NGU Abnormal Psychology Test 1
1) What does the study of emotions reveal about psychopathology?
(Fight or flight response) emotional response can increase sympathetic nervous system activity which may contribute
Know important concepts when examining abnormal behavior.
1. What problems cause distress and impair functioning? 2. Why do people behave in unusual ways? 3. How do we help them behave in more adaptive ways?
What are the components of observation?
A - Antecedents (before) B - Behavior (driving) C - Conserve (after)
Using the text definition, what is a Psychological Disorder?
A psychological dysfunction within as individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected.
What are components of the mental status exam? Consult Figure 3.2 p. 73
Appearance and behavior thought process. Mood and affect intellectual functioning, sensorium
Know the historical background to the development of diagnosing psychological disorders.
Asking general question to establish prognosis idiographic strategy and nomothetic strategy
Recognize Historical Concepts of Abnormal Behavior
Attempt to explain problematic behaviors. Theories and models started from supernatural model, biological mode, then a psychological model.
Recognize examples of instruments/inventories that may be used by the clinician.
Check list, heavier rating scales, the brief psychoactive rating, protective test, Rorschach test, personality inventory scale
What are classification systems and terms used to aid in the understanding and communications of psychopathology?
Classification: any effort to construct groups or categories Taxonomy: classification of entities for scientific purposes. If applied to medical or psychological use the word nosology. Nomenclature: names or labels of disorders that make up the nosology.
Why would a therapist use self-monitoring as part of an assessment?
Client can observe their own behaviors to tell how big their problem is to find patterns
What are the basic biological, psychological, and social components of behavioral explanation?
Clinical assessment, using scientific reasoning
What are the contributions and implications of behavioral and cognitive science to the study of psychopathology?
Cognitive science is now we acquire and process into and how we strive and retrieve it but we don't know a lot because its mostly uncurious.
How do cultural, social, and interpersonal factors contribute to our understanding of psychological disorders?
Cultural factors influence - the term and content or psychopathology and may differ even among cultures side by side in the same country Gender factors - small social life = short life expectancy This is key for multi-dimensional model
How do sociocultural factors, theoretical perspectives, and personal biases influence research?
Cultural makes an impact, convert
What is neuropsychological testing and neuroimaging? How are they different from psychological tests?
Determine the possible contributions of brain damage or determine the possible contrition or cognitive dysfunction, neuroimaging uses technology to asses brain function
What are the diathesis-stress model, gene-environment model, and epigenetics?
Diathesis-stress model - indivdauls inherit tendeines to express certain traits or behaviors which may then be activated under stress.
1) What is a behavioral assessment?
Direct observation to primally assess an individual's thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in specific stimuli or context
Understand the different strategies and procedures that may be used to obtain information during a clinical assessment.
Focus on problem that brought client it Start with a broad vague of questions to get to the source of the problem than funneling down to the specifics
How do genetics contribute to Psychopathology?
Genes influence our physical development and provide some boundaries but unlike we depend on our environment. However there are some diseases that are genetic.
What influence did these traditions have on current theories of abnormal behaviors? (Gray, Dix, Freud, Rogers, Adler, Watson, Skinner, etc.)
Grey - Biological theory - mental illness is a physical condition. Dix - Mental hygiene movement Freud - Psychoanalysis, psychoanalytic model Rogers - Client center therapy Skinner - Operant conditioning Watson - behaviorism Mesmer - hypnosis Maslow - Hierarchy of needs Pavlov - classical conditioning
What research strategies do scientists use as they study the interaction between environment and genetics in psychological disorders? Recognize specific research techniques.
Human genome project - genes contribute to inherited diseases Endophenotypes - underling problem causing systems and difficulties experienced by people with psychological dysfunctions.
What are the components of a research study? Know definitions and examples.
Hypothesis: what you expect to find Research design: how you wan to test the hypothesis Dependent: the aspects you want to measure in people Independent: the influences on the characteristics or behaviors Internal validity: the extent to which you can be confident that the independent variable is causing the dependent variable to change External validity: how well the results relate to things outside your study
What information can these different types of tools give about psychological disorders?
Identify cause, ex: brain damage/ cognitive dysfunction look into unconscious thoughts and fears
What does cultural expectations, social norms, and standards have to do with psychological disorders?
If something devious from social norms it can be "abnormal" you must consider the cultural differences.
Recognize research methods used by psychologists and others who study human behavior.
Induvial cases study, correlational research, experimental research, and single case experimental studies
Understand the ethical standards that reflect principles of research.
Infirmed consent commence, voluntarism, full information and compressing, must hold confidence
How are genetics and behaviors part of the research process when looking at these factors across time and cultures?
Inherited influence behavior will change or remain some over time, effects culture
Recognize examples of assessment tools.
Intelligence testing, neuroimaging, prospective test
What are the contributions and implications of neuroscience to the study of psychopathology?
Knowing how to brain works is central to our behaviors, emotions, and cognitive process.
Recognize the models used within the behavioral and cognitive sciences and how they relate to the nature of psychopathology.
Learn helplessness - become "helpless" when you have no control Observational learning - learn by watching someone else Prepared learning - prepare to learn about objects because it contributes to survival Circumplex model - emotions and components: behavior, cognition physiology
How does information obtained from a physical examination help during the clinical assessment process?
Medical condition sometimes associate with specific psychological problem, a toxic state could be caused by bad food or wrong medication
Be familiar with changes to treatment that has occurred due to the introduction of medications and technology.
Multidimensional / integrative model The scientific model - increase in sophisticated tools and metrology, there is never just a single thing to blame
What is the difference between one-dimensional and multidimensional models?
One-single influence/ linear model caused by one thing. Ex. Schizophrenia being a chemical imbalance Multidimensional model looks at many different factors like biological, emotional, etc.
Understand the progression of changes that have been made to the DSM.
Originally it lacked precision and relied on unproven theories. Antiretinal approach leaded to specify and detail validity
How does psychological, biological, and social influences relate to behavior?
Our behavior can change because our brains has unseen issues, our society/environment can affect us. Genetics and biological factors affects us
Know names of individuals who were given credit for the historical concepts. (Paracelsus, Hippocrates, Galen, etc.)
Paracelsus used the moon and the stars to explain things. Hippocrates and Galen came from the biological tradition.
What type of approaches has been used in the past and what is being used at the present time?
Personal systems and classical approach , dimension appellations
How are psychophysiological assessments used in understanding brain structure and function and nervous system activity?
Projective test - ambiguous stimuli (pictures) ask person what they see, see unconscious fears Neuroimaging - see brain structure
What type of approach is the DSM 5 based on?
Prototypical approach
Recognize examples of psychological and psychosocial influences on brain structure and functioning.
Psychosocial factors directly affect the levels of neurotransmitters thus implicate a development of a disorder. The structure of neurons including the number or receptors on a cell call be changed by experience during development
Know key concepts in assessments
Reliability - the degree to which a measurement is consistent Validity - the degree to which a technique measures what is designed to measure Standardization - application of certain standards to ensure consistency across different measurement Diagnosis - process of determining untether a problem meets DSM-5
Know what psychological testing includes and examples.
Specific tools to determine cognitive, emotional, or behavioral responses that may associate with a disorder. Tools for personality feelings. Examples are EKGs, PET scans, MRI, SPECT
What is the difference between statistical significance and clinical significance?
Statistical significance - mathematic calculation about differences between groups Clinical significance - wether or not the difference was meaningful for those affected
What criticism and cautions are important to consider when using a system to categorize people?
Strongly emphases reality at the expense of validity, perpetuating definitions handed down over past
What is Prevention Research and what does it involve?
Studying clinical problems over time to design impact. Cross-sectional: cohorts and cohort-effect Longitudinal: cross-generational and sequential
What does the "Science of Psychopathology" involve?
The scientific study of psychological disorders, involving trained professionals
How might an individual's behavior be influenced by knowing someone is watching them?
They could be embarrassed or act slightly different
What is equifinality?
We must consider a number path to given principle