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Abnormal Psychology Exam 1
N/A
38
Psychology
Undergraduate 3
09/25/2013

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Cards

Term
What are the three important things when defining abnormal psychology?
Definition
  1. Need to define whether or not it is abnormal
  2. Need to define the behavior based upon the context which it's in
  3. Abnormal behavior is strongly influenced by demographic (gender, race, etc.)
Term
What are precipitating vs. predisposing causes?
Definition
  • Precipitating: the immediate trigger or precipitant of an event/illness
  • Predisposing: underlying processes that create conditions making it possible for a precipitating cause to trigger an event (long term causes)
Term
Reductionism
Definition
Explaining a disorder or other complex phenomenon using only one single idea or perspective (ex: explaining depression ONLY with biological processes and none others)
Term
List the core concepts of abpsych!
Definition
  1. Importance of context
  2. Cultural and historical relativism
  3. Valididy, reliability and limitations
  4. Interplay of multiple causes
  5. Connection between mind and body
  6. Continuum before normal and abnormal behavior
Term
Natural Categories
Definition
Because everyday concepts are often hard to define, they get these broader, "fuzzy" definitions. "Abnormal" is one of these definitions.
Term
Suggestion
Definition
The physical and psychological effects of mental states such as belief, confidence, submission to authority and hope. "Curing people due to the power of suggestion."
Term
Paradigms
Definition
Overall scientific views which radically shift at various points in history (Thomas Kuhn).
Term
Multiple Causality
Definition

The theory that no illness is triggered by just one, single cause.

 

The opposite of reductionism.

Term
Diathesis-Stress Model
Definition
A model that explains that an illness requires the interaction of a diathesis (predisposition) and a stressor (precipitant).
Term
Psychosocial Dwarfism
Definition
A rare disorder in which the physical growth of children is stunted due to deprivation of emotional care.
Term
Who was best know for the concept of historical relavism?
Definition
Thomas Kuhn
Term
What did Elaine Showalter?
Definition
There are many media-hyped disease "fads" that are the modern epidemics of hysteria.
Term
What are the three limitations to the DSM?
Definition
  1. Reliability and validity problems: criteria is only observable/descriptive, which can vary based upon clinician
  2. Theoretical Bias: The DSM is favorable to the biological perspective
  3. Cultural Bias: what is normal can change from culture to culture
Term
What are the HIDES criteria? What are the two most important ones?
Definition
  • Help seeking (not useful alone)
  • Irrationality/dangerousness
  • Deviance
  • Emotional Distress
  • Significant Impairment

Emotional Distress and Sig. Impairment

Term
Psychological disorder vs. Abnormal behavior
Definition
  • Psych. Disorder: psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning that is not a typical of culturally expected response (D/E/S of HIDES)
  • A.B: actions that are unexpected and often evaluated negative because they differ from typical or usual behavior (D of HIDES)
Term
What's a working definition?
Definition
They are based off of symptoms and fairly precise; they're designed to be useful in research situations
Term
What are the core concepts of abpsych? (Again)
Definition
  • Importance of context
  • Continuum between normal and abnormal behavior
  • Role of cultural and historical relativism
  • Advantages/Disadvantages of Diagnosis: good communication/bad stigma
  • Principle of multiple causality
  • Connection between mind and body
Term

Animistic View

 

How was it fixed?

Definition

Back in the day, people who had a mental disturbance were considered possessed.

 

Trephination or exorcism

Term
What was Socrates (maybe? some philosopher) belief in humours?
Definition

Humours are liquids in out body, and an imbalance of one causes mental illness.

 

  • Blood: too much caused moodiness
  • Phlegm
  • Black Bile: too much caused depression
  • Yellow Bile: too much caused anxiety and aggression
Term
How did abpsych change through the 18th, 19th and early 20th century?
Definition

Reforms improved conditions and the philosophy of moral treatment became the norm.

 

In the early 20th, there was overcrowding. Finally in the 60's there was the deinstitutionalization movement and the homeless population grew.

Term
What were Freud's two approaches (in chronological order!)
Definition
  1. The Topographic (Iceberg) Model
  2. The Structural Model
Term
The Topographic (Iceberg) Model
Definition
  • Conscious
  • Preconscious: have access, you can go get the information, all "okay" thoughts
  • Unconscious: thoughts we cannot handle (fears, violence, sex, etc.)
Term
The Structural Model
Definition
  • Id: the "pleasure principle," present at birth and disconnected from the outside world; focused on inner desires
  • Superego: like guilt, formed during childhood, it senses right and wrong
  • Ego: job is to balance Id and Superego; the "reality principle"
Term
Name the 6 Defense Mechanisms
Definition
  1. Repression: blocking a distressful memory from conscious
  2. Rationalization: justying failures with a socially acceptable reason
  3. Displacement: diverting unacceptable feelings to a better target
  4. Denial: ignoring thoughts and behaviors
  5. Regression: reverting to less mature behavior
  6. Sublimation: culturally appropriate behavior that expresses the unaccpetable need
Term
What is psychodynamic treatment? What two aspects of it are there?
Definition

Works on mastering emotional conflicts.

  1. Insight: free association; talking cure; hypnosis; dream analysis
  2. A therapeutic relationship: resistance (not wanting to talk) and transference (transferring emotions onto therapist)
Term
What is the humanistic theory and who started it? What is it in pursuit of? How?
Definition

Carl Rodgers and Abraham Maslow

 

It's the pursuit of self-actualization: morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem-solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts

 

Get here through unconditional positive regard, empathy and active listening.

Term
Existential Theory
Definition
Like humanism, but more realistic. This believes that everyone is trying to figure out life and escape death and that we realize we are NOT in charge of our life. The failure of somebody to accept these facts causes need for help.
Term
What is classical conditioning? What's a classic example?
Definition

Paring two stimuli together and getting a certain response.

 

A neutral stimulus gets paired with an unconditioned stimulus. The response from the UCS, after enough time, gets paired with the neutral stimulus, making a conditioned response and stimulus.

 

Pavlov and his dogs. Salivating and bells.

Term
What are four ways to get rid of a conditioned response?
Definition
  1. Extinction: presentation of conditioned stimulus over and over again without anything else, and it goes away.
  2. Exposure: slowly exposing to stimuli for which they developed fear until it disappears
  3. Systematic Desensitization: exposure with relaxation techniques
  4. Aversion therapy: pairing stimulus with something good/neutral
Term

Operant Conditioning! Who!

 

What is Thorndike's Law of Effect?

Definition

TLE: actions that lead to satisfying effects are likely to be repeated

 

Skinner! Reinforcement will get a person to continue behavior.

 

Positive R: rewards increase behavior

Neg R: removing aversive stimulus when action is performed (seat belt beeper)

 

Pos. P: administering adversive stimulus

Neg. P: removing desirable stimulus

Term
Social Learning Theory
Definition

Children learn through watching how adults/parents act in social situations. Vicarious conditioning: observation/imitation.

 

Bandura's Bobo Doll study.

Term

Cognitive Perspective

 

Who is Aaron Beck?

Definition

Abnormal behavior is caused by faulty beliefs and thoughts.

 

He had the theory of cognitive distortions. These are magnification, overgeneralization (one bad event continues) and selective abstraction (focus on negatives).

Term
What is cognitive therapy?
Definition

Cognitive Restructuring

 

  • Ellis' Rational-Emotive Therapy: taking irrational beliefs and disputing them/explaining they're irrational
  • Self-Instructional Therapy: teaching patient to react in more positive ways
Term
What are the 5 axes of the DSM?
Definition
  1. Axis 1: person's psychiatric symptoms and disorders (acute episodic)
  2. Axis 2: person's characteristics that affect functioning; personality disorders (long-term)
  3. Axis 3: Medical conditions
  4. Axis 4: Current/recent stressors
  5. Axis 5: overall level of functioning
Term
Ego-dystonic vs. Ego-syntonic
Definition

Dystonic: client feels there is a problem

 

Syntonic: client feels nothing is wrong

Term
How is the new DSM different?
Definition
The multiaxial system is gone. Focused on clinical utility and continuing format from DSM-IV. Didn't want any predetermined constraints. They tried to use a dimensional approach but still is fairly categorical.
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