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61 Cards in this Set
- Front
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Describe the three criteria that help psychologists distinguish abnormal behavior - Give examples for each. |
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Pretend that you are experiencing depression and that you go to visit four therapists, each of whom practices a different theoretical approach (i.e., biological, psychological, sociocultural, and biopsychosocial). Give an example of how each therapist would explain the etiology of your depression. |
Biological - Genes, brain structure & function, neurotransmitters
Psychological - focus on patients feelings (learned helplessness), negative thoughts reflecting self-defeating beliefs, pessimism Sociocultural - focus on socioeconomic status, standard of living, career Biopsychosocial - A combination of all the above |
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What do psychologists believe is the etiology of generalized anxiety disorder? |
Biological - genetic predisposition, deficiency in the neurotransmitter GABA, & respiratory system abnormalities.
Psychological & Sociocultural - harsh or impossible self-standards, overly strict and critical parents, automatic negative thoughts when feeling stress, history of uncontrollable traumas or stressors. |
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List the symptoms of major depressive disorder. |
lethargy and hopelessness for at least 2 weeks
Depressed mood most of the day, reduced interest/pleasure in activities, significant weight loss or gain, Trouble sleeping or sleeping too much, fatigue or loss of energy, feeling worthless, problems thinking - concentrating- or making decisions, recurrent thoughts of death and suicide, no history of manic episodes. |
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Describe the characteristics of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa. |
Anorexia - weigh less than 85% of what is considered normal & refusal to maintain weight, intense fear of weight gain, distorted body image.
Bulimia - Binge & purge pattern, preoccupied with food, fear of weight gain, difficulty controlling emotions, great deal of self-disgust & shame. |
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Explain the distinction between dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder. |
Dissociative amnesia - extreme memory loss steming from extensive psychological stress. Forget aspects of their identity & autobiographical experiences.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID or MPD) - two or more distinct identities, each with its own memories, behaviors or relationships |
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Describe and give examples of the positive and negative symptoms associated with schizophrenia. |
Positive - something added above and beyond normal behavior. hallucinations, delusions, thought or movement disorders
Negative - a loss or decrease of normal behavior; Flat affect, lack of ability to read emotions of others, deficient ability to plan, initiate & engage in goal-oriented behavior |
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antisocial personality disorder (ASPD). |
- Guiltlessness, law-breaking, exploitation of others, irresponsibility and deceit. - Failure to conform to social norms - Deceitfulness, lying, alias use, - Impulsivity - Irritability & aggressiveness - Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others -Irresponsibility - Lack of remorse |
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Borderline personality disorder (BPD). |
- Pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions & marked impulsivity.
- Unstable affect - Unstable sense of self & identity - Negative interpersonal relationships - Self Harm |
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Biological and psychological factors contributing to suicide. |
Biological - Genetics; suicide tends to run in families. low levels of neurotransmitter serotonin. Poor physical health, especially when it is chronic.
Psychological - Disorders (depression/anxiety) & traumatic experiences. |
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3 Criteria of abnormal behavior |
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Why does culture have such an impact on our definitions of abnormal? |
Culture is at a the core of what it means to be normal or abnormal. definitions of normal change as society changes; cultural norms can be limiting, oppressive and prejudicial.
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Why is it difficult to compare "abnormal" across cultures? |
There can be dramatic variations of what it means to be normal between cultures based on specific area of origin
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What are the 4 theoretical approaches to Psychological Disorders? |
Biological
Psychological Sociocultural Biopsychosocial |
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What is the defining rationale behind the Biological Approach? |
Attributes psychological disorders to organic, internal causes, such as brain structures, genetic factors, & neurotransmitter function.
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What is the defining rationale behind the Psychological Approach? |
Emphasizes the contribution of experiences, thoughts, emotions and personality characteristics in explaining disorders.
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What is the defining rationale behind the Sociocultural Approach? |
Emphasizes the social context in which a person lives, including gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family relationships and culture.
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What is the defining rationale behind the Biopsychosocial model? |
Factors such as biological, psychological and sociocultural can operate alone, but often act in combination with one another.
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2 diagnostic systems |
Diagnostic & statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5)
International Classification of Diseases and Related Problems (ICD-10) |
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What are the criticisms of DSM? |
- It treats psychological disorders as if they are medical illnesses, taking an overly biological view of disorders that may have social experience roots.
- Focuses strictly on problems - Relies to much on social norms & subjective judgements - Too many new categories of disorders have been added - Loosened standards for some existing diagnoses |
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3 features of anxiety disorders |
Uncontrollable fears
Disproportionate to the actual danger/problem Disruptive of ordinary life |
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Define Etiology |
The cause or preceding condition
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What are the general features and etiology of Panic Disorder? |
recurrent, sudden onsets of intense terror, often without warning & no specific cause.
- Severe palpitations, extreme shortness of breath, chest pains, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and feeling of helplessness. |
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What are the general features and etiology of Specific phobia? |
irrational, overwhelming & persistent fear of a particular object or situation.
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What are the general features and etiology of Social Anxiety Disorder? |
intense fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in social situations.
Genetics, neural circuitry involving the thalamus, amygdala, & cerebral cortex, neurotransmitters including serotonin. |
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What are the general features and etiology of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder? |
anxiety-provoking thoughts that will not go away and/or urges to perform repetitive ritualistic behaviors to prevent or produce some future situations.
- genetic component, active frontal cortex or basal ganglia, low levels of serotonin, dopamine and glutamate. hyperactive limbic system |
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What are the general features and etiology of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder? |
Symptoms develop as a result of exposure to a traumatic event, oppressive situation, natural or unnatural disasters Includes: flashbacks, avoidance of emotional experiences, emotional numbness, excessive arousal, exaggerated startle response, difficulties with memory & concentration, impulsive outbursts. |
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What is the difference between obsessions and compulsions? |
Obsessions are recurrent thoughts and compulsions are recurrent behaviors |
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What are examples of OCD subtypes? |
Hording disorder Excoriation (skin picking) trichotillomania (hair pulling) body dysmorphic disorder |
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What is MDD? |
Major Depressive Disorder
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How is Major Depressive Disorder different from general sadness? |
depressed characteristics consistently for over 2 weeks. |
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What makes MDD turn into Persistent Depressive Disorder? |
Less extreme depressive mood for more than 2 months is diagnosed with Persistent Depressive Disorder
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What are the symptoms of major depressive disorder? |
- Lethargy & hopelessness for more than 2 weeks
- Depressed mood for most of the day - Reduced interest/pleasure for activities - Significant weight loss/gain - trouble sleeping or too much sleep - fatique or loss of energy - feeling worthless or guilty in excess - problems thinking, concentrating or making decisions - recurrent thoughts of death/suicide - no history of manic episodes |
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Pessimistic attributional style vs optimistic attributional style |
Pessimistic attributional style - individuals regularly explain negative events as having internal causes (my fault I failed), stable causes (I will fail again), and global causes (failing shows I will never do well in anything).
Optimistic attributional style - individuals make external attributions for bad things that happen. They also recognize that causes can change and they are specific. |
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What are the 2 types of Bipolar Disorders? |
Bipolar Disorder Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder |
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What are the similarities & differences between Bipolar disorders |
Bipolar is characterized by extreme mood swings that include one or more episodes of mania (usually separated by 6 mths to a year).
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder is a depressive disorder in children who show persistent irritability and recurrent episodes of out of control behavior. |
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Neurotransmitter similarities & differences between MDD & Bipolar disorder |
MDD - Linked to particular features of the serotonin transporter gene (if environment is stressful), too few receptors for the neurotransmitters serotonin & norepinephrine
Bipolar disorder - low levels of serotonin; high levels of norepinephrine & glutamate. |
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What are the physical changes that occur due to Anorexia? |
- Weight less than 85% of what is considered normal
- growth of fine hair all over the body - thinning of bones and hair - severe constipation - low blood pressure - damage to the heart and thyroid - high mortality rate (5.6% death within 10 yrs of diagnosis) |
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Is Anorexia impulsive or controlled? |
Impulsive disorder with very controlled individual actions.
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What are the complications from Bulimia Nervosa? |
- chronic sore throat
- kidney problems - dehydration - gastrointestinal disorders - dental problems due to persistent exposure to stomach acids |
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Is bulimia controlled or impulsive? |
Impulsive
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What role does the media play in anorexia & bulimia? |
Perhaps a minor role in combination with other factors; not a major factor as once believed.
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What is the trend of anorexia/bulimia in countries that do not have such a focus on thinness? |
Example: Eastern cultures show symptoms of anorexia, but they lack the fear of getting fat that is common to north america.
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What type of things do people lose track of when suffering with dissociative amnesia? |
Forget aspects of their own identity and autobiographical experiences
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What may cause Dissociative Identity Disorder in early childhood? |
intense trauma, such as sexual abuse
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What is the difference between dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder? |
Dissociative Amnesia - extreme memory loss
Dissociative Identity Disorder - the development of two or more distinct personalities. |
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Is dissociative identity disorder real or a social construction? What role does TV play? |
Unproven either way - The experts that believe it is a social construction point out that diagnoses tend to increase whenever the media present a case (miniseries Sybil / TV show United States of Tara)
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What is schizophrenia? |
Severe psychological disorder that is characterized by highly disordered thought process. - Thoughts far removed from reality. World is deeply frightening and chaotic
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Difference between hallucinations and delusions |
Hallucinations are sensory (visual or auditory) experiences
Delusions are magical beliefs that are not part of an individual's culture |
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What brain structure & neurotransmitter problems exist in a schizophrenic? |
- enlarged ventricles in the brain; indicates deterioration of brain tissue
- small frontal cortex & less activity - problems regulating dopamine (excess) |
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What are antisocial personality disorders? |
psychological disorders characterized by guiltlessness, law-breaking, exploitation of others, irresponsibility and deceit
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What are the characteristics of a psychopath? |
Remorseless predators who engage in violence to get what they want.
- deficiencies in learning about fear & have difficulty processing information related to the distress of others |
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What is Borderline Personality Disorder? |
A pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, emotions, and of marked impulsivity.
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What are the similarities of Borderline personality disorder to Emotion and mood disorders? |
profound instability in mood, sense of self and relationships
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What are the biological factors of Suicide? |
Genetics
low levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin poor physical health, esp when it is chronic |
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What are the psychological factors of suicide? |
psychological disorders
traumatic experiences Interpersonal theory of suicide:
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What are the sociocultural factors of suicide? |
Chronic economic hardship
Cultural and ethnic contexts Culture of honor Gender differences (women 3x more likely to attempt / men 4x more likely to accomplish) |
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What are the (statistical) gender & cultural differences of suicide? |
- Culture of honor: Study showed states with a culture of honor (southern states) had a higher suicide rate - Gender differences (women 3x more likely to attempt / men 4x more likely to accomplish) |
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Describe the Rosenhan 1973 Study of Stigma |
Recruited 8 adults (without a disorder) to see a psychiatrist at various hospitals - instructed to act normally except to complain about hearing voices - behaved cooperatively and expressed that they wanted to leave the hospital - all were diagnosed with schizophrenia & kept in the hospital from 3 to 52 days - all discharged with label "schizophrenia in remission" - label stuck with them & caused the professionals around them to interpret normal behavior as abnormal.
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What is the illusory correlation with violence? |
erroneous impression that individuals who suffer from psychological disorders are prone to violence.
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Consequences of Stigma |
provoke prejudice and discrimination
can also negatively affect physical health |
