Vocabulary Abnormal Psychology Exam 1 PDF

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ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

CHAPTER 1 abnormal psychology The scientific study of abnormal behavior in an effort to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning, p.2 Asylum A type of institution that first became popular in the sixteenth century to provide care for persons with mental disorders. Most became virtual prisons, p.13 Culture A people's common history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and arts, p.2 Deinstitutionalization The practice, begun in the 1960s, of releasing hundreds of thousands of patients from public mental hospitals, p.17 Humors According to the Greeks and Romans, bodily chemicals that influence mental and physical functioning, p.9 managed care program A system of health care coverage in which the insurance company largely controls the nature, scope, and cost of medical or psychological services, p.18 moral treatment A nineteenth-century approach to treating people with mental dysfunction that emphasized moral guidance and humane and respectful treatment, p.13 multicultural psychology The field of psychology that examines the impact of culture, race, ethnicity, gender, and similar factors on our behaviors and thoughts and focuses on how such factors may influence the origin, nature, and treatment of abnormal behavior, p.18 Norms A society's stated and unstated rules for proper conduct, p.2 positive psychology The study and enhancement of positive feelings, traits, and abilities, p.18 Prevention Interventions aimed at deterring mental disorders before they can develop, p.17 private psychotherapy An arrangement in which a person directly pays a therapist for counseling services, p.17 Psychoanalysis Either the theory or the treatment of abnormal mental functioning that emphasizes unconscious psychological forces as the cause of psychopathology, p.15 psychogenic perspective The view that the chief causes of abnormal functioning are psychological, p.13 psychotropic medications Drugs that mainly affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunctioning, p.17 somatogenic perspective The view that abnormal psychological functioning has physical causes, p.13 state hospitals State-run public mental institutions in the United States, p.13 Trephination An ancient operation in which a stone instrument was used to cut away a circular section of the skull, perhaps to treat abnormal behavior, p.9

CHAPTER 2

analogue experiment A research method in which the experimenter produces abnormal-like behavior in laboratory participants and then conducts experiments on the participants, p.40 blind design An experiment in which participants do not know whether they are in the experimental or the control condition, p.38 case study A detailed account of a person's life and psychological problems, p.27 Confound In an experiment, a variable other than the independent variable that is also acting on the dependent variable, p.36 control group In an experiment, a group of participants who are not exposed to the independent variable, p.37 correlational method A research procedure used to determine how much events or characteristics vary along with each other, p.30 Correlation The degree to which events or characteristics vary along with each other, p.30 dependent variable The variable in an experiment that is expected to change as the independent variable is manipulated, p.36 double-blind design Experimental procedure in which neither the participant nor the experimenter knows whether the participant has received the experimental treatment or a placebo, p.38 epidemiological study A study that measures the incidence and prevalence of a disorder in a given population, p.35 experimental group In an experiment, the participants who are exposed to the independent variable under investigation, p.37 Experiment A research procedure in which a variable is manipulated and the effect of the manipulation is observed, p.36 external validity The degree to which the results of a study may be generalized beyond that study, p.30 Hypothesis A hunch or prediction that certain variables are related in certain ways, p.27 Incidence The number of new cases of a disorder occurring in a population over a specific period of time, p.35 independent variable The variable in an experiment that is manipulated to determine whether it has an effect on another variable, p.36 internal validity The accuracy with which a study can pinpoint one of various possible factors as the cause of a phenomenon, p.30 longitudinal study A study that observes the same participants on many occasions over a long period of time, p.35 natural experiment An experiment in which nature, rather than an experimenter, manipulates an independent variable, p.39 nomothetic understanding A general understanding of the nature, causes, and treatments of abnormal psychological functioning in the form of laws or principles, p.27 placebo therapy A sham treatment that the participant in an experiment believes to be genuine, p. 38 Prevalence The total number of cases of a disorder occurring in a population over a specific period of time, p.35 Quasi-experiment An experiment in which investigators make use of control and experimental groups that already exist in the world at large. Also called a mixed design, p.39 random assignment A selection procedure that ensures that participants are randomly placed either in the control group or in the experimental group, p.38 scientific method The process of systematically gathering and evaluating information through careful observations to gain an understanding of a phenomenon, p.27 single-subject experimental design A research method in which a single participant is observed and measured both before and after the manipulation of an independent variable, p.40 CHAPTER 3

gender-sensitive therapies Approaches geared to the pressures of being a woman in Western society. Also called feminist therapies, p.77 Gene Chromosome segments that control the characteristics and traits we inherit, p.50 gestalt therapy The humanistic therapy developed by Fritz Perls in which clinicians actively move clients toward self-recognition and self-acceptance by using techniques such as role playing and self-discovery exercises, p.67 group therapy A therapy format in which a group of people with similar problems meet together with a therapist to work on those problems, p.72 Hormones The chemicals released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream, p.50 Id According to Freud, the psychological force that produces instinctual needs, drives, and impulses, p.53 Model A set of assumptions and concepts that help scientists explain and interpret observations. Also called a paradigm, p.48 Modeling A process of learning in which an individual acquires responses by observing and imitating others, p.58 multicultural perspective The view that each culture within a larger society has a particular set of values and beliefs, as well as special external pressures, that help account for the behavior and functioning of its members. Also called culturally diverse perspective, p.77 Neuron A nerve cell, p.48 Neurotransmitter A chemical that, released by one neuron, crosses the synaptic space to be received at receptors on the dendrites of neighboring neurons, p.48 object relations theory The psychodynamic theory that views the desire for relationships as the key motivating force in human behavior, p.55 operant conditioning A process of learning in which behavior that leads to satisfying consequences is likely to be repeated, p.58 Psychosurgery Brain surgery for mental disorders. Also called neurosurgery, p.53 psychotropic medications Drugs that primarily affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunctioning, p.50 Receptor A site on a neuron that receives a neurotransmitter, p.48 relational psychoanalytic therapy A form of psychodynamic therapy that considers therapists to be active participants in the formation of patients' feelings and reactions, and therefore calls for therapists to disclose their own experiences and feelings in discussions with patients, p.58 Resistance An unconscious refusal to participate fully in therapy, p.56 Self-actualization The humanistic process by which people fulfill their potential for goodness and growth, p.65 Self-efficacy The belief that one can master and perform needed behaviors whenever necessary, p.61 self-help group A group made up of people with similar problems who help and support one another without the direct leadership of a clinician. Also called a mutual help group, p.72 self theory The psychodynamic theory that emphasizes the role of the self our unified personality, p.55 Superego According to Freud, the psychological force that represents a person's values and ideals, p.55 Synapse The tiny space between the nerve ending of one neuron and the dendrite of another, p.48 systematic desensitization A behavioral treatment in which clients with phobias learn to react calmly instead of with intense fear to the objects or situations they dread, p.61 Transference According to psychodynamic theorists, the redirection toward the psychotherapist of feelings associated with important figures in a patient's life, now or in the past, p.56

CHAPTER 4

Assessment The process of collecting and interpreting relevant information about a-client or research participant, p.84 classification system A list of disorders, along with descriptions of symptoms and guidelines for making appropriate diagnoses, p.98 Diagnosis A determination that a person's problems reflect a particular disorder, p.98 empirically supported treatment A movement in the clinical field that seeks to identify which therapies have received clear research support for each disorder, to develop corresponding treatment guidelines, and to spread such information to clinicians. Also known as evidence-based treatment, p.106 idiographic understanding An understanding of the behavior of a particular individual, p.84 intelligence quotient (IQ) An overall score derived from intelligence tests, p.96 intelligence test A test designed to measure a person's intellectual ability, p.96 mental status exam A set of interview questions and observations designed to reveal the degree and nature of a client's abnormal functioning, p.86 neuroimaging techniques Neurological tests that provide images of brain structure or activity, such as CT scans, PET scans, and MRIs. Also called brain scans, p.95 neurological test A test that directly measures brain structure or activity, p.95 neuropsychological test A test that detects brain impairment by measuring a person's cognitive, perceptual, and motor performances, p.95 personality inventory A test designed to measure broad personality characteristics, consisting of statements about behaviors, beliefs, and feelings that people evaluate as either characteristic or uncharacteristic of them, p.90 projective test A test consisting of ambiguous material that people interpret or respond to, p.89 Psychopharmacologist A psychiatrist who primarily prescribes medications, p.108 psychophysiological test A test that measures physical responses (such as heart rate and muscle tension) as possible indicators of psychological problems, p.92 rapprochement movement An effort to identify a set of common strategies that run through the work of all effective therapists, p.108 Reliability A measure of the consistency of test or research results, p.84 response inventories Tests designed to measure a person's responses in one specific area of functioning, such as affect, social skills, or cognitive processes, p.92 Standardization The process in which a test is administered to a large group of people whose performance then serves as a standard or norm against which any-individual's score can be measured, p.84 Syndrome A cluster of symptoms that usually occur together, p.98 Test A device for gathering information about a few aspects of a person's psychological functioning from which broader information about the person can be inferred, p.86 Validity The accuracy of a test's or study's results; that is, the extent to which the test or study actually measures or shows what it claims, p.84

CHAPTER 6

acute stress disorder A disorder in which fear and related symptoms are experienced soon after a traumatic event and last less than a month, p.157 Antigen A foreign invader of the body, such as a bacterium or virus, p.179 Asthma A medical problem marked by narrowing of the trachea and bronchi, which results in shortness of breath, wheezing, coughing, and a choking sensation, p.171 autonomic nervous system (ANS) The network of nerve fibers that connect the central nervous system to all the other organs of the body, p.155 behavioral medicine A field that combines psychological and physical interventions to treat or prevent medical problems, p.182 coronary heart disease Illness of the heart caused by a blockage in the coronary arteries, p.172 Corticosteroids A group of hormones, including cortisol, released by the adrenal glands at times of stress, p.157 endocrine system The system of glands located throughout the body that help control important activities such as growth and sexual activity, p.155 eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR) An exposure treatment in which clients move their eyes in a rhythmic manner from side to side while flooding their minds with images of objects and situations they ordinarily avoid, p.166 Hypertension Chronic high blood pressure, p.171 hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) pathway One route by which the brain and body produce arousal and fear, p.157 immune system The body's network of activities and cells that identify and destroy antigens and cancer cells, p.179 Insomnia Difficulty falling or staying asleep, p.171 Lymphocytes White blood cells that circulate through the lymph system and bloodstream, helping the body identify and destroy antigens and cancer cells, p.179 migraine headache A very severe headache that occurs on one side of the head, often preceded by a warning sensation and sometimes accompanied by dizziness, -nausea, or vomiting, p.171 muscle contraction headache A headache caused by a narrowing of muscles surrounding the skull. Also known as tension headache, p.171 parasympathetic nervous system The nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system that help return bodily processes to normal, p.157 posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) A disorder in which fear and related symptoms continue to be experienced long after a traumatic event, p.157 psychological debriefing A form of crisis intervention in which victims are helped to talk about their feelings and reactions to traumatic incidents. Also called critical-incident stress debriefing, p.168 Psychoneuroimmunology The study of the connections between stress, the body's immune system, and illness, p.179 psychophysiological disorders Stress-induced disorders- in which biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors interact to cause or worsen a physical illness. Also known as psychological factors affecting medical condition, p.168 Rape Forced sexual intercourse or another sexual act committed against a nonconsenting person or intercourse with an underage person, p.160 rap group A group that meets to talk about and explore members' problems in an atmosphere of mutual support, p.168 sympathetic nervous system The nerve fibers of the autonomic nervous system that quicken the heartbeat and produce other changes experienced as arousal and fear, p.155

Torture The use of brutal, degrading, and disorienting strategies to reduce victims to a state of utter helplessness, p.162 Type A personality style A personality pattern characterized by hostility, cynicism, drivenness, impatience, competitiveness, and ambition, p.174 Type B personality style A personality pattern in which persons are more relaxed, less aggressive, and less concerned about time, p.174 Ulcer A lesion that forms in the wall of the stomach or of the duodenum, p.171...