Chapter 1 Flash Cards

Front 1

1 Define the term psychological disorder.

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Psychological disorders are patterns of abnormal behavior that involve marked personal distress or impaired functioning or behavior.

Front 2

2 Identify the criteria that professionals use to determine whether behavior is abnormal.

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Psychologists consider behavior abnormal when it meets some combination of the following criteria: when behavior is (a) unusual or statistically infrequent, (b) socially unacceptable or in violation of social norms, (c) fraught with misperceptions or misinterpretations of reality, (d) associated with states of severe personal distress, (e) maladaptive or self-defeating, or (f) dangerous. Psychological disorders are patterns of abnormal behavior associated with states of e

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1.3 Apply these criteria to case examples discussed in the text.

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The case of Phil illustrated the psychological disorder of claustrophobia, which involves an excessive fear of enclosed spaces. His behavior was abnormal on the basis of the criteria of unusualness, personal distress, and impaired ability to meet occupational and family responsibilities. The case of the woman who cowered under the blankets was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a psychological disorder characterized by personal distress and difficulty functioning effectively, as well as by possible self-defeating behavior, dangerous behavior (self-harm), and, as in this case, faulty perception or interpretations of reality. Thomas suffered from both schizophrenia and depression. His behavior demonstrated unusualness (deviant or bizarre behavior), disturbed perceptions or interpretations of reality (delusions and hallucinations), maladaptive behavior (difficulty meeting responsibilities of daily life), and personal distress. These disorders may also involve dangerous behavior, as in suicidal behavior

Front 4

Describe the cultural bases of abnormal behavior.

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Behaviors deemed normal in one culture may be considered abnormal in another. Concepts of health and illness are also different in different cultures. Abnormal behavior patterns also take different forms in different cultures, and societal views or models explaining abnormal behavior vary across cultures.

Front 5

Describe the historical changes that have occurred in conceptualizations and treatment of abnormal behavior through the course of Western culture.

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Ancient societies attributed abnormal behavior to divine or supernatural forces. In medieval times, abnormal behavior was considered a sign of possession by the Devil, and exorcism was intended to rid the possessed of the evil spirits that afflicted them. The 19th-century German physician Wilhelm Griesinger argued that abnormal behavior was caused by diseases of the brain. He and another German physician who followed him, Emil Kraepelin, were influential in the development of the modern medical model, which likens abnormal behavior patterns to physical illnesses. Asylums, or madhouses, arose throughout Europe in the late 15th and early 16th centuries. Conditions in these asylums, however, were dreadful. With the rise of moral therapy in the 19th century, conditions in mental hospitals improved. Proponents of moral therapy believed that mental patients could be restored to functioning if they were treated with dignity and understanding. The decline of moral therapy in the latter part of the 19th century led to the belief that the “insane” could not be treated successfully. During this period of apathy, mental hospitals deteriorated, offering little more than custodial care. Not until the middle of the 20th century did public concern about the plight of mental patients lead to the development of community mental health centers as alternatives to long-term hospitalization. Mental hospitals today provide structured treatment environments for people in acute crisis and for those who are unable to adapt to community living. Deinstitutionalization has greatly reduced the population of state mental hospitals, but it has not yet fulfilled its promise of providing the quality of care needed to restore discharged patients to a reasonable quality of life in the community. One example of the challenges yet to be met is the large number of homeless people with severe psychological problems who are not receiving adequate care in the community.

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6 Describe the major contemporary perspectives on abnormal behavior.

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The medical model conceptualizes abnormal behavior patterns, like physical diseases, in terms of clusters of symptoms, called syndromes, which have distinctive causes presumed to be biological in nature. Psychological models focus on the psychological roots of abnormal behavior and derive from psychoanalytic, behavioral, humanistic, and cognitive perspectives. The sociocultural model emphasizes a broader perspective that takes into account the social contexts in which abnormal behavior occurs. Today, many theorists subscribe to a biopsychosocial model that posits that multiple causes—representing biological, psychological, and sociocultural domains—interact in the development of abnormal behavior patterns.

Front 7

Identify the objectives of science and the steps in the scientific method.

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The scientific approach focuses on four general objectives: description, explanation, prediction, and control. There are four steps to the scientific method: formulating a research question, framing the research question in the form of a hypothesis, testing the hypothesis, and drawing conclusions about the correctness of the hypothesis. Psychologists follow the ethical principles of the profession that govern research.

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8 Identify the ethical principles that guide research in psychology.

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The guiding ethical principles governing research in psychology include (a) informed consent and (b) protecting the confidentiality of records of research participants and not disclosing their identities to others.

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9 Describe the major types of research methods scientists use to study abnormal behavior and evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of these methods.

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In naturalistic observation, the investigator carefully observes behavior under naturally occurring conditions. The correlational method of research explores relationships between variables, which may help predict future behavior and suggest possible underlying causes of behavior. However, correlational research cannot directly demonstrate cause-and-effect relationships. Longitudinal research is a correlational method in which a sample of subjects is repeatedly studied at periodic intervals over long periods of time, sometimes spanning decades. In the experimental method, the investigator manipulates or controls the independent variable under controlled conditions to identify cause-and-effect relationships. Experiments use random assignment as the basis for determining which subjects (called experimental subjects) receive an experimental treatment and which others (called control subjects) do not. Investigators may use single-blind and double-blind research designs to control for possible subject and experimenter expectances. Experiments are evaluated in terms of internal, external, and construct validity. Epidemiological studies examine the rates of occurrence of abnormal behavior in various population groups or settings. They may indicate possible causal relationships, but lack the power of experimental studies to isolate causal factors. Kinship studies, such as twin studies and adoptee studies, attempt to differentiate the contributions of environment and heredity to behavior. Environmental factors may affect twin studies, whereas adoptees may not be typical of the general population. Case studies provide rich material, but are limited by difficulties in obtaining accurate and unbiased client histories, by possible therapist biases, and by the lack of control groups. Single-case experimental designs help researchers overcome some of these limitations.

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Apply key features of critical thinking to the study of abnormal behavior

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The features of critical thinking include maintaining a skeptical attitude, considering the definitions of terms, weighing assumptions or premises on which arguments are based, distinguishing correlation from causation, examining evidence on which conclusions are based, avoiding oversimplification, and avoiding overgeneralization.