Abnormal Psychology

Front 1

166. Which disorder is more prevalent, autism or asperger's?

Back 1

Asperger's

1 in 250 individuals display this pattern, w/ 80% of them boys

Front 2

167. What are the paradigms that explain the causes of pervasive developmental disorders?

Back 2

Sociocultural explanations (overemphasized)

Cognitive limitations

Brain abnormalities

Front 3

168. What are the sociocultural causes that are thought to be responsible for developmental disorders?

Back 3

Initially though family dysfunction and social stress were primary causes

Kanner argued particular personality characteristics of parents created an unfavorable climate for development: "refrigerator parents"

Front 4

169. Did research support any of the sociocultural explanations?

Back 4

NO

These claims had enormous influence on the public and the self-image of parents but no research to support

Front 5

170. What are the psychological causes of developmental disorders?

Back 5

1. Have a central perceptual or cognitive disturbance

2. Fail to develop a theory of mind ("mindblindness")

*It's theorized that early biological problems prevents proper cognitive development

Front 6

171. What is theory of mind?

Back 6

An awareness that other people base their behaviors on their own beliefs, intentions, and other mental states, not on information they have no way of knowing

Front 7

172. What are the biological causes of pervasive developmental disorders (specifically regarding family genetics)?

Back 7

Family studies suggest a genetic factor

-Prevalence rates are higher among siblings and highest among identical twins
-Chromosomal abnormalities have been discovered in 10% to 12% of people w/ disorder

Front 8

173. What are some biological prenatal difficulties or birth complications that may cause pervasive developmental disorder?

Back 8

A postnatal event (MMR vaccine) might produce autism in some children

Front 9

174. So what then are the biological causes for developmental disorders?

Back 9

Multiple biological causes

All relevant biological factors lead to a common problem in the brain - a "final common pathway"

Front 10

175. What are the general treatments for pervasive developmental disorders?

Back 10

Behavioral Therapy
Communication Training
Parent Training
Community Integration
Psychotropic Drugs
Some Vitamins

Front 11

176. What is involved in the behavioral therapy?

Back 11

Teach new, appropriate behaviors, including speech, social skills, classroom skills, and self-help skills, while reducing negative ones

Use modeling and operant conditioning and ideally is used w/ young autistic kids

Front 12

177. What is the DSM criteria for mental retardation?

Back 12

Display general intellectual functioning that is well below average in combination w/ poor adaptive behavior

-IQ < 70
-difficulty in communication, home living, self-direction, work, or safety
-symptoms appear before age 18

Front 13

178. How many people are diagnosed as mentally retarded (or developmental disability)?

What is the sex ratio?

Back 13

3 of every 100 persons meets criteria

Three-fifths are male and vast majority are considered mildly retarded

Front 14

179. How is mental retardation assessed and diagnosed? What two tests are used?

Back 14

1. IQ (test score lower than 70)

2. Vineland and AAMR adaptive behavior scales

Front 15

180. What is the most consistent sign of mental retardation?

What are some other limitations

Back 15

Person learns very slowly

Difficulty in other areas such as attention, short-term memory, planning, and learning

Front 16

181. What are the four levels of mental retardation and the IQ scores that correlate?

Back 16

1. Mild (IQ 50-70)
2. Moderate (IQ 35-49)
3. Severe (IQ 20-34)
4. Profound (IQ below 20)

Front 17

182. What are those mildly retarded called?

What percent of all people with mental retardation are mildly retarded?

Back 17

Call "educatably retarded" b/c they can benefit from schooling and intellectual performance seems to improve with age

80% to 85%

Front 18

183. What three sociocultural and psychological causes have been linked to mild mental retardation?

Back 18

1. Poor and unstimulating environment
2. Inadequate parent-child interactions
3. Insufficient early learning experiences

Front 19

184. What biological factors have been linked to mild retardation?

Back 19

Mothers' moderate drinking, drug use, or malnutrition during pregnancy have been linked to cases of mild retardation

Front 20

185. What percent of mentally retarded are moderately retarded?

What can the moderately retarded do?

Back 20

10%

They can care for themselves and benefit from vocational training

Front 21

186. What percent of mentally retarded are severely retarded?

What do they need?

Back 21

3%-4%

They usually require careful supervision and can perform only basic work tasks

Front 22

187. What percent of mentally retarded are profoundly retarded?

What do they need?

Back 22

1%-2%

With training they may learn or improve basic skills but they need a very structured environment

Front 23

188. What are severe and profound mental retardation associated with?

Back 23

They often appear as part of larger syndromes that include severe physical handicaps

Front 24

189. What is the primary cause of moderate, severe, and profound mental retardation?

Back 24

Biological

-genetic factors
-unfavorable conditions that occur before, during, and after birth

Front 25

190. What are the chromosomal causes of moderate, severe, and profound mental retardation?

Back 25

1. Down Syndrome
-1 of every 1000 live births result in Down syndrome
-rate increases greatly when mother's age is over 35
-usually abnormality is on chromosome 21 trisomy
2. Fragile X syndrome

Front 26

191. What are the metabolic causes of moderate, severe, and profound mental retardation?

Back 26

Metabolic diseases that cause mental retardation are typically caused by the pairing of two defective recessive genes

Examples
-Phenylketonuria (PKU)
-Tay-Sachs disease

Front 27

192. What are some prenatal and birth-related causes?

Four causes....

Back 27

1. Low iodine may lead to cretinism
2. Alcohol leads to fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)
3. Certain maternal infections (rubella, syphilis) may cause childhood problems
4. Birth complications like prolonged period w/o air (anoxia)

Front 28

193. What are some childhood problems that can cause mental retardation?

Back 28

Particularly up to age 6 certain injuries and accidents can affect intelligence

Poisonings, serious head injury, excessive exposure to x-rays, excessive use of certain drugs/chemicals/ and/or mineral, certain infections (meningitis and encephalitis)

Front 29

194. What does the quality of life achieved by people with mental retardation depend on largely?

Back 29

Sociocultural factors

Intervention programs try to provide comfortable and stimulating residences, social and economic opportunities, and a proper education

Front 30

195. What has been the progression of residence for people with mental retardation?

Back 30

First lived in public institutions then had deinstitutionalization movement in 60's and 70's

Small institutions and community residences that follow principle of normalization

Today vast majority live at home

Front 31

196. What educational programs are used for the mentally retarded?

Back 31

Operant condition principles and many schools also employ token economy programs

Front 32

197. What percent of mentally retarded experience emotional and behavioral problems?

Back 32

25% have a diagnosable psychological disorder

Some suffer from low self-esteem, interpersonal problems, and adjustment difficulties

*treat w/ therapy, groups sessions, or meds

Front 33

198. How many mentally retarded people marry?

Back 33

Between one-quarter and one-half

Front 34

199. What are internalizing disorders

Back 34

Certain problems appear to be related to problems "within the self", such as fears, physical complaints, worrying, shyness. Historically, they were termed the "neuroses

Children with these types of disorders seem to deal with problems internally, rather than acting them out in the environment

Front 35

201. Which type of disorder, internalizing or externalizing, causes more distress for the child?

Back 35

Internalizing disorders usually cause more distress to a child than do the externalizing disorders, although this is not always the case

Front 36

200. What are externalizing disorders?

Back 36

Characterized by behaviors directed outward, typically toward other people.Examples include disobedience, aggression, delinquency, temper tantrums, and over activity.

These type of behaviors typically involve conflict with other people.This class
of behaviors has also been called "conduct disorder",
"under controlled", and simply "aggressive".