Psychology Chapter 15: Disorders Flashcards

Abnormal Behavior

• Defined as behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful over an extended period.

Biological Approach

• Attributes psychological disorders to organic factors, particularly brain function, genetics, and neurotransmitter roles.

Psychological Approach

• Emphasizes the impact of experiences, thoughts, emotions, and personality traits in understanding disorders.

Sociocultural Approach

• Focuses on the social contexts influencing behavior, including gender, ethnicity, economic status, and family dynamics.

Biopsychosocial Approach

• Integrates biological, psychological, and social factors in explaining both normal and abnormal behaviors.

DSM-IV

• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, structured into five axes for classification.

Axis I

• Covers all diagnostic categories excluding personality disorders and mental retardation, such as anxiety and mood disorders.

Axis II

• Focuses on personality disorders and mental retardation.

Axis III

• Addresses general medical conditions affecting mental health.

Axis IV

• Discusses psychosocial and environmental problems impacting individual functioning.

Axis V

• Evaluates the current level of functioning of an individual.

Anxiety Disorders

• Characterized by uncontrollable fears that disrupt normal life.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

• Involves persistent anxiety for at least six months with no identifiable cause, often linked to GABA deficiency.

Panic Disorder

• Marked by recurrent, sudden episodes of intense fear or terror, frequently without an obvious cause.

Phobia

• Defined as a relentless fear of a specific object or situation.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• Features persistent anxiety-provoking thoughts and compulsions to perform repetitive behaviors.

Mood Disorders

• Extended emotional states that affect overall emotional well-being.

Depressive Disorders

• Involve persistent depression, characterized by a consistent lack of pleasure in life.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

• Involves significant depressive episodes lasting at least two weeks, marked by symptoms like lethargy and hopelessness.

Dysthymic Disorder

• A chronic form of depression lasting at least two years in adults or one year in children/adolescents, without previous major depressive episodes.

Biological Factors in Depression

• Associated with imbalances in the regulation of various neurotransmitters.

Bipolar Disorder

• Characterized by extreme mood swings, including manic episodes marked by excessive optimism and energy.

Dissociative Disorders

• Involve sudden memory loss or identity changes due to the dissociation of conscious awareness.

Dissociative Amnesia

• Describes extreme memory loss linked to significant psychological stress.

Dissociative Fugue

• Involves amnesia, unexpected travel, and sometimes adopting a new identity.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

• Known as Multiple Personality Disorder, characterized by two or more distinct identities, each with unique memories and behaviors.

Schizophrenia

• A severe psychological disorder marked by disordered thought processes, often involving psychotic symptoms.

Hallucinations

• Sensory perceptions experienced without actual stimuli.

Delusions

• False beliefs that are unusual and do not align with an individual's cultural background.

Referential Thinking

• Attributing personal significance to random events.

Catatonia

• A condition of prolonged immobility and unresponsiveness.

Flat Affect

• A lack of emotional expression, often observed as a negative symptom in schizophrenia.

Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

• Include the addition of unusual behaviors.

Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

• Involve the removal of normal behaviors or emotional responses.

Personality Disorders

• Chronic patterns of maladaptive thoughts and behaviors integrated into an individual's personality.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

• Features include guiltlessness, law-breaking tendencies, and exploitation of others, more prevalent in men.

Borderline Personality Disorder

• Characterized by instability in relationships, self-image, emotional dysregulation, and impulsivity, more common in women.

Test your knowledge on psychological disorders with this set of flashcards for Chapter 15 of your psychology course. Explore key terms and definitions related to abnormal behavior and different psychological approaches. Perfect for revision and enhancing your understanding of the subject.