Back 161

predictive validity

Front 162

the extent to which a test measures what it is supposed to measure, not something else altogether

Back 162

construct validity

Front 163

an indicator of the consistency of a test in measuring what it is supposed to measure

Back 163

reliability

Front 164

an index of how consistent the results of a test are over time

Back 164

test-retest reliability

Front 165

when people's answers to different forms of a test are similar

Back 165

alternate form reliability

Front 166

when there is similarity in people's answers among different parts of the same test

Back 166

internal reliability

Front 167

different raters or judges who administer and score the interview or test come to similar conclusions when they are evaluating the same people

Back 167

interrater reliability

Front 168

paper-and-pencil tests used to detect specific cognitive and fine-motor deficits when neurological impairment is suspected

Back 168

neuropsychological tests

Front 169

enhancement of x-ray procedures; constructs a 3-D image of the structure of the brain

Back 169

computerized tomography (CT)

Front 170

patient is injected with a harmless radioactive isotopes to provide a picture of activity in the brain

Back 170

positron-emission tomography (PET)

Front 171

creates a magnetic field around the brain to reconstruct a 3-D image; used to study structural and functional brain abnormalities

Back 171

magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Front 172

tests used to get a sense of a client's intellectual strengths and weaknesses, particularly when mental retardation or brain damage is suspected

Back 172

intelligence tests

Front 173

questionnaire for patients used when clinicians or researchers want a quick way to assess what symptoms a person is experiencing

Back 173

symptom questionnaire

Front 174

meant to assess people's typical ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving; usually questionnaires

Back 174

personality inventories

Front 175

test based on the assumption that, when people are presented with an ambiguous stimulus, they will interpret the stimulus in line with their current concerns and feelings, relationships with others, and conflicts or desires

Back 175

projective test

Front 176

clinicians observe clients in interpersonal settings to assess deficits in their skills or ways of handling situations

Back 176

behavioural observation

Front 177

clinician asks client to keep track of the number of times per day he or she engages in a specific behaviour and the conditions under which this behaviour happens

Back 177

self-monitoring

Front 178

a set of symptoms that tend to occur together

Back 178

syndrome

Front 179

the set of syndromes and the rules for determining whether an individual's symptoms are part of one of these syndromes

Back 179

classification system

Front 180

official manual for diagnosing psychological disorders in the US

Back 180

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

Front 181

therapy that involves a therapist talking with the person suffering from the disorder about his or her symptoms and what is contributing to these symptoms

Back 181

psychotherapy

Front 182

drug now used to treat the symptoms of psychosis; its discovery is generally thought of as the beginning of modern drug treatment

Back 182

chlorpromazine

Front 183

a group of chemical compounds that have a number of biological effects on humans, including acting as antihistamines, decreasing muscle tone, reducing nausea, and in some cases they cause either sedation or euphoria

Back 183

phenothiazines

Front 184

group of chemical compounds that depress the activity of the nervous system

Back 184

neuroleptic

Front 185

class of drugs that can reduce psychotic symptoms

Back 185

butyrophenone

Front 186

drugs that relieve the symptoms of psychosis (loss of reality testing, hallucinations, delusions); include thorazine, haldol, clozaril

Back 186

antipsychotic drugs

Front 187

drugs to treat the symptoms of depression (sadness, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances); include parnate, elavil,prozac

Back 187

antidepressant drugs

Front 188

antidepressant drugs that inhibit the enzyme monoamine oxidase in the brain, which results in higher levels of a number of neurotransmitters

Back 188

monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

Front 189

antidepressant drugs which inhibit the reuptake of neurotransmitters norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine

Back 189

tricyclic antidepressants

Front 190

antidepressant drugs thought to act more selectively on serotonin receptors

Back 190

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Front 191

drug which reduces the symptoms of mania (agitation, excitement, grandiosity)

Back 191

lithium

Front 192

other drugs which are used in the treatment of mania

Back 192

anticonvulsants and calcium channel blockers

Front 193

antianxiety drugs which supress the central nervous system, decreasing the activity of a variety of types of neurons

Back 193

barbituates

Front 194

drugs which reduce symptoms of anxiety (fearfulness, worry, tension); include nembutal and valium

Back 194

antianxiety drugs

Front 195

antianxiety drugs which appear to reduce the symptoms of anxiety without interfering substantially with an individual's ability to function in daily life

Back 195

benzodiazepines

Front 196

series of treatments in which a brain seizure is induced by passing electrical current through the patient's brain

Back 196

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

Front 197

procedure in which the frontal lobes of the brain were severed from the lower centers of the brain in people suffering from psychosis

Back 197

prefrontal lobotomy

Front 198

therapy using powerful magnets to stimulate targeted areas of the brain

Back 198

repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

Front 199

therapies focused on uncovering and resolving unconscious conflicts that are thought to drive psychological symptoms

Back 199

psychodynamic therapies

Front 200

a client is taught to talk about whatever comes to mind, trying not to censor any thoughts

Back 200

free association

Front 201

reluctance to talk about material during psychotherapy

Back 201

resistance

Front 202

when the client reacts to the therapist as if the therapist were an important person in the client's early development

Back 202

transference

Front 203

going over and over

Back 203

working through

Front 204

the expression of emotions connected to memories and conflicts

Back 204

catharsis

Front 205

by being empathetic and supportive, and by listening nonjudgementally, the therapist creates a relationship of trust with the client, which gives the client the freedom and courage to explore difficult issues

Back 205

therapeutic alliance

Front 206

therapy geared toward helping clients discover their greatest potential through self-exploration

Back 206

humanistic or person-centered therapy

Front 207

therapy with three essential parts: therapist communicates a genuineness in his or her role as helper to the client, therapist shows unconditional positive regard for the client, and therapist communicates an empathetic understanding of the client by making it clear that he or she understands and accepts the client's underlying feelings and search for self

Back 207

client-centered therapy

Front 208

a method of responding in which the therapist expresses an attempt to understand what the client is experiencing and trying to communicate

Back 208

reflection

Front 209

therapies focused on identifying the reinforcements and punishments contributing to a person's maladaptive behaviours and on changing specific behaviours

Back 209

behaviour therapies

Front 210

the therapist works with the client to identify the specific circumstances that seem to elicit the client's unwanted behaviour or emotional responses

Back 210

behavioural assessment

Front 211

therapist takes the role of a person to whom the client feels they react badly, then observes the client's behaviour to assess what aspects of that behaviour need to change for the client to be effective in interpersonal interactions

Back 211

role-play

Front 212

therapy which is a gradual method for extinguishing anxiety responses to stimuli and the maladaptive behaviour that often accompanies this anxiety

Back 212

systematic desensitization therapy

Front 213

the client watches the therapist in a situation that would induce anxiety for them and is encouraged to initate the therapist's behaviours and reactions

Back 213

modeling

Front 214

form of systematic desensitization in which the patient is asked to experience the negative stimulus directly

Back 214

in vivo exposure

Front 215

technique for extinguishing unwanted behaviours which involves exposing clients to feared stimuli or situations to an excessive degree while preventing them from avoiding that situation

Back 215

flooding or implosive therapy

Front 216

technique in which a patient receives a small chip or token each time he or she exhibited a desired behaviour which can be exchanged for privileges

Back 216

token economy

Front 217

form of social skills training through operant conditioning in order to help people with a wide variety of problems in interacting and communicating with others

Back 217

response shaping

Front 218

therapies which focus on challenging people's maladaptive interpretations of events or ways of thinking and replacing them with more adaptive ways of thinking

Back 218

cognitive therapies

Front 219

assignments presented to the client as ways of testing hypotheses and gathering information that will be useful in therapy, regardless of the outcome

Back 219

behavioural assignments

Front 220

therapy which focuses on the client's pattern of relationships with important people in his or her own life

Back 220

interpersonal therapy (IPT)

Front 221

therapy based on the belief that an individual's problems are always rooted in interpersonal systems, particularly in the systems called families

Back 221

family systems therapy

Front 222

therapy in which members of a group share an experience

Back 222

group therapy

Front 223

people who come together to deal with a common experience or need and organize themselves without the help of mental-health professionals

Back 223

self-help groups

Front 224

centers intended to provide mental-health care based in the community, often from teams of social workers, therapists, and physicians who coordinate care

Back 224

community mental-health centers

Front 225

centers which offer people with long-term mental-health problems the opportunity to live in a structured, supportive environment while they are trying to reestablish a job and ties to family and friends

Back 225

halfway houses

Front 226

centers which allow people to obtain treatment all day, as well as occupational and rehabilitative therapies, but to live at home at night

Back 226

day treatment centers

Front 227

stopping the development of disorders before they start

Back 227

primary prevention

Front 228

catching disopders in their earliest stages and providing treatment designed to reduce their development

Back 228

secondary prevention

Front 229

experiencing events that we perceive as endangering our physical or psychological well-being

Back 229

stress

Front 230

physiological responses developed through evolution to prepare the body to fight a threat or to flee from it

Back 230

fight-or-flight response

Front 231

group of hormones, often used as a measure of stress

Back 231

cortisol

Front 232

response to stress that all organisms show; three phases are alarm, resistance, and exhaustion

Back 232

general adaptation syndrome

Front 233

field of psychology which investigates the effects of stress and other psychological factors on physical illness

Back 233

health psychology

Front 234

occurs when the blood vessels that supply the heart muscles are narrowed or closed by the gradual buildup of a hard, fatty substance called plaque, blocking the flow of oxygen and nutrients to the heart

Back 234

coronary heart disease (CHD)

Front 235

high blood pressure

Back 235

hypertension

Front 236

system which protects the body from disease-causing microorganisms

Back 236

immune system

Front 237

the cells of the immune system that attack viruses

Back 237

lymphocytes

Front 238

sleep disorders which involve abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep

Back 238

dyssomnias

Front 239

sleep disorders which involve abnormal behavioural and physiological events occurring during sleep

Back 239

parasomnias

Front 240

difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep or sleep that chronically does not restore energy and alertness

Back 240

insomnia

Front 241

therapy involving a set of instructions designed to curtail behaviours that might interfere with sleep and to regulate sleep-wake schedules

Back 241

stimulus-control therapy

Front 242

therapy involving initially restricting the amount of time insomniacs can try to sleep in the night, and gradually increasing it as their sleep becomes more efficient

Back 242

sleep restriction therapy

Front 243

sleep disorder in which people are chronically sleepy and sleep for long periods at a time

Back 243

hypersomnia

Front 244

irresistible attacks of sleep

Back 244

narcolepsy

Front 245

episodes of sudden loss of muscle tone, lasting from a few seconds to minutes

Back 245

cataplexy

Front 246

repeated episodes of upper-airway obstruction during sleep

Back 246

sleep apnea

Front 247

behaviour pattern; the three components are a sense of time urgency, easily aroused hostility, and competitive achievement strivings

Back 247

type A behaviour pattern

Front 248

techniques which provide people with explicit information about how to engage in positive health-related behaviours and with opportunities to engage in these behaviours in increasingly challenging situations

Back 248

guided mastery techniques

Front 249

method involving several techniques designed to help people change bodily processes by learning to identify signs that the processes are going awry and then learning ways of controlling the processes

Back 249

biofeedback

Front 250

disorder with three types of symptoms: reexperiencing the traumatic event, emotional numbing and detachment, and hypervigilance and chronic arousal

Back 250

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Front 251

symptoms that indicate a detachment from the trauma and from ongoing events

Back 251

dissociative symptoms

Front 252

disorder which has symptoms similar to those of PTSD but occurs within one month of a stressor and lasts less than four weeks

Back 252

acute stress disorder

Front 253

stress-related disorder which consists of emotional and behavioural symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and/or antisocial behaviours) that arise within three months of the onset of a stressor

Back 253

adjustment disorder

Front 254

therapy in which the client identifies thoughts and situations that create anxiety, ranking them from most anxiety-provoking to least, then the therapist begins to take the client through this hierarchy, using relaxation techniques to quell anxiety

Back 254

systematic desensitization therapy

Front 255

techniques which include the client's yelling "NO" loudly when realizing he or she is thinking about the trauma, as well as learning to engage in positive activities that distract thoughts away from the trauma

Back 255

thought-stopping techniques

Front 256

technique which teaches clients skills for overcoming problems in their lives that are increasing their stress and that may be the result of PTSD

Back 256

stress-management interventions

Front 257

therapy for trauma survivors that involves the client attending to the image of the trauma, thoughts about the trauma, and the physical sensations of anxiety aroused by the trauma while the therapist quickly moves a finger back and forth in front of the client's eyes to elicit a series of repeated, rapid, jerky, side-to-side eye movements

Back 257

eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)

Front 258

state characterized by four symptoms: physiological, or somatic, symptoms (muscle tension, heart palpitations, stomach pains, need to urinate), emotional symptoms (sense of fearfulness and watchfulness), cognitive symptoms (unrealistic worries that something bad is happening or is about to happen), and behavioural symptoms (avoiding situations because of fears)

Back 258

anxiety

Front 259

disorders in which the anxiety aroused by unconscious conflicts could not be quelled or channeled by defense mechanisms

Back 259

neurosis

Front 260

short but intense periods in which one experiences many symptoms of anxiety (heart palpitations, trembling, a feeling of choking, dizziness, intense dread, etc.)

Back 260

panic attacks

Front 261

when panic attacks become a common occurrence, when the panic attacks are usually not provoked by any particular situation, and when a person begins to worry about having attacks and changes behaviours as a result of this worry; characterized by sudden bursts of anxiety symptoms, a sense of loss of control or unreality, and the sense that one is dying

Back 261

panic disorder

Front 262

neurotransmitter associated with panic disorder

Back 262

norepinephrine

Front 263

area of the brain stem associated with paniclike responses upon stimulation

Back 263

locus ceruleus

Front 264

the belief that bodily systems have harmful consequences

Back 264

anxiety sensitivity

Front 265

a heightened awareness of bodily cues that a panic attack may soon happen

Back 265

interoceptive awareness

Front 266

fear of places one thinks one might have trouble escaping or getting help in an emergency (crowded, bustling places, enclosed spaces, wide open spaces)

Back 266

agoraphobia

Front 267

phobias where when people afflicted with them encounter their feared objects or situations, their anxiety is immediate and intense, and they may even have full panic attacks

Back 267

specific phobias

Front 268

type of specific phobia focused on specific animals or insects

Back 268

animal type phobias

Front 269

type of specific phobia focused on events or situations in the natural environment

Back 269

natural environment type phobias

Front 270

type of specific phobia usually involving a fear of public transportation, tunnels, bridges, elevators, flying, and driving

Back 270

situational type phobias

Front 271

type of specific phobia involving fear of seeing blood or an injury

Back 271

blood-injection-injury type phobias

Front 272

phobia involving fear of being judged or embarassing oneself in front of other people

Back 272

social phobia

Front 273

when running away from or avoidance of a feared object is reinforced by the subsequent reduction of their anxiety

Back 273

negative reinforcement

Front 274

evolution may have selected for the rapid conditioning of the fear of certain objects or situations so now we carry the vestiges of our evolutionary history and are biologically prepared to learn certain associations quickly

Back 274

prepared classical conditioning

Front 275

technique where therapists teach clients to tense the muscles in their arms, legs, and chest until they feel the warmth of their blood rising in their face in order to counteract their typical biological response when confronted with a phobic object

Back 275

applied tension technique

Front 276

state of perpetual anxiety in almost all situations

Back 276

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Front 277

anxiety occurring when we face a real danger or threat

Back 277

realistic anxiety

Front 278

anxiety occuring when we are repeatedly prevented from expressing our id impulses (the energy of those impulses is not allowed release, and it causes anxiety)

Back 278

neurotic anxiety

Front 279

anxiety occurring when we have been punished for expressing our id impulses, and we come to associate those impulses with punishment, causing anxiety

Back 279

moral anxiety

Front 280

harsh self-standards one feels one must meet in order to be acceptable

Back 280

conditions of worth

Front 281

a universal human fear of the limits and responsibilities of one's existence

Back 281

existential anxiety

Front 282

a neurotransmitter that carries inhibitory messages from one neuron to another; deficiency is associated with generalized anxiety disorder

Back 282

gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

Front 283

drug which appears to reduce anxiety by blocking serotonin receptors; belongs to the drug class azaspirones

Back 283

buspirone

Front 284

thoughts, images, ideas, or impulses that are persistent, that the individual feels intrude upon his or her consciousness without control, and that cause significant anxiety or distress

Back 284

obsessions

Front 285

repetitive behaviours or mental acts that an individual feels he or she mush perform

Back 285

compulsions

Front 286

anxiety disorder where people experience anxiety as a result of their obsessional thoughts and when they cannot carry out their compulsive behaviours

Back 286

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

Front 287

a part of the basal ganglia which allows only the strongest impulses to carry through to the thalamus; dysfunction is associated with OCD

Back 287

caudate nucleus

Front 288

group of disorders in which people experience significant physical symptoms for which there is no apparent organic cause

Back 288

somatoform disorders

Front 289

medical disorders in which people have an acute physical illness or defect that can be documented with medical tests and that is being worsened by psychological factors

Back 289

psychosomatic disorders

Front 290

when people fake a symptom or disorder in order to avoid an unwanted situation or in order to gain something

Back 290

malingering

Front 291

disorders in which a person deliberately fakes an illness to gain medical attention

Back 291

factitious disorders

Front 292

when parents fake or even create illnesses in their children in order to gain attention for themselves

Back 292

factitious disorder by proxy

Front 293

somatoform disorder in which people lose functioning in a part of their bodies, apparently due to neurological or other medical causes

Back 293

conversion disorder

Front 294

symptom in which people lose all feeling in one hand, as if they were wearing a glove that wiped out physical sensation

Back 294

glove anesthesia

Front 295

somatoform disorder in which patients have a long history of complaints about physical symptoms, affecting many different areas of the body, for which medical attention has been sought but that appear to have no physical cause

Back 295

somatization disorder

Front 296

somatoform disorder in which patients complain of chronic, unexplainable pain

Back 296

pain disorder

Front 297

somatoform disorder in which people worry that they have a serious disease (but do not always experience severe physical symptoms)

Back 297

hypochondriasis

Front 298

somatoform disorder in which people are excessively preoccupied with a part of their bodies that they believe is defective

Back 298

body dysmorphic disorder

Front 299

group of disorders which involve frequent experiences in which various aspects of a person's "self" are split off from each other and felt as separate

Back 299

dissociative disorders

Front 300

dissociative disorder in which people have more than one distince identity or personality, and each personality appears to have different ways of perceiving and relating to the world

Back 300

dissociative identity disorder (DID)

Front 301

dissociative disorder in which a person will suddenly pick up and move to a new place, assume a new identity, and have no memory for his previous identity

Back 301

dissociative fugue

Front 302

dissociative disorder in which people have significant periods of amnesia but do not assume new personalities or identities; they cannot remember important facts about their lives and their personal identities and are typically aware that there are large gaps in their memory or knowledge of themselves

Back 302

dissociative amnesia

Front 303

amnesia caused by a brain injury resulting from disease, drugs, accidents, or surgery; often involves anterograde amnesia (inability to remember new information)

Back 303

organic amnesia

Front 304

inability to remember new information

Back 304

anterograde amnesia

Front 305

amnesia which arises in the absence of any brain injury or disease and is thought to have psychological causes

Back 305

psychogenic amnesia

Front 306

inability to remember information from the past

Back 306

retrograde amnesia

Front 307

dissociative disorder in which people have frequent episodes in which they feel detached from their own mental processes or bodies, as if they are outside observers of themselves

Back 307

depersonalization disorder

Front 308

mood disorder in which a person oscillates between periods of mania and periods of depression

Back 308

bipolar disorder

Front 309

period of great energy and enthusiasm for everything, high self-esteem, and elevated or irritable mood

Back 309

mania

Front 310

period of low energy and enthusiasm and lack of joy; mood disorder including disturbances in emotion (sadness, loss of interest), bodily function (loss of sleep, appetite, and sexual drive), behaviour (retardation or agitation), and thought (worthlessness, guilt, suicidality)

Back 310

depression

Front 311

mood disorder in which people experience depression (no mania)

Back 311

unipolar depression

Front 312

beliefs with no basis in reality

Back 312

delusions

Front 313

seeing, hearing, or feeling things that are not real

Back 313

hallucinations

Front 314

category of unipolar depression in which a person experiences either depressed mood or loss of interest in usual activities, plus at least four other symptoms of depression chronically for at least two weeks

Back 314

major depression

Front 315

category of unipolar depression in which a person experiences depressed mood plus two other symptoms of depression for at least two years

Back 315

dysthymic disorder

Front 316

disorder where people experience both major depression and dysthymic disorder

Back 316

double depression

Front 317

depression with seasonal pattern

Back 317

seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

Front 318

mood disorder in which people show an elevated, expansive, or irritable mood for at least one week, plus at least three other symptoms of mania, and eventually fall into a depressive episode (could be severe or relatively mild and infrequent)

Back 318

bipolar I disorder

Front 319

mood disorder in which people experience severe episodes of depression that meet the criteria for major depression, but their episodes of mania are milder and are known as hypomania

Back 319

bipolar II disorder

Front 320

milder mania state; has the same symptoms as mania but these symptoms are not severe enough to interfere with daily functioning and do not involve hallucinations or delusions

Back 320

hypomania

Front 321

mood disorder in which a person alternates between hypomania and moderate depression chronically over at least a two-year period

Back 321

cyclothymic disorder

Front 322

mood disorder where a person has four or more cycles of mania and depression within a year

Back 322

rapid cycling bipolar disorder

Front 323

class of neurotransmitters that have been implicated most often in the mood disorders

Back 323

monoamines

Front 324

specific neurotransmitters found in large concentrations in the limbic system thought to cause both depression and mania

Back 324

norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine

Front 325

a part of the brain associated with the regulation of sleep, appetite, and emotional processes

Back 325

limbic system

Front 326

theory that depression is caused by a reduction in the amount of norepinephrine or serotonin in the synapses between neurons and that mania is caused by an excess of the monoamines or perhaps dysregulation of the levels of these amines, especially dopamine

Back 326

monoamine theories

Front 327

biological feedback system in which the hypothalamus, pituitary, and adrenal cortex work together, richly interconnected with the limbic system and the cerebral cortex; involved in the fight-or-flight response; may be involved in the development of depression

Back 327

hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)

Front 328

diagnosis of depressions during the premenstrual period

Back 328

premenstrual dysphoric disorder

Front 329

theory that suggests that life stress leads to depression because it reduces the positive reinforcers in a person's life; the person begins to withdraw, which only results in a further reduction in reinforcers, which leads to more withdrawl, and a self-perpetuating chain is created

Back 329

behavioural theory of depression

Front 330

theory that suggests that the stressful type of event most likely to lead to depression is uncontrollable negative events; such events, especially if frequent or chronic, can lead people to believe that they are helpless to control important outcomes in their environment

Back 330

learned helplessness theory

Front 331

loss of motivation, reduction in actions that might control the environment, and inability to learn how to control situations that are controllable as a result of a belief in helplessness

Back 331

learned helplessness defecits

Front 332

peoples' negative views of themselves, of the world, and of the future

Back 332

negative cognitive triad

Front 333

an explanation of why an event happened

Back 333

causal attribution

Front 334

theory that people who habitually explain negative events by causes that are internal, stable, and global blame themselves for these negative events, expect negative events to recur in the future, and expect to experience negative events in many areas of their lives; these expectations lead them to experience long-term learned helplessness defecits plus self-esteem loss in many areas of their lives

Back 334

reformulated learned helplessness theory

Front 335

when asked to make judgements about how much control they have over situations that are actually uncontrollable, people with depression are quite accurate

Back 335

depressive realism

Front 336

theory that focuses more on the process of thinking, rather than the context of thinking, as a contributor to depression

Back 336

ruminative response styles theory

Front 337

theory that a depressed person's self-blame and punishment is actually blame and punishment of others who have abandoned them

Back 337

introjected hostility theory

Front 338

theories that are concerned with people's close relationships and their roles in those relationships; disturbences in these roles are thought to be the main source of depression

Back 338

interpersonal theories of depression

Front 339

expectations that one must be or do certain things in order to win the approval or others; developed in children with insecure attachments

Back 339

contingenies of self-worth

Front 340

constantly looking for assurances from others that they are accepted and loved

Back 340

excessive reassurance seeking

Front 341

people born in one historical period are at different risk for a disorder than are people born in another historical period

Back 341

cohort effect

Front 342

drugs which help reduce the symptoms of depression apparently by preventing the reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin in the synapses or by changing the responsiveness of the receptors for these neurotransmitters

Back 342

tricyclic antidepressants

Front 343

drugs used to help reduce the symptoms of depression by increasing the levels of the neurotransmitters in the synapses

Back 343

monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)

Front 344

drugs used to help reduce the symptoms of depression by changing the responsiveness of the receptors for norepinephrine and serotonin, working more directly to affect serotonin

Back 344

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

Front 345

method for treatment of depression involving stimulating the vagus nerve with a small electronic device; the vagus nerve is a part of the autonomic nervous system that carries information from the head, neck, thorax, and abdomen to several areas of the brain, including the hypothalamus and amygdala

Back 345

vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)

Front 346

therapy to help reduce SAD by exposing patients to bright lights for a few hours each day during the winter months

Back 346

light therapy

Front 347

classes of drugs which are alternatives to lithium for the treatment of mania

Back 347

anticonvulsants, antipsychotic drugs, and calcium channel blockers

Front 348

therapies which focus on increasing the number of positive reinforcers and decreasing the number of aversive experiences in an individual's life by helping the depressed person change his or her ways of interacting with the environment and other people

Back 348

behaviour therapies

Front 349

therapy that aims to change the negative, hopeless patterns of thinking described by the cognitive models of depression and also to help people with depression solve concrete problems in their lives and develop skills for being more effective in their worlds, so that they no longer have the defecits in reinforcers described by behavioural theories of depression

Back 349

cognitive-behavioural therapy

Front 350

therapy that focuses on four types of interpersonal problems as sources of depression: grief and loss, interpersonal role disputes, role transitions, and interpersonal skills defecits

Back 350

interpersonal therapy (IPT)

Front 351

therapies in which the therapist closely observes a depressed client's behaviour to analyze the source of his or her depression, focusing on transference (the ways in which the client treats the therapist as though the therapist were someone else), recollection of recent events and distant events, and recounting of dreams

Back 351

psychodynamic therapies

Front 352

the purposeful taking of one's own life

Back 352

suicide

Front 353

people who clearly and explicitly seek to end their lives

Back 353

death seekers

Front 354

people who have a clear intention to die but believe that they are simply hastening an inevitable death

Back 354

death initiators

Front 355

people who intend to end their lives but do not believe that this means the end of their existence; they see their death as the beginning of a new and better life

Back 355

death ignorers

Front 356

people who are ambivalent about dying, and they take actions that greatly increase their chances of death

Back 356

death darers

Front 357

acts in which people indirectly contribute to their own death, perhaps unconsciously

Back 357

subintentional deaths

Front 358

suicide committed by people who feel alienated from others, empty of social contacts, and alone in an unsupportive world

Back 358

egoistic suicide

Front 359

suicide committed by people who experience severe disorientation because of a major change in their relationships to society

Back 359

anomic suicide

Front 360

suicide committed by people who believe that taking their own lives will benefit society in some way

Back 360

altruistic suicide

Front 361

when two or more suicides or attempted suicides are nonrandomly bunched in space or time

Back 361

suicide cluster

Front 362

people somehow "catch" suicidal intentions and behaviours from those who commit suicide

Back 362

suicide contagion

Front 363

the general tendency to act on one's impulses rather than to inhibit them when it is appropriate to do so

Back 363

impulsivity

Front 364

the sense that the future is bleak and there is no way of making it more positive

Back 364

hopelessness

Front 365

seeing everything in either/or terms

Back 365

dichotomous thinking

Front 366

community-based programs available to help people who are highly suicidal deal in the short term with their feelings and then refer them for longer care to mental-health specialists

Back 366

crisis intervention

Front 367

crisis intervention done over the phone

Back 367

suicide hot lines

Front 368

therapy aimed at addressing suicidal behaviours and thoughts which focuses on difficulties in managing negetive emotions and in controlling impulsive behaviours; it involves a number of techniques aimed at increasing problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, and skills in managing negative emotions

Back 368

dialectical behaviour therapy

Front 369

mercy killing

Back 369

euthanasia

Front 370

all the ways we have of acting, thinking, believing, and feeling that make each of us unique

Back 370

personality

Front 371

category of disorders marked by a long-standing pattern of maladaptive behaviours, thoughts, and feelings

Back 371

personality disorders

Front 372

cluster of personality disorders where people behave in ways that are similar to the behaviours of people with schizophrenia or paranoid psychotic disorder, but they retain their grasp on reality to a greater degree than do people who are psychotic

Back 372

cluster A: odd-eccentric personality disorders

Front 373

cluster A personality disorder characterized by a pervasive and unwarranted mistrust and suspicion of others

Back 373

paranoid personality disorder

Front 374

cluster A personality disorder where people lack the desire to form interpersonal relationships and are emotionally cold in interactions with others

Back 374

schizoid personality disorder

Front 375

cluster A personality disorder where people tend to be socially isolated, to have a restricted range of emotions, and to be uncomfortable in interpersonal interactions; chronic pattern of inhibited or inappropriate emotion and social behaviour, aberrant cognitions, disorganized speech

Back 375

schizotypal personality disorder

Front 376

cluster of personality disorders where people engage in behaviours that are dramatic and impulsive, and they often show little regard for their own safety or the safety of others

Back 376

cluster B: dramatic-emotional personality disorders

Front 377

cluster B personality disorder in which people have chronic antisocial behaviours; pervasive pattern of criminal, impulsive, callous, or ruthless behaviour; disregard for the rights of others; no respect for social norms

Back 377

antisocial personality disorder

Front 378

characterized by a superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, a tendency toward boredom and need for stimulation, pathological lying, an ability to be conning and manipulative, and a lack of remorse

Back 378

psychopathy

Front 379

neurotransmitter whose defecit is associated with antisocial personality disorder

Back 379

serotonin

Front 380

the ability to sustain concentration, abstract reasoning, concept and goal formation, the ability to anticipate and plan, the capacity to program and initiate purposive sequences of behaviour, self-monitoring and self-awareness, and the ability to shift from maladaptive patterns of behaviour to more adaptive ones

Back 380

executive functions

Front 381

cluster B personality disorder characterized by rapidly shifting and unstable mood, self-concept, and interpersonal relationships, impulsive behaviour, transient dissociative states, and self-effacement; vacillate between all-good and all-bad evaluations of themselves and others

Back 381

borderline personality disorder

Front 382

therapy for the treatment of borderline personality disorder focused on helping clients gain a more realistic and positive sense of self, learn adaptive skills for solving problems and regulating emotions, and correct their dichotomous thinking

Back 382

dialectical behaviour therapy

Front 383

cluster B personality disorder characterized by rapidly shifting moods, unstable relationships, and intense need for attention and approval; dramatic, seductive behaviour; flamboyant; people are overly dependent and solicitous of others

Back 383

histrionic personality disorder

Front 384

cluster B personality disorder characterized by grandiose thoughts and feelings of one's own worth; obliviousness to others' needs; exploitative, arrogant demeanor; dismissive of others

Back 384

narcissistic personality disorder

Front 385

cluster of personality disorders characterized by a chronic sense of anxiety or fearfulness and behaviours intended to ward off feared situations

Back 385

cluster C: anxious-fearful personality disorders

Front 386

cluster C personality disorder characterized by pervasive anxiety, a sense of inadequacy, and a fear of being criticized, which lead to the avoidance of social interaction and nervousness

Back 386

avoidant personality disorder

Front 387

cluster C personality disorder characterized by pervasive selflessness, a need to be cared for, and a fear of rejection, leading to total dependence on and submission to others

Back 387

dependent personality disorder

Front 388

cluster C personality disorder characterized by pervasive rigidity in one's activities and interpersonal relationships, including emotional constriction, extreme perfectionism, and anxiety about even minor disruptions in one's routine

Back 388

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Front 389

theory which posits that any individual's personality is organized along five broad dimensions, or factors, of personality: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness

Back 389

five-factor model

Front 390

professionals who have an M.D. degree and have specialized training in the treatment of psychological problems; can prescribe medication and some have been trained to conduct psychotherapies

Back 390

psychiatrists

Front 391

professionals who typically have a Ph.D. in psychology, with a specialization in psychological problems; can conduct psychotherapies but most can't prescribe medication

Back 391

clinical psychologists

Front 392

professionals who specialize in helping families, couples, and children overcome problems that are interfering with their well-being

Back 392

marriage and family therapists

Front 393

professionals who have a master's degree in social work and often focus on helping people with psychological problems overcome the social conditions contributing to their problems

Back 393

clinical social workers

Front 394

professionals who have a degree in nursing, with a specialization in the treatment of people with severe psychological problems; often work on inpatient psychiatric wards in hospitals, delivering medical care and certain forms of psychotherapy; in some states they have privileges to write prescriptions

Back 394

psychiatric nurses

Front 395

structure of the brain in the limbic system important in the regulation of emotion and memory

Back 395

amygdala

Front 396

structure of the brain in the limbic system important in memory

Back 396

hippocampus

Front 397

bridge of fibers passing information between the two cerebral hemispheres

Back 397

corpus callosum

Front 398

brain structure that serves as a relay center for the cortex; handles incoming and outgoing signals

Back 398

thalamus

Front 399

brain structure involved in balance and the control of movement

Back 399

cerebellum

Front 400

brain structure responsible for regulating largely unconscious functions such as breathing and circulation

Back 400

medulla

Front 401

brain structure involved in sleep and arousal

Back 401

pons

Front 402

a network of neurons related to sleep, arousal, and attention

Back 402

reticular formation

Front 403

structure responsible for communicating between the brain and the rest of the body; involved with simple reflexes

Back 403

spinal cord

Front 404

neurotransmitter which plays a particularly important role in mental health, regulating emotions and impulses, such as aggression

Back 404

serotonin

Front 405

neurotransmitter that is prominent in areas of the brain that regulate our experience of reinforcements or rewards, and it is affected by substances, such as alcohol, that we find rewarding; also important to the functioning of muscle systems

Back 405

dopamine

Front 406

neurotransmitter that is produced mainly by neurons in the brain stem; related to mood levels

Back 406

norepinephrine

Front 407

neurotransmitter which inhibits the action of other neurotransmitters; plays an important role in anxiety symptoms

Back 407

gamma-aminobutyric acid or GABA

Front 408

retreating to a behaviour of an earlier developmental period to prevent anxiety and satisfy current needs

Back 408

regression

Front 409

refusing to perceive or accept reality

Back 409

denial

Front 410

discharging unacceptable feelings against someone or something other than the true target of these feelings

Back 410

displacement

Front 411

inventing an acceptable motive to explain unacceptably motivated behaviour

Back 411

rationalization

Front 412

adopting a cold, distant perspective on a matter that actually creates strong, unpleasant feelings

Back 412

intellectualization

Front 413

attributing one's own unacceptable motives or desires to someone else

Back 413

projection

Front 414

adopting a set of attitudes and behaviours that are the opposite of one's true dispositions

Back 414

reaction formation

Front 415

adopting the ideas, values, and tendencies of someone in a superior position in order to evaluate self-worth

Back 415

identification

Front 416

translating wishes and needs into socially acceptable behaviour

Back 416

aublimation

Front 417

family which is resistant to and isolated from all forces outside the family and does not adopt well to changes within the family

Back 417

inflexible family

Front 418

family in which each member is too greatly involved in the lives of the other members, to the point that individuals do not have personal autonomy and can feel controlled

Back 418

enmeshed family

Front 419

family in which the members pay no attention to each other and operate as individual units isolated from other family members

Back 419

disengaged family

Front 420

family in which parents avoid dealing with conflicts with each other by always keeping their children involved in their conversations and activities

Back 420

pathological triangular relationships

Front 421

DSM-IV axis on which a clinician lists any major disorders for which the person qualifies, with the exclusion of mental retardation and personality disorders (ex: delerium, substance-related disorders, schizophrenia, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, somatoform disorders, eating disorders, sleep disorders, etc); most of the disorders tend to wax and wane across the life span

Back 421

Axis I

Front 422

DSM-IV axis on which the clinician lists mental retardation or any personality disorders for which the person qualifies; lifelong disorders

Back 422

Axis II

Front 423

DSM-IV axis on which the clinician notes any medical or physical diseases from which the person is suffering

Back 423

Axis III

Front 424

DSM-IV axis on which the clinician rates the severity of the psychosocial stressors the client is facing (ex: educational problems, occupational problems, housing problems, economic problems, etc)

Back 424

Axis IV

Front 425

DSM-IV axis on which the clinician rates the level at which the client is able to function in daily life on a scale of 10-100 (10= persistent danger of severely hurting self or others, 100= superior functioning in a wide range of areas)

Back 425

Axis V

Front 426

model which suggests that psychological factors, such as stressful experiences or certain personality characteristics, directly cause changes in the physiology of the body, which in turn cause or exacerbate disease

Back 426

direct effects model

Front 427

model which suggests that psychological factors must interact with a preexisting biological vunerability to a disease in order for an individual to develop the disease

Back 427

interactive model

Front 428

model which suggests that psychological factors affect disease largely by influencing whether people engage in health-promoting behaviours

Back 428

indirect effects model

Front 429

subtype of depression characterized by inability to experience pleasure, distinct depressed mood, depression regularly worse in morning, early morning awakening, marked psychomotor retardation or agitation, significant anorexia or weight loss, excessive guilt

Back 429

depression with melancholic features

Front 430

subtype of depression characterized by presence of depressing delusions or hallucinations

Back 430

depression with psychotic features

Front 431

subtype of depression characterized by catatonic behaviours: catalepsy, excessive motor activity, severe disturbances in sleep

Back 431

depression with catatonic features

Front 432

subtype of depression characterized by positive mood reactions to some events, significant weight gain or increase in appetite, hypersomnia, heavy or laden feelings in arms or legs, long-standing pattern of seneitivity to interpersonal rejection

Back 432

depression with atypical features

Front 433

subtype of depression characterized by onset of major depressive episode within four weeks of delivery of child

Back 433

depression with postpartum onset

Front 434

subtype of depression characterized by history of at least two years in which major depressive episodes occur during one season of the year (usually winter) and remit when the season is over

Back 434

depression with seasonal pattern

Front 435

personality factor in which individuals high on the scale are chronically anxious, hostile, depressed, self-conscious, and impulsive and have poor coping skills; people low on the scale lack these problems

Back 435

neuroticism

Front 436

personality factor in which individuals high on the scale are sociable, active, talkative, interpersonally oriented, optimistic, fun-loving, and affectionate; people low on the scale are reserved, sober, aloof, independent, and quiet

Back 436

extraversion

Front 437

personality factor in which individuals high on the scale actively seek and appreciate experiences for their own sake and are curious, imaginative, and willing to entertain new and unconventional ideas; people low in this factor are conventional in their beliefs and attitudes, conservative in their tastes, dogmatic, rigid in their beliefs, set in their ways, and emotionally unresponsive

Back 437

openness to experience

Front 438

personality factor in which individuals high on the scale are softhearted, good-natured, trusting, helpful, forgiving, and altruistic; people low in this factor are cynical, rude, suspicious, uncooperative, and irritable and can be manipulative, vengeful, and ruthless

Back 438

agreeableness

Front 439

personality factor in which individuals high on the scale are organized, reliable, hardworking, self-directed, punctual, scrupulous, ambitious, and persevering; people low in this factor are aimless, unreliable, lazy, careless, lax, negligent, and hedonistic

Back 439

conscientiousness

Front 440

you see things in black-and-white categories; if your performance falls short of perfect, you see yourself as a total failure

Back 440

all-or-nothing thinking

Front 441

you see a single negative event as a never-ending pattern of defeat

Back 441

overgeneralization

Front 442

you pick out a single negative detail and dwell on it exclusively, so that your vision of all reality becomes darkened, like a drop of ink that discolours an entire beaker of water

Back 442

mental filter

Front 443

you reject positive experiences by insisting they "don't count" for some reason; in this way you can maintain a negative belief that is contradicted by your everyday experiences

Back 443

disqualifying the positive

Front 444

you make a negative interpretation, even though there are no definite facts that convincingly support your conclusion: (a) mind reading- you arbitrarily conclude that someone is reacting negatively to you, and you don't bother to check this out, (b) the fortune teller error- you anticipate that things will turn out badly, and you feel convinced that your prediction is an already established fact

Back 444

jumping to conclusions

Front 445

you exaggerate the importance of things (such as your goof-up or someone else's achievement), or you inappropriately shrink things until they appear tiny (your own desirable qualities or another's imperfections; this is also called the "binocular trick"

Back 445

magnification (catastrophizing) or minimizing

Front 446

you assume that your negative emotions necessarily reflect the way things really are (i feel it, therefore it must be true)

Back 446

emotional reasoning

Front 447

you try to motivate yourself with "shoulds" and "shouldn'ts", as if you had to be whipped and punished before you could be expected to do anything; "must" and "oughts" are also offenders; the emotional consequence is guilt; when you direct "should" statements toward others, you feel anger, frustration, and resentment

Back 447

"should" statements

Front 448

extreme form of overgeneralization; instead of describing your error, you attach a negative label to yourself ("i'm a loser"); when someone else's behaviour rubs you the wrong way, you attach a negative label to that person; mislabeling involves describing an event with language that is highly coloured and emotionally loaded

Back 448

labeling and mislabeling

Front 449

you see yourself as the cause of a negative external event, which, in fact, you were not primarily responsible for

Back 449

personalization