Module 65-69

What does the evidence regarding a genetic link to schizophrenia? How can sets of twins be tested to be sure that the differences are not due to environmental factors?

-1 in 10 chance of getting it if parent/twin also has it -adopted children don't get it -environmental factors can activate genes that predispose schizophrenia

Dissociative identity disorder is often misportrayed in movies and is frequently confused with schizophrenia by the general public. Explain the differences between the two disorders.

-DID: different personalities that take over a person -schizophrenia: false sensory experiences

Discuss the general findings of the characteristics of families with a child suffering from an eating disorder.

-bulimia: higher rate of childhood obesity and negative self-evaluation -anorexia: competitive, high-achieving, protective

Compare the symptoms of conversion disorder to those of illness anxiety disorder.

-conversion: anxiety is converted into physical symptoms -illness anxiety: interpret physical symptoms as that of disease; hypochondriacs

What are the triggers or factors that affect suicide?

-depression -the glorification of it in media

How do other researchers support the view that DID is a genuine disorder?

-differing brain and bodily states -way of dealing with anxiety/trauma -response learned by anxiety-reduction

Describe the phenomenon of dissociation and explain how it differs from a dissociative disorder.

-dissociation: disconnecting from one's thoughts and beliefs -dissociative: person suddenly loses all sense of identity

Discuss the disorganized thinking and speaking that are symptoms of schizophrenia.

-distortions in perception, thought, speech -diminished inhibitions -hallucinations

Explain the arguments against DID as a genuine disorder.

-extensions of our ability to shift our personalities -extreme personality shift

Discuss the research findings that have helped us to understand antisocial personality disorder.

-genetic predispositions -preschool boys who were impulsive, uninhibited grew up to be antisocial

Explain the impact of genetics and environment on the development of an eating disorder. What factors would make a person vulnerable to an eating disorder?

-identical twins have a higher rate of sharing the disorder than fraternal -women and gay men share the highest dissatisfaction with their bodies and value a thin body

Describe the characteristics of the diminished and inappropriate emotions of schizophrenia. What is meant by "flat affect"?

-inappropriate emotional responses -flat affect: emotionless state: difficulty perceiving emotion's in people's faces

List three arguments or research findings that support the existence of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder as a legitimate diagnosis.

-increased awareness -declared to be a real illness by the World Federation for Mental Health -a heritable disorder caused by genes

Discuss the evidence for prenatal viral infections as a cause of schizophrenia.

-increased likelihood if the mother gets flu during pregnancy -increased if born in an area affected by many diseases -viral infections and/or famine during pregnancy -low weight and oxygen deprivation at birth

Discuss the impact genetics and brain structures may have on antisocial personality disorder.

-little autonomic system arousal -impulsive -reduced activity in the frontal lobe -lower levels of stress hormones

Describe the findings of brain scans on people with chronic schizophrenia. Which brain structures are impacted or implicated in the disorder?

-low frontal lobe activity -disrupts the function of neural networks -high activity in thalamus and amygdala during episodes

Discuss the cognitive characteristics of someone impacted by major depressive disorder.

-low productive energy -self-defeated -negativity

Explain how environmental factors influence the development of antisocial personality disorder.

-maltreatment at a young age -premature birth -poverty -a gene that altered neurotransmitter balance

List and contrast positive symptoms with the negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

-positive: hallucinations, inappropriate emotions, delusions -negative: toneless voice, expressionless, mute, rigid bodies, lack of appropriate behavior

Discuss the psychological and environmental factors that may trigger schizophrenia.

-prenatal viral infections -nutritional deprivation -maternal stress

What are the two ways in which schizophrenia develops?

-reaction to stress -gradually through social inadequacy and poor performance in school

In what ways is motor behavior impacted by schizophrenia?

-senseless compulsive act/tions -Catalonia (motionless for hours then sudden agitation

List three arguments skeptics of ADHD cite to refute the legitimacy of the diagnosis.

-typical boy behavior -overdiagnosed -today's environments don't let children behave normally

Why do people engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)?

-want attention -can't handle emotions well -provides a release -want to fit in

What key component needs to be present to differentiate ADHD from normal high energy or rambunctiousness? Why is this distinction important?

A child needs to be extremely inattentive, hyperactive, and impulsive. This distinction is important in order for psychologists to not overdiagnose

What role does explanatory style play in depression? Give an example.

A pessimistic explanatory style causes someone to overall be angrier and blame themselves; failing at something and criticizing yourself severely

Discuss why the fear of spiders may not be a psychological disorder, but routinely dusting books on a shelf might be considered a disorder. What is required for something to be diagnosed as a disorder?

A psychological disorder is something that would disrupt your everyday life. A fear of spiders causes you to be cautious around them, but not alter your everyday life in order to avoid them.

Consider the photos in this module, particularly on page 651. Explain how what is considered "abnormal" can differ by culture?

Abnormal actions are actions that do not follow the spoken and unspoken rules and guidelines of that society for the most part

disturbance

An event or action that causes someone to act out of the ordinary

Explain what differentiates anxiety from an anxiety disorder.

Anxiety is normal nervous behavior before a major event that fades afterward. Anxiety disorder is normal anxiety that is persistent and causes the person to not be able to live their normal life

In what ways does the biological perspective help us understand the development of phobias and anxiety? Consider both natural selection and genetics in your response.

Certain fears led people to be more likely to survive. Some people are naturally predisposed to have certain anxieties.

Explain what clinicians seek to accomplish by classifying a disorder. How does the DSM-5 help clinicians with these diagnoses?

Classifying disorders creates order and helps to describe it to those wanting to research it further. The DSM-5 is the most common system for categorizing these disorders.

Explain the genetic influence on depression.

Depression can run in a family

clinically significant

Determining whether it has a real effect on everyday life

Describe and contrast a typical schizophrenic hallucination with a delusion.

False sensory experiences; fragmented thought or belief

How does Hollywood further stigmatize mental disorders?

Hollywood overexaggerates mental illnesses and their effects by only showing the most extreme cases, very rarely looking at the reality

Discuss how observational principles can be used to explain the development of phobias.

If a child was to observe their parents' fearing heights along with many others, they too can learn the fear of heights

Discuss how classical conditioning and operant conditioning principles can be used to explain the development of anxiety disorders, OCD and PTSD.

If a person has severe anxiety and completing and abnormal action quells it, they will be more likely to do it because the anxiety is gone. However, this forms a habit that can develop into the aforementioned disorders

Explain the role dopamine plays in schizophrenia.

It increases causing the hallucinations and delusions

Explain why the DSM is often criticized for "casting too wide a net." What are the advantages and disadvantages of this approach?

It is criticized because it overclassifies behaviors as being part of a disorder. This opens the door for people to get help who hadn't but also lead to overmedicating people.

How are labels beneficial in diagnosing, treating and curing mental disorders?

Labels are beneficial because they help guide a psychotherapist/psychologist on how best to treat a person and his or her condition

Explain how depression is thought to be a vicious cycle.

Negative and stressful events cause one to be even harder on themself which makes them even more depressed which leads to further isolation and negative outcomes

What are the research findings regarding the role neurotransmitters play in depression and mania?

Norepinephrine decreases in depression and increases in mania

Explain how obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) differs from normal obsessions or tendencies toward perfectionism.

OCD is characterized by compulsive thoughts that cause someone to go out of their way to complete certain actions to quell the anxieties they feel

Discuss the research findings on the stigmatizing power of labels.

People perceive those with a mental illness as different and look further into normal behavior as being caused by that mental illness.

Explain the relationship between the likelihood of recovery and the speed of onset of schizophrenia. How does this differ in acute schizophrenia as compared to chronic schizophrenia?

Recovery in chronic is doubtful because it is gradual and becomes the symptoms are persistent and incapacitate them

Describe the general characteristics of somatic symptoms disorders.

Symptoms take a bodily form without any cause

Define the medical model, and discuss how it explains psychological disorders. How has the model changed the way that patients are treated?

The medical model taught doctors that illnesses that are physical can be treated/cured.

cognition

The thoughts that cause someone to complete these actions

behavior

The way an organism reacts to changes in its internal condition or external environment.

Explain the way in which selective attention is impacted by schizophrenia.

They lack the ability to focus in on one thing and are easily distracted

emotion regulation

the strategies people use to influence their own emotional experience