AP Psychology Unit 12 & 13 Abnormal Psychology & Treatment of Abnormal Psychology
Autism Spectrum Disorder
A disorder characterized by deficits in social relatedness and communication skills that are often accompanied by repetitive, ritualistic behavior. a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors
antisocial personality disorder
A personality disorder in which the person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members. May be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist.
Which of the following is an example of Albert Ellis' rational emotive behavior therapy?
A therapist refutes irrational beliefs.
systematic desensitization
A type of exposure therapy that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. Commonly used to treat phobias.
disorganized schizophrenia
A type of schizophrenia in which particularly severe deterioration of adaptive behavior is seen. disorganized speech or behavior, or flat or inappropriate emotion
Which scenario is most closely related to the results of the 1973 Rosenhan study?
After Andy received a diagnosis of bulimia nervosa, his family interpreted all of his behaviors as symptoms of his diagnosis. The Rosenhan study illustrated that people are likely to interpret behavior as confirming a diagnosis
Oliver has been afraid to leave his house for several months. He cannot identify anything in particular that scares him, but he has begun having food and groceries delivered and keeps his shades drawn. Oliver most likely suffers from what disorder?
Agoraphobia
panic disorder
An anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations. often followed by worry over a possible next attack
As a child, Ryan took delight in hurting animals. As an adult, he frequently abuses strangers and feels no remorse. What diagnosis would Ryan most likely receive, and why?
Antisocial personality disorder, because lack of empathy and remorse are characteristics of this disorder.
Jimmy has a difficult time paying attention in class. He often gets up from his seat, he demonstrates repetitive behaviors, and has difficulty making eye contact with others. What disorder is Jimmy most likely experiencing?
Autism spectrum disorder
Examples of antianxiety drugs
Barbiturates such as Miltown and Benzodiazepines such as Valium, Librium, Xanax, Klonopin, and Halcion
B.F. Skinner
Behaviorist that developed the theory of operant conditioning by training pigeons and rats
Which of the following most likely emphasized listening intently and feeling positively about a client no matter what the client did in therapy?
Carl Rogers
Bree, who has been diagnosed with schizophrenia, remains motionless for hours despite her family's attempts to interact with her. What symptom is Bree demonstrating?
Catatonia
Greg experienced trauma as a young child. Now as an adult, in times of stress, his voice and mannerisms change and he claims to be a different person. Greg's symptoms are most in line with what psychological disorder?
Dissociative identity disorder
Dr. Keeler believes that a strong therapeutic alliance causes positive therapeutic outcomes. He tests this hypothesis by randomly assigning individuals seeking therapy to either work with a therapist or work through a therapy workbook and then measuring the reduction in symptoms after eight weeks. Dr. Keeler concludes that therapy is beneficial to anyone experiencing psychological problems. Why is Dr. Keeler's conclusion invalid?
Dr. Keeler conducted his study from individuals seeking out therapy; therefore, his results are not applicable to the general population.
What are some biological factors involved in the development of schizophrenia
Drug therapy is the most common treatment for schizophrenia Individuals whose mother was exposed to the flu virus during pregnancy have a greater possibility of developing schizophrenia later in life Individuals with schizophrenia typically have enlarged brain ventricles Excess amounts of dopamine are often found in people exhibiting schizophrenia
active listening
Empathic listening in which the listener echoes, restates, and clarifies. A feature of Rogers' client-centered therapy.
Which therapeutic lifestyle change would have a positive impact on someone's well-being if they experience bouts of depression?
Engaging in aerobic exercise
Which research design, using twenty participants, would most effectively determine how well a drug treats depression?
Evaluate how much negative thinking the participants are experiencing. Then assign ten participants to a group that receives the drug and ten participants to a placebo group. After ten weeks of treatment, evaluate how many negative thoughts they are experiencing again. This study would be measuring improvement in depression, and a pre-treatment/post-treatment measure of depression is an effective way to measure change in depression levels.
Scott is undergoing psychoanalysis to try to deal with his severe anxiety. What technique is his therapist likely to use?
Free association
Dr. Freddy believes that the development of schizophrenia is solely caused by biological factors. Which of the following is NOT accounted for by this belief?
If one member of a set of identical twins develops schizophrenia, the other twin has an almost 50 percent chance of also developing schizophrenia. If biological factors were the only cause of schizophrenia, then one twin should have a 100 percent chance of developing schizophrenia if the other twin develops it
Joaquim wants to determine whether cognitive therapy is effective in treating depression. He measures the depression levels of 40 participants using a pretest, making several practical behavior-change recommendations to implement, and then measuring depression levels in a posttest. Joaquim concludes that cognitive therapy was effective in treating depression. Why is this conclusion invalid?
Joaquim needs to use a control group, in the study to see if the participants improved due to the therapy or to other factors. It is the comparison of the group getting treatment versus the group not getting treatment that allows one to draw valid conclusions.
Gale reluctantly visited a psychotherapist because he is unable to maintain personal relationships. He says, "People don't understand how fortunate they are when I give them the opportunity to come out with me. Sometimes they even say they already have other plans. They clearly are making a mistake turning me down!" Gale's mindset is most indicative of what disorder?
Narcissistic personality disorder. Gale has a distorted sense of his own importance and centrality.
Which of the following scenarios is consistent with the behavioral therapeutic approach?
Ralph is misbehaving in school so Dr. Evans creates a token economy to increase Ralph's good behavior.
Dr. Vazquez is interested in comparing the effectiveness of electroconvulsive therapy with that of antidepressant drugs in treating depression. Which research design is he most likely to use?
Randomly assigning participants to either take an SSRI or receive a brief electrical current through their brain. This example is experimental and contains both antidepressant medication and electroconvulsive therapy.
Which of the following individuals would most likely experience the lowest level of stigma because of their psychological disorder diagnosis?
Ronaldo, a man, who was diagnosed with anorexia nervosa. People tend to be more sympathetic toward individuals who receive gender atypical diagnoses. More women are diagnosed with anorexia nervosa than men.
Lena has experienced severe pain in her right arm for years, although her doctor can find no cause or external symptom for the pain. Lena would most likely be diagnosed with what psychological disorder?
Somatic symptom disorder
Dr. Jones hypothesizes that antianxiety drugs cause a reduction in central nervous system activity. In order to test the hypothesis, what should her independent variable be?
Taking Xanax versus taking a placebo. In order to test the hypothesis, an antianxiety drug like Xanax would need to be the independent variable.
What is an appropriate reason for a clinician to break confidentiality?
The client is a danger to self or others.
examples of antipsychotic drugs
Thorazine, Mellaril, Haldol, Clozaril, Abilify
What is the primary reason for using the most current edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)?
To use a reliable classification system for mental disorders
Paul is seeing a cognitive therapist to treat his depression. What piece of advice is Paul's therapist likely to give him?
Try to replace your catastrophic thinking with more realistic, positive thoughts.
Joseph Wolpe
Used classical conditioning theory in psychotherapy and introduced Systematic Desensitatization and concepts of reciprocal inhibition which he applied to reduce anxiety. In treatment he paired relaxation with an anxiety -provoking stimulus until the stimulus no longer produced anxiety. described use of systematic desensitization to treat phobias
counterconditioning
a behavior therapy procedure that uses classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors; includes exposure therapies and aversive conditioning
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient
therapeutic alliance
a bond of trust and mutual understanding between a therapist and client, who work together constructively to overcome the client's problem
unconditional positive regard
a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help clients to develop self-awareness and self-acceptance
rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)
a confrontational cognitive therapy, developed by Albert Ellis, that vigorously challenges people's illogical, self-defeating attitudes and assumptions
virtual reality exposure therapy
a counterconditioning technique that treats anxiety by creative electronic simulations in which people can safely face their greatest fears, such as airplane flying, spiders, or public speaking
Schizophrenia
a disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished, inappropriate emotional expression
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience
bipolar disorder
a disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania (formerly called manic-depressive disorder)
major depressive disorder
a disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or another medical condition, two or more weeks with five or more symptoms, at least one of which must be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure
Conversion Disorder (Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder)
a disorder related to somatic symptom disorder in which a person experiences very specific, physical symptoms that are not compatible with recognized medical or neurological conditions
illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis)
a disorder related to somatic symptom disorder in which a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease
delusion
a false belief, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders
chronic schizophrenia (process schizophrenia)
a form of schizophrenia in which symptoms usually appear by late adolescence or early adulthood. As people age, psychotic episodes last longer and recovery periods shorten
acute schizophrenia (reactive schizophrenia)
a form of schizophrenia that can begin at any age, frequently occurs in response to an emotionally traumatic event, and has extended recovery periods
psychotic disorders
a group of psychological disorders marked by irrational ideas, distorted perceptions, and a loss of contact with reality
client-centered therapy
a humanistic therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, in which the therapist uses techniques such as active listening within a genuine, accepting, empathic environment to facilitate clients' growth. (Also called person-centered therapy.)
mania
a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgement is common
classical conditioning
a learning process that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired; a response that is at first elicited by the second stimulus is eventually elicited by the first stimulus alone. fear responses can become linked with formerly neutral objects and events in experiment "Little Albert" learned to fear furry objects that researchers paired with loud noises
cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)
a popular integrative therapy that combines cognitive therapy (changing self-defeating thinking) with behavior therapy (changing behavior)
meta-analysis
a procedure for statistically combining the results of many different research studies
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
a psychological disorder marked by extreme inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity
lobotomy
a psychosurgical procedure once used to calm uncontrollably emotional or violent patients. The procedure cut the nerves connecting the frontal lobes to the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain
dissociative identity disorder (DID)
a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. Formerly called multiple personality disorder.
psychological disorder
a syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior
deviant
a term associated with psychological disorders that best describes a thought, feeling, or behavior that is atypical or rare
double-bind hypothesis
a theory that some parents repeatedly communicate pairs of messages that are mutually contradictory, helping to produce schizophrenia in their children
aversive conditioning
a type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state (such as nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking alcohol)
cognitive triad
according to Beck, there are 3 important areas of life that are most influenced by the depressive cognitive schema; this refers to information about the self, about the world, and about the future The three forms of negative thinking that Aaron Beck theorizes lead people to feel depressed. The triad consists of a negative view of one's experiences, oneself, and the future.
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions), actions (compulsions), or both
generalized anxiety disorder
an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal
phobia
an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation even a single painful and frightening event can trigger one
eclectic approach
an approach to psychotherapy that uses techniques from various forms of therapy
anorexia nervosa
an eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent female) maintains a starvation diet despite being significantly underweight, sometimes accompanied by excessive exercise
bulimia nervosa
an eating disorder in which a person's binge eating (usually of high-calorie foods) is followed by inappropriate weight-loss promoting behavior, such as vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise
To test the effectiveness of an SSRI, Dr. Morris randomly assigns one group of participants to receive the drug and assigns the other group a placebo. Dr. Morris is most likely using
an experimental design, and the dependent variable is depression. The research design is experimental because it includes random assignment, and SSRIs are used to treat depression.
token economy
an operant conditioning procedure in which people earn a token of some sort for exhibiting a desired behavior and can later exchange the tokens for various privileges or treats
Since her father's death, Nina has become dangerously thin because she exercises compulsively and strictly limits her eating. Based on these symptoms, Nina would most likely be diagnosed with what disorder?
anorexia nervosa
exposure therapies
behavioral techniques, such as systematic desensitization and virtual reality exposure therapy, that treat anxieties by exposing people (in imagination or actuality) to the things they fear and avoid
Mary Cover Jones
behaviorism/learning; pioneer in systematic desensitization, maintained that fear could be unlearned "mother of behavior therapy"; used classical conditioning to help "Peter" overcome fear of rabbits
biomedical perspective on the cause of psychological disorders
believe that many psychological disorders are associated with genetic abnormalities that may lead to physiological abnormalities organic problems, biomedical imbalances, genetic predispositions
Geraldine goes through a few weeks of feeling so sad that she can barely summon the energy to leave her bed. Then she will have an extended period of energy and productivity, during which she barely sleeps. Geraldine would most likely be diagnosed with what disorder?
bipolar disorder
antipsychotic drugs
block receptor sites for dopamine
evidence-based practice
clinical decision making that integrates the best available research with clinical expertise and patient characteristics and preferences
rumination
compulsive fretting; overthinking about our problems and their causes
dissociative disorders
controversial, rare disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings
Defining Abnormality
deviance, distress, dysfunction, danger it is maladaptive (harmful) and or disturbing to the individual, it is disturbing to others, it is unusual, or not shared by many members of the population, and it is irrational, as it does not make sense to the average person
nonsuicidal self-injury (NSSI)
direct, deliberate destruction of body tissue in the absence of any intent to die more common in adolescence and among females behavior, though painful, is not fatal people tend to experience bullying, harassment, and other life stress, and are generally less able to tolerate and regulate emotional distress
antianxiety drugs
drugs used to control anxiety and agitation
antidepressant drugs
drugs used to treat depression; also increasingly prescribed for anxiety. Different types work by altering the availability of various neurotransmitters drugs used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder (several widely used antidepressant drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors- SSRTs)
antipsychotic drugs
drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other forms of severe thought disorder
deep brain stimulation
electrical stimulation applied through surgically implanted electrodes; used to treat some anxiety and mood disorders
Hallucinations
false sensory experiences, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
Reinforcement
helps maintain learned fears and anxieties anything that enables us to avoid or escape a feared situation can reinforce maladaptive behaviors reinforced by feeling calmer, we are likely to repeat the behavior in the future -so to with compulsive behaviors (ocd)
interpretation
in psychoanalysis, the analyst's noting supposed dream meanings, resistances, and other significant behaviors and events in order to promote insight
Resistance
in psychoanalysis, the blocking from consciousness of anxiety-laden material
Transference
in psychoanalysis, the patient's transfer to the analyst of emotions linked with other relationships (such as love or hatred for a parent)
personality disorders
inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning
social anxiety disorder
intense fear and avoidance of social situations (formerly called social phobia) 58% of sufferers experienced their disorder after a traumatic event
psychoanalytic/psychodynamic perspective on the cause of psychological disorders
internal, unconscious conflicts caused by unconscious conflicts often caused by traumatic events that occurred in the psychosexual stages
tardive dyskinesia
involuntary movements of the facial muscles, tongue, and limbs; a possible neurotoxic side effect of long-term use of antipsychotic drugs that target certain dopamine receptors parkinsonian-like chronic muscle tremors
cognitive perspective on the cause of psychological disorders
irrational, dysfunctional thoughts or ways of thinking maladaptive ways of thinking
Cheryl, who is 85, is having difficulty remembering her phone number and address; at times, she is unsure of where she is. Cheryl is most likely experiencing
major neurocognitive disorder (dementia, alzheimer's)
undifferentiated schizophrenia
many and varied symptoms of schizophrenia
catatonic schizophrenia
marked by striking motor disturbances, ranging from muscular rigidity to random motor activity A type of schizophrenia marked by striking motor disturbances, ranging from muscular rigidity to random motor activity.
major neurocognitive disorder
neurocognitive disorder in which the decline in cognitive functioning is substantial and interferes with the ability to be independent
insane
not a medical term often used by laypeople to describe psychological disorders in general a legal term
Every night as he readies for bed, Steven walks in a circle beside his bed five times, afraid that something terrible will happen if he does not. Then, after lying down, he fears that he did not count right, gets up, and repeats the circling. This cycle continues to the point that he gets little sleep. Steven most likely has what disorder?
obsessive-compulsive disorder
cognition
our thoughts, memories, interpretations, and expectations influence our feelings of anxiety by observing others, we learn to fear what they fear past experiences shape our expectations and influence our interpretations and reactions
posttraumatic growth
positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extremely challenging circumstances and life crises
Ever since Minnie witnessed a serious car crash, she continues to have vivid nightmares and reacts with panic at any sudden noise. Minnie's symptoms are most indicative of what disorder?
posttraumatic stress disorder
paranoid schizophrenia
preoccupation with delusions or hallucinations, often with themes of persecution or grandiosity A type of schizophrenia that is dominated by delusions of persecution along with delusions of grandeur.
biomedical therapy
prescribed medications or medical procedures that act directly on the patient's physiology
somatic symptom disorder
psychological disorder in which the symptoms take a somatic (bodily) form without apparent physical cause formerly called somatoform disorder
behavioral perspective on the cause of psychological disorders
psychological problems result from the person's history of reinforcement reinforcement history, the environment
humanistic perspective on the cause of psychological disorders
roots the cause of disorders in a person's feelings, self-esteem, and self-concept failure to strive toward one's potential or being out of touch with one's feelings
anxiety disorders
share a common symptom of anxiety 3 disorders include phobias, generalized anxiety disorder, and panic disorder psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety more likely to develop when bad events happen unpredictably and uncontrollably
Psychoanalysis
sigmund freud's therapeutic technique. freud believed the patient's free associations, resistances, dreams, and transferences - and the therapist's interpretations of them - released previously repressed feelings, allowing the patient to gain self-insight
binge eating disorder
significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging, fasting, or excessive exercise that marks bulimia nervosa
sociocultural perspective on the cause of psychological disorders
social ills such as racism, sexism, and poverty lie at the heart of psychological disorders dysfunctional society
Aaron Beck
sought to reverse patient's catastrophizing beliefs about themselves, their situations and futures using cognitive therapy pioneer in Cognitive Therapy. Suggested negative beliefs cause depression
psychosurgery
surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in an effort to change behavior
DSM-5
the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders. provides a way for psychologists to diagnose their patients contains the symptoms of everything currently considered to be a psychological disorder does not include the causes or treatments of the various disorders, because adherents to each of the psychological perspectives disagree often revised
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
the application of repeated pulses of the magnetic energy to the brain, used to stimulate or suppress brain activity
medical model
the concept that diseases, in this case psychological disorders, have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured, often through treatment in a hospital.
resilience
the personal strength that helps most people cope with stress and recover from adversity and even trauma
abnormal psychology
the scientific study of abnormal behavior in an effort to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning the study of people who suffer from psychological disorders encompasses the study of relatively common problems such as depression, substance abuse, and learning difficulties, as well as the study of fairly rare, and particularly severe, disorders such as bipolar disorder and schizophrenia
Epigenetics
the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
psychopharmacology
the study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior
stimulus generalization
the tendency to respond to a stimulus that is only similar to the original conditioned stimulus with the conditioned response occurs when a person experiences a fearful event and later develops a fear of similar events
EMDR therapy
the therapist attempts to unlock and reprocess previous frozen traumatic memories by waving a finger in front of the eyes of the client.
insight therapies
therapies that aim to improve psychological functioning by increasing a person's awareness of underlying motives and defenses
group therapy
therapy conducted with groups rather than individuals, providing benefits from group interaction
psychodynamic therapy
therapy deriving from the psychoanalytic tradition that views individuals as responding to unconscious forces and childhood experiences, and that seeks to enhance self-insight
behavior therapy
therapy that applies learning principles to the elimination of unwanted behaviors
cognitive therapy
therapy that teaches people new, more adaptive ways of thinking and acting; based on the assumption that thoughts intervene between events and our emotional reactions
family therapy
therapy that treats people in the context of their family system. views an individual's unwanted behaviors as influenced by, or directed at, other family members
Gordon Allport
trait theory of personality; 3 levels of traits: cardinal, central, and secondary
Psychotherapy
treatment involving psychological techniques; consists of interactions between a trained therapist and someone seeking to overcome psychological difficulties or achieve personal growth
