Psychology Chapter on Abnormal Behavior

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Questions and Answers

Which of the following is NOT a criterion used to define abnormal behavior?

Inability to function normally

Statistical or social norm deviance

Personal preferences in lifestyle choices (correct)

Subjective discomfort

What is a primary limitation of using Statistical or social norm deviance alone to define abnormality?

It focuses on the inability to function normally.

Deviance from the norm is not abnormal always. (correct)

It only applies to rare behaviors.

It requires a subjective measure of behavior.

When considering Subjective Discomfort, what is a key criticism regarding its use in defining abnormal behavior?

It is difficult to objectively measure.

It only focuses on the severity of behavior.

Individuals may not always experience distress with abnormal behaviors. (correct)

It doesn't take the influence of societal norms into account.

What does the term 'inability to function normally' refer to when discussing abnormal behavior?

Difficulties in adapting to one's environment. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is considered a critical element in determining abnormal behavior when considering harm?

Whether the behavior potentially impacts the well-being of oneself or others. (C) Signup and view all the answers

According to the American Psychiatric Association, what is a key characteristic of a mental disorder?

A clinically significant disturbance in cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior. (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which model of abnormality emphasizes the role of neurotransmitter systems and brain structures?

Biological model (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a core concept of the psychodynamic model regarding abnormal behaviors?

Repressed unconscious thoughts and conflicts. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which perspective views abnormal behaviors as learned responses to environmental stimuli?

Behaviorist perspective (D) Signup and view all the answers

The cognitive perspective suggests that abnormal behavior is a result of:

Maladaptive thinking patterns. (A) Signup and view all the answers

According to the biological model, which of the following is a potential cause of abnormal behaviors?

Imbalances of biochemicals. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a central idea of the behaviorist model in explaining disordered thinking?

It's learned through conditioning processes. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What may cause disordered thinking according to the psychodynamic view?

Repressed threatening thoughts. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is a primary characteristic of anxiety disorders?

Excessive or unrealistic anxiety (B) Signup and view all the answers

When diagnosing a disorder, what is one important factor that should be considered?

The patient’s cultural background (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a potential benefit of using diagnostic labels?

More efficient information exchange among professionals (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is considered a diagnosable abnormal behavior?

Mood disorder (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is the major difference between FEAR and ANXIETY?

Fear is an emotional response to a known threat, and anxiety is in response to an unknown or vague threat (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which type of disorder involves an irrational and persistent fear?

Phobic disorder (A) Signup and view all the answers

Who is considered qualified to provide a diagnosis?

Trained professionals with certifications (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is a potential drawback of using diagnostic labels?

Labels may have a negative impact on self-perception and how others see the person (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is the Dopamine Hypothesis related to schizophrenia?

It holds that excess activity at dopamine synapses contributes to schizophrenia. (A) Signup and view all the answers

Which professional is best equipped to prescribe medications for treating psychological disorders?

Psychiatrist (A) Signup and view all the answers

What treatment approach involves a personal therapeutic relationship between therapist and client?

Psychotherapy (B) Signup and view all the answers

What is one potential cause for substance-induced psychotic disorders?

Substance use of stimulant drugs (C) Signup and view all the answers

Who typically conducts psychotherapy to treat psychological disorders?

Clinical Psychologist (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is a characteristic of a manic episode as defined in the text?

Increased energy and restlessness (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the duration for a hypomanic episode as defined in the text?

At least 4 days (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is the key difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorders?

Bipolar I requires a full-blown manic episode, while Bipolar II requires only a hypomanic episode with a major depressive episode. (B) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following is NOT a symptom associated with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) as mentioned in the content?

Excessive energy and motivation (A) Signup and view all the answers

Identify the biological factor mentioned in the content that could contribute to depression.

Moderate heritability for depression (A) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key characteristic of Persistent Depressive Disorder, as described in the text?

Symptoms of depression are typically present for a minimum of two years. (C) Signup and view all the answers

What is a key difference between Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)?

Major Depressive Disorder involves a shorter duration of symptoms, while Persistent Depressive Disorder involves a longer duration. (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)?

People with MDD are at a higher risk of developing Persistent Depressive Disorder. (D) Signup and view all the answers

What is the leading cause of death for people ages 15 to 44?

Suicide (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which gender is more likely to complete a suicide?

Men (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following factors is NOT associated with an increased risk for suicide?

High levels of Serotonin (D) Signup and view all the answers

What immediate action should be taken if a friend is suicidal?

Get immediate help (C) Signup and view all the answers

Which treatment method is suggested for individuals at risk of suicide?

Hospitalization (C) Signup and view all the answers

What does not help in understanding suicide according to the content?

Open communication about feelings (D) Signup and view all the answers

Which approach is NOT suggested when someone discloses suicidal thoughts?

Promise confidentiality (A) Signup and view all the answers

Suicidal ideation refers to what?

Thinking about suicide (A) Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Abnormal Behaviors - Lesson Objectives

Distinguish among mental disorders using the DSM 5.
Describe the causes of abnormal behavior.
Differentiate psychotherapies used to treat abnormal behaviors.

Defining Abnormal Behavior

Statistical or Social Norm Deviance (Deviance): Frequently occurring behaviors are considered normal; rare behaviors are abnormal. Critical note: deviance isn't automatically abnormal.
Subjective Discomfort (Distress): A subjective feeling of discomfort or emotional distress while engaging in a behavior. Critical note: not all thoughts or behaviors cause discomfort for someone.
Inability to Function Normally (Dysfunction): Any behavior unacceptable in society is abnormal or considered maladaptive. This includes difficulty adapting to surroundings.
Harming Oneself or Others (Dangerousness): Behavior that has the potential to harm self or others.

American Psychiatric Association Definition of Mental Disorder

A mental disorder is a "clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning."

Models for Abnormality

Biological: Suggests abnormality in behaviors has a biological/medical cause. Much of anxiety, depression, and schizophrenia are explained by faulty neurotransmitter systems, abnormal brain structures, inherited genes, brain damage, or combinations. Some abnormalities may be from inherited genes, faulty brain structure, or imbalances in chemicals.
Psychological: Abnormal behaviors can arise from repressed thoughts from the unconscious mind. Behaviors are learned as normal behaviors are learned like classical or operant conditioning or extinction. Some abnormalities are from faulty beliefs or thinking.
Socio-Cultural: Culture dictates what’s normal and abnormal. Abnormal behavior is influenced by family, social group, and culture at large. Cultural background is important for practitioners.
Biopsychosocial: Combining biological, psychological, and social factors to understand and treat mental problems. Biological factors includes genetics and brain function. Psychological factors include reactions to stress and how to handle it. Social factors include culture, acceptable behaviors and how one learns to behave.

Diagnosable Abnormal Behaviors

Anxiety, Trauma, and Stress Disorders: Excessive or unrealistic anxiety.
- Phobic Disorders: Irrational, persistent fear of something (object or situation). Subcategories include social anxiety disorder, specific phobia, and agoraphobia.
- Panic Disorder: A surge of intense fear or discomfort that peaks within minutes. Symptoms include racing heart, rapid breathing, sensation of being out of one's body, dulled senses and sweaty palms.
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Feelings of dread, impending doom and physical stress lasting 6 months or more.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Intruding, recurring thoughts (obsessions) causing anxiety relieved by performing repetitive or ritualistic behavior or mental acts (compulsions).

Symptoms for Acute Stress Disorder (ASD) and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

The symptoms appear one month after the stressful event and lasts up to 6 months. Posttraumatic can last more than a month.
Symptoms include anxiety, dissociation, recurring nightmares, sleep disturbances, problems concentrating, "reliving" the event in dreams and/or flashbacks

Causes of Anxiety and Stress Disorders

Psychological Factors: Learned through conditioning; illogical, irrational thought processes.
Biological Factors: Anxiety disorders, phobias and OCD frequently occur in families, suggesting a genetic cause.

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative Amnesia: Inability to remember personal information (like name or events), typically episodic long-term memory. Causes are psychological, not physical.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): A disorder with two or more distinct personalities (alters) within one body. May result from repeated traumatic experiences.
Causes for Dissociative Disorders: Psychodynamic explanation suggests repression of threatening or unacceptable thoughts; losing memory or awareness of a traumatic or stressful event as a coping mechanism to reduce emotional pain. Cognitive and behavioral explanation includes feelings of guilt, shame, or anxiety when thinking about disturbing experiences or thoughts, leading to avoiding them.

Mood Disorders

Disturbances in emotions, also called affective disorders. Mood disorders can be mild/moderate or extreme.
- Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Sadness and hopelessness lasting at least 2 weeks. Symptoms include depressed mood, diminished pleasure, weight loss/gain, sleep disturbances, psychomotor agitation, fatigue, worthlessness, concentration problems and recurrent thoughts of death.
- Persistent Depressive Disorder: Long-term (at least 2 years) low-level depression. Symptoms include poor appetite, sleep difficulties, low energy, self-esteem, concentration, and feelings of hopelessness.
- Bipolar Disorder (BD): Episodes of major depressive disorder punctuated by manic episodes.
  - Manic Episodes: Characterized by restless activity, excitement, laughter, excessive self-confidence, rambling speech, and loss of inhibitions lasting at least a week.

Causes of Depressive Disorders

Biological Factors: Heritability for depression is moderate. Early onset depression is linked to family history. Effects of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
Cognitive Behavioral Explanation: Linked to learned helplessness and distortions of thinking which minimize good or positive events and exaggerate negative events.

Suicide

Suicide is among the three leading causes of death among people aged 15-44, associated mostly with mood disorders. Individuals with comorbid conditions have higher risk. Factors that increase risk include stressful life events, impulsivity, feelings of hopelessness, genetic factors, and low neurotransmitter levels (serotonin).
Distinguishing suicide: completed suicide, suicide attempts, suicidal ideation or thoughts. Gender differences: women more likely make unsuccessful attempts; men more likely to complete suicide.
Difficulty to study suicide: low occurrence, selectively remembering information victims left behind, and limited notes from individuals who attempted.
Treatment: Immediate care needed, hospitalization if attempted or undergoing the act. Medications and psychotherapy (Dialectical Behavior Therapy).

Other Diagnosable Mental Disorders

Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders:
- Schizophrenia: Split between emotional and intellectual experiences. Daily functioning is deteriorated for at least 6 months. Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, weak emotional expression and socialization
- Brief Psychotic Disorder: Symptoms last less than 1 month.
- Schizophreniform Disorder: Similar to schizophrenia, but symptoms last between 1 and 6 months.
- Schizoaffective Disorder: Schizophrenia symptoms accompanied by mood episodes (major depressive or bipolar).
- Delusional Disorder: Characterized by delusions, without hallucinations or other significant symptoms of schizophrenia.
Causes for Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Genetics and environment play a role. Prenatal or neonatal influences produce abnormalities in the developing brain. Brain abnormalities include variations in brain structures. Dopamine hypothesis suggests excess dopamine activity.

Treatment for Abnormal Behaviors

Standard Treatment: Medications and Psychotherapy.
People Involved: Psychiatrists (prescribe medications and therapy), Clinical Psychologists (conduct psychotherapy to treat psychological disorders), Guidance Counselors (deliver psychotherapy to help individuals reach their full potential).
Psychotherapy A personal therapeutic relationship between therapist and client to help understand themselves better; possibly involving couples or small groups.
Types of Psychotherapy:
- Insight Therapies: Psychodynamic therapies which include psychoanalysis, dream analysis, free association, and transference. Person-centered therapy.
- Action Therapies: Behavior therapy (systematic desensitization, modeling, exposure therapy), cognitive therapy (Cognitive Behavioral Therapy).
- Group Therapies: Family therapy and group therapy.
- Biomedical Therapies: Pharmacotherapy (antipsychotic, anti-anxiety, mood stabilizers, and antidepressant drugs) and Psychosurgery and Electroconvulsive Therapy.

Which treatment Works Best?

Best treatment depends on the specific abnormal behavior, willingness to treat, and the therapist.

What to Do if a Friend is Suicidal?

Take the person seriously. Get immediate help. Express concern. Pay attention. Ask direct questions (plan and how to do the act). Acknowledge their feelings. Reassure that things will get better. Do not promise confidentiality. Make sure the means for suicide are not available. Do not leave them alone. Take care of yourself.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the definitions and characteristics of abnormal behavior in psychology. This quiz covers key concepts from various models, including statistical norms, subjective discomfort, and major psychological perspectives. Gain insights into mental disorders as defined by the American Psychiatric Association.