Psych Gre - Abnormal I

Front 1

Clinical psychology

Back 1

The study of the theory, assessment, and treatment of mental and emotional disorders

Front 2

Who came up with the most extensive and complex theory of human nature and what was it?

Back 2

Freud

Psychoanalytic theory

Front 3

Psychoanalytic theory views ___________ as central to human nature.

Back 3

Psychoanalytic theory views conflict as central to human nature.

Front 4

What is the conflict generally in psychoanalytic theory?

- what was it between when Freud first thought up the theory?

- what did he later revise it to be between?

Back 4

- generally, the conflict is between different conscious and unconscious drives competing for expression.

- originally postulated that the greatest conflict is between the libido and the ego

- revised the theory such that the conflict is between Eros (the life instinct, including sex and love) and Thanatos (the death instinct, including self-destructive behavior)

Front 5

What did Freud believe motivated the individual?

Back 5

Drive reduction

Front 6

What was the way that Freud originally viewed the layout of the mind? What was the revised way that he viewed that layout?

Back 6

- originally: topographic model of mental life in which conscious elements are openly acknowledged and unconscious elements, like drives and wishes, are many layers below consciousness

- revised version: structural model of mental life, in which there is organization other than layers. The three components it was organized into was the ego, id, and superego.

Front 7

What was possibly Freud’s greatest contribution to psychology?

Back 7

Freud’s idea of unconscious mental life

Front 8

Describe Freud’s descriptions of the ego, id, and superego

Back 8

- ego: mediates between the environment and the pressures of the id and the superego

- id: contains the unconscious biological drives and wishes

- superego: imposes learned or socialized drives on the individual

Front 9

Catharsis / abreaction

Back 9

The discharge of repressed emotion

Front 10

What is transference?

Back 10

An idea central to psychoanalysis; idea that patients react to the therapist how they would to their parents and thus the therapist-patient relationship would serve as a metaphor for the patients’ repressed emotions about their parents and also serve as a way of examining those unconscious feelings

Front 11

What is countertransference?

Back 11

How a therapist feels about her or his patient

Front 12

Object relations therapy

Back 12

When the therapist uses the patient’s transference to help resolve issues from previous relationships by correcting it though the therapist-patient relationship

Front 13

What is the goal of psychoanalysis?

Back 13

To lessen the unconscious pressures on the individual by making as much of this material conscious as possible. This will allow the ego to be a better mediator of forces

Front 14

What is a criticism of Freud in terms of his methodology?

Back 14

Freud developed theories from single case studies of women in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s - not a scientific method

Front 15

Aggression - in terms of psychoanalytic theory

Back 15

A central force in humans that must find a socially acceptable outlet

Front 16

Defense mechanism

Back 16

A way in which the ego protects itself from threatening unconscious material or environmental forces

Front 17

Describe the following defense mechanisms:

- repression/denial

- rationalization

- projection

- displacement

- reaction formation

- compensation

- sublimation

- identification

- undoing

- countertransference

- dreams

Back 17

- repression/denial: not allowing threatening material into awareness

- rationalization: justifying or rationalizing behavior or feelings that cause guilt

- projection: accusing others of having one’s own unacceptable feelings

- displacement: shifting unacceptable feelings or actions to a less threatening recipient

- reaction formation: embracing feelings or behaviors opposite to the true threatening feelings that one has

- compensation: excelling in one area to make up for shortcomings in another

- sublimation: channeling threatening drives into acceptable outlets

- identification: imitating a central figure in one’s life, such as a parent

- undoing: performing an often ritualistic activity in order to relieve anxiety about unconscious drives

- countertransference: when a psychotherapist transfers their unconscious feelings or wishes (often about central figures in his/her life) onto the patient

- dreams: safe outlets for unconscious material and wish-fulfillment

Front 18

What did Freud refer to as the “royal road to the unconscious”?

Back 18

Dreams

Front 19

What is mental life composed of at birth?

Back 19

Only the id and it’s biological drives (like sex and aggression). With development, the id also includes unconscious wishes

Front 20

What is manifest content and latent content with regards to dreams (according to Freud)?

Back 20

- manifest content: the actual content of the dream

- latent content: the unconscious forces the dreams are trying to express

Front 21

What is the pleasure principle?

Back 21

The motivation to seek pleasure and avoid pain

Front 22

What is the primary process?

The secondary process?

Back 22

- primary process: the pleasure principle

- secondary process: the reality principle

Front 23

What part of the subconscious operates on the pleasure principle?

Back 23

The id, thus it’s particularly salient in early life

Front 24

What is the reality principle? What part of the mind guides it?

Back 24

- delays gratification in order to accommodate the demands of the environment

Front 25

Where and when do we get the superego?

Back 25

We aren’t born with the superego but rather it develops over time and is influenced by moral and parental training

Front 26

What determines one’s mental health in psychoanalytic theory?

Back 26

How well the ego mediates the constant conflict between the id, superego, and environment

Front 27

What is psychic determinism?

Back 27

Theory that all mental processes are not spontaneous but are determined by the unconscious or preexisting mental complexes

Front 28

How does Freud view psychological disorders as being due to psychic determinism?

Back 28

Psychological disorders are the result of repressed drives and conflicts, which become manifested in dysfunctional ways

Front 29

According to Freud, what are three symptoms of underlying, unresolved conflict, which are manifested when the ego does not find acceptable ways to express conflict?

Back 29

Pathological behavior

Dreams

Unconscious behavior

Front 30

What is the frequency of traditional psychotherapy?

Back 30

4-5 x per week, often for many years

Front 31

What technique did Freud initially use for his psychotherapy sessions?

Which two psychologists did he borrow this from?

What technique did he later switch to?

Who did he develop this technique along with?

Back 31

- Freud initially used hypnosis with patients, which he borrowed from Jean Charcot and Pierre Janet

- he later switched to free association, which he developed along with Joseph Breuer

Front 32

What is free association and what is it’s use, according to Freud?

Back 32

- free association = the patient reports thoughts without censure or guidance

- according to Freud, since unconscious material is always looking for a way out, free association allows the patient to uncover and express repressed material

Front 33

Screen memory

Back 33

Memories that serve as representations of important childhood experiences

Front 34

V

Back 34

V

Front 35

How does individual/Adlerian theory view people? What process does it view people as being in the middle of?

Back 35

Views people as creative, social, and whole

- people are in the process of “becoming,” or the process of realizing themselves

Front 36

According to individual/Adlerian theory, what motivates the individual in their journey?

Back 36

Social needs and feelings of inferiority that arise when the current self does not match the self-ideal

Front 37

What is a sign of a healthy individual and an unhealthy individual according to individual/Adlerian theory?

Back 37

Healthy: pursued goals in spite of feelings of inferiority. Has a “will to power” or a quest for feelings of superiority. Pursued goals outside of oneself and which are beneficial to society

Unhealthy: too affected by feelings of inferiority to pursue the will to power. They make excuses or have a “yes, but” mentality. If they do pursue goals, they are likely self-serving and egotistical.

Front 38

What kind of approach is Adlerian therapy?

Back 38

A psychodynamic approach

Front 39

What is a psychodynamic approach?

Back 39

An approach in which unconscious feelings do play a role

Front 40

What is the main part of Adlerian therapy?

Back 40

The examination of a person’s lifestyle and choices. A patient may examine his motivations, perceptions, goals, and resources

Front 41

What is the goal of Adlerian therapy?

Back 41

Aims to reduce feelings of inferiority and to foster social interest and social contribution in patients

Front 42

What is a criticism of Adlerian therapy?

Back 42

It’s best used with “normal” people in search of growth

Front 43

What are the four categories of personality that Adler created based on personal activity and social interest?

Back 43

- ruling-dominant type (choleric): high in activity but low in social contribution; dominant

- getting-leaning type (phlegmatic): low in activity and high in social contribution; dependent

- avoiding type (melancholic): low in activity and low in social contribution; withdrawn

- socially useful type (sanguine): high in activity and high in social contribution; healthy

Front 44

Who created analytical theory and what did it postulate?

Back 44

- Carl Gustav Jung

- the psyche is directed towards life and awareness (rather than sex; Jung, a student of Freud, broke away from Freud in this regard)

Front 45

What are the two divisions of the unconscious according to analytical theory?

Back 45

- personal unconscious: material from an individual’s own experiences; can become conscious

- collective unconscious: dynamics of the psyche inherited from ancestors; common to all people and contains the archetypes

Front 46

What are archetypes?

Back 46

- universally meaningful concepts, passed down through the collective unconscious since the beginning of humankind

- allow us to organize our experiences with consistent themes and are indicated by cross-cultural similarity in symbols, folklore, and myths

Front 47

Describe the following commonly cited archetypes:

- persona

- shadow

- anima

- animus

- self

Back 47

- persona: a person’s outer mask, the mediator to the external world; symbolized by masks

- shadow: a person’s dark side, often projected onto others; symbolized by devils and spirits

- anima: the female elements that a man possesses; this complements his own maleness

- animus: the male elements that a woman possesses; complements her own femaleness

- self: the full individual potential, symbolized by figures such as Buddha or Jesus and also by the mandala

Front 48

What kind of approach is analytical theory and why?

Back 48

Psychodynamic theory because unconscious elements are addressed

Front 49

What is explored in analytical theory and how?

Back 49

Unconscious material is explored through the analysis of an individual’s dreams, artwork, and personal symbols. These are all unconscious messages expressing themselves.

Front 50

What is the goal of analytical theory?

Back 50

To use unconscious messages in order to become more aware and closer to full potential

Front 51

What is a criticism of analytical theory?

Back 51

That is too mystical or spiritual

Front 52

Who created client-centered theory?

Back 52

Carl Rogers

Front 53

What is client-centered theory aka?

Back 53

Person-centered theory

Rogerian theory

Front 54

Client-centered theory is ________ in that it has an optimistic outlook on human nature.

Back 54

Humanistic

Front 55

What is the main tenet of client-centered theory?

Back 55

Individuals have an actualizing tendency that can direct them out of conflict and toward their full potential. This is best accomplished in an atmosphere that fosters growth.

Front 56

What does client-centered theory believe that mental disorders are developed due to?

Back 56

Lacking congruence between one’s real self and one’s conscious self concept

- eg, a self concept that one is perfect will be shaken by experiences of failure

Front 57

Who directs client-centered therapy? What does this entail?

Back 57

- directed by the client - they decide how often to meet and what to discuss in sessions

Front 58

What is the role of the therapist in client-centered therapy? And what are the three specific things the therapist is supposed to provide to the client?

Back 58

- the therapist is non-directive, providing only an atmosphere for the client’s self exploration

1- empathy

2- unconditional positive regard: no matter what the client shares. this facilitates a trusting and safe environment

3- genuineness/congruence: the feelings and experiences of the therapist should match, just as those of the client should match. Therapists should not maintain and professional distance but instead speak and act genuinely with the client

Front 59

What is the goal of client-centered therapy? What is evidence of growth? (4 things)

Back 59

- to provide a trusting atmosphere in which the client can engage in self-directed growth and tap his own “vast resources.”

- evidence of growth: a congruent self-concept, positive self-regard, an internal locus of evaluation, and willingness to experience

Front 60

What is a criticism of client-centered therapy?

Back 60

Many psychologists disagreed with Carl Rogers for not using any diagnostic tools (which he did because he believed client-centered therapy applied to any psychological problem)