Abnormal Psy Chapter 2
Terms
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- Biopsychosocial model
- A view of the etiology of mental disorders which assumes that disorders can be best understood in terms of the interaction of biological, psychological, and social systems.
- dualism
- The philosophical view that the mind and body are seperate. Dates to the writings of the philosopher Rene Descartes, who attempted to balance the dominant religious views of his times with emerging scientific reasoning. Descartes argues that many human functions have biological explanations, but some human experiences have no somatic representation. Thus, he argued for a distinction, a dualism, between mind and body.
- Behavior Genetics
- The study of broad genetic contributions to the development of normal and abnormal behavior.
- reciprocal causality
- The concept of causality as bidirectional or circular. Interaction is a process of mutual influence, not separable causes and effects.
- extinction
- The gradual elimination of a response when learning conditions change. In classical conditioning, extinction occurs when a conditioned stimulus no longer is paired with an unconditioned stimulus. In operant conditioning, extinction occurs when the contingent is removed between behavior and its consequences.
- Defense Mechanism
- Unconscious processes that service the ego and reduce conscious anxiety by distorting anxiety producing memories, emotions, and impulses.. for example, projection, displacement or rationalization.
- Diathesis
- A predisposition to disorder. Also known as vulnerability. A diathesis only causes abnormal behavior when it is combined with a stress or challenging experience.
- operant conditioning
- A learning theory asserting that behavior is a function of its consequences. Specifically, behavior increases if it is rewarded and it decreases if it is punished.
- Autonomic Nervous System
- The division of the peripheral nervous system that regulates the functions of various bodily organs such as the heart and stomach. the actions of the autonomic nervous system are largely involuntary, and it has two branches, the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.
- limbic system
- A variety of brain structures, including the thalamus and hypothalamus, that are central to the regulation of emotion and basic learning processes.
- Correlational Study
- A scientific research method in which the relation between two factors (their co relation) is studied in a systematic fashion. Has the advantage of practicality, as correlations between many variables can be studied in the real world, but also has the disadvantage that "correlation does not mean causation"
- hypothalamus
- a part of the limbic system that plays a role in sensation, but more importantly it controls basic biological urges, such as eating, drinking and activity, as well as much of the functioning of the autonomic nervous system.
- ventricles
- Four connected chambers in the brain filled with cerebrospinal fluid. The ventricles are enlarged in some psychological and neurological disorders.
- Chromosomes
- Chainlike structures found in the nucleus of cells that carry genes and information about heredity. Humans normally have 23 pairs of chromosomes.
- superego
- One of Freuds three central personality structures, roughly equivalent to the conscience. In Freudian theory, the superego contains societal standards of behavior, particularly rules that children learn from identifying with their parents. The superego attempts to control id impulses.
- third variable
- An unmeasured factor that may account for a correlation observed between any two variables. a threat to interpretation in correlational studies, and a basic reason why correlation does not mean causation.
- stress
- An event that creates physiological or psychological strain for the individual. stress has been defined differently by various scientists.
- lateralization
- the specialized functioning of each cerebral hemisphere. In general, the left hemisphere is involved in language and related functions, and the right side is involved in spatial organization and analysis.
- Classical Conditioning
- Pavlov's form of learning through association. A conditioned response eventually is elicited by a conditioned stimulus after repeated pairings with an unconditioned stimulus (which produces and unconditioned response).
- Cerebral Hemispheres
- The two major structures of the forebrain and the site of the most sensory, emotional, and cognitive processes. The functions of the cerebral hemispheres are lateralized. In general, the left cerebral hemisphere is involved in language and related functions, and the right side is involved in spatial organization and analysis.
- Correlation Coefficient
- A number that always ranges between -1.00 and +1.00 and indicates the strength and direction of the relation between two variables. A higher absolute value indicates a stronger relation, while a correlation coefficient of 0 indicates no relation. The sign indicates the direction of the correlation.
- premorbid history
- A pattern of behavior that precedes the onset of an illness. Adjustment prior to the disorder.
- Developmental Stages
- A distinct period of development focused on certain central tasks and marked by boundaries defined by changing age or social expectations.
- shared environment
- The component of the family enviroment that offers the same or highly similar experiences to all siblings, for example, socioeconomic status. Stands in contrast to the nonshared environment , experiences inside and outside the family that are unique to one sibling.
- id
- One of Freuds three central personality structures. In freudian theory, the id is present at birth and is the source of basic drives and motivations. the id houses biological drives such as hunger, as well as Freuds two key psychological drives, sex and aggression. operates according to the pleasure principle.
- modeling
- A social learning concept describing the process of learning through imitation. Contrasts with the broader concept of identification.
- neurons
- The nerve cells that form the basic building blocks of the brain. Each neuron is composed of the soma or cell body, the dendrites, the axon and the terminal buttons.
- genotype
- An individuals actual genetic structure, most of which cannot be observed directly at this time.
- monozygotic twins
- Identical twins produced from a single fertilized egg; thus MZ twins have identical genotypes.
- Cerebral Cortex
- The uneven surface of the brain that lies just underneath the skull and controls and integrates sophisticated memory, sensory, and motor functions.
- receptors
- Sites on the dendrites or soma of a neuron that are sensitive to certain neurotransmitters.
- social support
- The emotional and practical assistance received from others.
- genes
- Ultra microscopic units of DNA that carry information about heredity. located on the chromosomes.
- Attributions
- Perceived causes; peoples beliefs about cause effect relations.
- neurotransmitters
- Chemical substances that are released into the synapse between two neurons and carry signals from the terminal button of one neuron to the receptors of another.
- phenotype
- The observed expression of a given genotype or genetic structure, for example, eye color.
- Dizygotic twins
- Fraternal twins produced from separate fertilized eggs. Like all siblings, DZ twins share an average of 50 percent of their genes.
- Developmental Psychopathology
- A new approach to abnormal psychology that emphasizes the importance of normal development to understanding abnormal behavior.
- hormones
- Chemical substances that are released into the bloodstream by glands in the endocrine system. Hormones affect the functioning of distant body systems and sometimes act as neuromodulators.
- synapse
- A small gap filled with fluid that lies between the axon of one neuron and a dendrite or soma of another neuron.
- psychoanalytic theory
- A paradigm for conceptualizing abnormal behavior based on the concepts and writings of Sigmund Freud. Highlights unconscious processes and conflicts as causing abnormal behavior and emphasizes psychoanalysis as the treatment of choice.
- reverse causality
- Indicates that causation could be operating in the opposite direction. y could be causing x instead of x causing y. a threat to interpretation in correlation studies, and a basic reason why correlation does not mean causation.
- Attachments
- Selective Bonds that develop between infants and their caregivers, usually their parents, and are theorized to be related to later development. Analogous to the process of imprinting, which has been observed in many animals.
- probands
- Index cases. In behavior genetic studies, probands are family members who have a disorder, and the relatives of the index cases are examined for concordance.
- paradigm
- A set of assumptions both about the substance of a theory and about how scientists should collect date and test theoretical propositions. The term was applied to the progress of science by Thomas Kuhn, an influential historian and philospher.
- nonshared enviroment
- The component of a siblings enviroment inside or outside the family that is unique to that sibling, for example, being a favorite child or ones best friends. contrasts with the shared environment, family experiences that are common across siblings.
- gender roles
- Roles associated with social expectations about gendered behavior, for example, masculine or feminine activities.
- emotions
- a state of arousal that is defined by subjective feeling states, such as sadness, anger and disgust. Emotions are often accompanied by physiological changes, such as in heart rate and respiration rate.
- temperament
- Characteristics styles of relating to the world that are often conceptualized as inborn traits. Generally emphasizes the how as opposed to the what of behavior.
- reuptake
- The process of recapturing some neurotransmitters in the synapse before they reach the receptors of another cell and returning the chemical substances to the terminal button. the neurotransmitter then is reused in subsequent neural transmission.
- polygenic
- Caused by more than one gene. Characteristics become normally distributed as more genes are involved in the phenotypic expression of a trait.
- systems theory
- An innovation in the philosophy of conceptualizing and conducting science that emphasizes interdependence, cybernetics, and especially holism.. the idea that the whole is more than the sum or its parts. Often traced to the biologist and philosopher Ludwig von bertalanffy.
- reductionism
- The scientific perspective that the whole is the sum of its parts, and that the task of scientists is to divide the world into its smaller and smaller components.
- dominance
- The hierarchical ordering of a social group into more and less powerful members. Dominance rankings are indexed by the availability of uncontested privileges.
- psychophysiology
- The study of changes in the functioning of the body that result from psychological experiences.
- ego
- One of Freuds three central personality structures. In freudian theory, the ego must deal with reality as it attempts to fulfill id impulses as well as superego demands. The ego operates on the reality principle, and much of the ego resides in conscious awareness.
- identity
- Ericksons term for the broad definition of self; in his view, identity is the product of who adolescents struggle to answer the question who am i?
- prognosis
- Predictions about the future course of a disorder with or without treatment.
- endocrine sytem
- A collection of glands found at various locations throughout the body, including the ovaries or testes and the pituitary, thyroid, and adrenal glands. Releases hormonds that sometimes act as neuromodulators and affect responses to stress. Also important in physical growth and development.
- risk factors
- A variable that is associated with a high probability of developing a disorder.
- self control
- Appropriate behavior guided by internal rather than external rules.