used in twin study comparisons, and measures the level of agreement between MZ and DZ twins

• low = role of nonshared env't,
• high = role of environment
• MZ > DZ = role of genes

perceived causes about cause-effect relations, that if distorted can lead to the onset of a disease

• Learned Helplessness & Depression

periods of time or social tasks marked by age during which an individual faces common social and emotional challenges

• Erikson & psychosocial development
• Freud & psychosexual development

mark end of one stage, and are often a time of turmoil as routine functioning is forced to change

• psychopathology can arise

emotional/practical assistance from others that helps relieve stress and maintain positive health

• lack of support could cause PP, or be a consequence of it

expectations regarding appropriate behavior of males and females, exerts a strong influence on behavior

the whole is more than the sum of its parts

• abnormal behavior > temperament + childhood experiences + learning + nature/nuture

deliberate induction of a seizure by passing electricity through the brain

• used with patients who have severe depression

surgical destruction of specific regions of the brain

• cingulotomy is used in serious cases of OCD

study of the use of medication to treat psychological disturbances

• generally safe & effective, but only relieve symptoms
• may have unpleasant side effects, and must be taken for long period of time

process where patient transfer feelings about key life figures onto the shadowy figure of analyst

• for psychoanalysis to succeed, therapist must not respond strongly

Wolpe - a technique to eliminate fears

1. Progressive muscle relaxation
2. Hierarchy of fears and confront them
3. Learning Process where the patient confronts fears while trying to stay relaxed

creates rather than eliminates an unpleasant response to an undesirable behavior

• controversial: creates distress
• results in high relapse rate

therapy in which desired/undesired behaviors are identified, behavior is monitored, rewards/punishments given accordingly

• therapist needs to have complete control over patient's environment
• example of contingency management, operant conditioning based

teaching desirable behaviors that are rewarded in everyday life

• assertiveness, social problem solving = typical

a standardized, statistical procedure that allows researchers to combine the results from different studies and summarize their findings

one in which neither the physician nor the patient know the type of pill used

• ethics involved in psychotherapy outcome research

whether the treatment can work under prescribed conditions

• tightly controlled studies
• treatment/no-treatment groups
• strong internal validity, uncertain external

whether the treatment will work in the real world

• correlational studies
• ecclectic therapy is examined
• doesn't say anything about cause and effect but provides valuable descriptive info

• Experimental: those who receive an active treatment
• Control: those who receive no treatment

whether the experiment accurately links changes in the dependent variable to levels of the independent variable

• threatened by confounds

distinctions are qualitative; reflects a difference in kind or quality

• either in one group or no
• yes or no questions

describes objects in terms of contiuous dimensions; how much of a characteristic does an object exhibit - quantitative measurement

• rate patient on a task

most clinical disorder or other conditions that involve episodic periods of difficulty

stable long lasting problems such as personality disorders or mental retardation

• can also list maladaptive features of personality, defense mechanisms, coping style

global assessment of functioning: describes person's level of psychological, social and occupational functioning on a scale from 1 to 100

• higher numbers = better adjusted

patterns of erratic/unusual thinking/behavior that have been identified in different cultures

• do not conform to typical mental disorders in the US
• ex: ataques de nervios in Puerto Rican women

indicates the proportion of agreement among clinicians that occurs above chance

• >.70 = good aggreement
• <.40 = poor agreement

causal factors that are regularly associated with a disorder and might contribute to its onset

• does description include everything that captures the observed features?

concerned with correlations between the disorder and other symptoms

• expect B to be present with a diagnosis

concerned with the stability of the problem over time

• expect X to happen in the future

the analysis of results of a specific test based on a explicit set of rules

• probability statements that indicate a proportion who produce a pattern of scores will develop a certian behavior or characterstic

theoretical devices that refer to states inside a person that help us understand or explain their behavior

• existence is not yet sure

the extent to which these specific measures produce results that are consistent with the theoretical construct

scientific efforts to asses construct validity of a hypothetical construct

Goal: to identify specific etiology or pathways that lead to PP