CLP4143 Exam 1 Defining Abnormality Abnormal psychology the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior emotion and thought which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder Continuum model of abnormality model of abnormality that views mental disorders not as categorically different from normal experiences but as lying somewhere along a continuum from healthy functional behaviors thoughts and feelings Four Ds of abnormality o Deviance from the norm more unusual o Dysfunctional interference from being able to function in one or several ways in their daily life o Dangerous Can be enough in itself to determine abnormal o Distress to self or others emotional physiological or physical pain A behavior is considered abnormal if they possess one or more of the four Ds The more of the four Ds a behavior possesses the more likely they are to be abnormal Social norms define what most people do As a behavior is more deviant from the norm the more unusual it is and is likely to be considered abnormal Causes of Abnormality KEY TERMS treat abnormality o Biological approach view that biological factors cause and should be used to o Amygdala structure of the limbic system critical in emotions such as fear o Limbic system part of the brain that relays information from the primitive brain stem about changes in bodily functions to the cortex where information is interpreted o Neurotransmitters biochemicals released from a sending neuron that transmit messages to a receiving neuron in the brain and nervous system o Reuptake process in which a sending neuron reabsorbs some of the neurotransmitter in the synapse decreasing the amount left in the synapse o Endocrine system system of glands that produces many different hormones o Behavior genetics study of the processes by which genes affect behavior and the extent to which personality and abnormality are genetically inherited o Polygenic combination of many genes each of which makes a small contribution to an inherited trait o Epigenetics study of how environmental conditions can change the expression of genes without changing the gene sequence o Psychological approach approach to abnormality that focuses on personality behavior and ways of thinking as possible causes of abnormality o Behavioral approaches approaches to psychopathology that focus on the influence of reinforcements and punishments in producing behavior the two core principles or processes of learning according to behaviorism are classical conditioning and operant conditioning o Classical conditioning form of learning in which a neutral stimulus becomes associated with a stimulus that naturally elicits a response thereby making the neutral stimulus itself sufficient to elicit the same response o Operant conditioning form of learning in which behaviors lead to consequences that either reinforce or punish the organism leading to an increased or a decreased probability of a future response o Modeling process of learning behaviors by imitating others especially authority figures or people like oneself o Systematic desensitization therapy type of behavior therapy that attempts to reduce client anxiety through relaxation techniques and progressive exposure to feared stimuli o Cognitive theories theories that focus on belief systems and ways of thinking as the causes of abnormal behavior o Cognitions thoughts or beliefs o Psychodynamic theories therapies focused on uncovering and resolving unconscious conflicts that drive psychological symptoms o Causal attribution explanation for why an event occurred o Global assumptions fundamental beliefs that encompass all types of situations o Humanistic approaches the goal is to help the client discover his or her place in the world and to accomplish self actualization through self exploration based on the assumption that the natural tendency for humans is toward growth aka person centered therapy o Self actualization fulfillment of one s potential for love creativity and meaning o Family systems theories theories that see the family as a complex system that works to maintain the status quo o Emotion focused approaches o Sociocultural approach approach to psychopathology focusing on the role of the environment stress and culture in producing psychopathology o Diathesis stress model model that asserts that only when a diathesis or vulnerability interacts with a stress or trigger will a disorder emerge Biopsychosocial approach approach to psychopathology that seeks to integrate biological psychological and social factors in understanding and treating psychopathology Biological theories for abnormality o Brain Dysfunction Parts of the brain perform diverse functions Certain areas of the brain are associated with a wide range of psychological symptoms Thus dysfunctions in these areas are transdiagnostic risk factors Ex Alterations in the size or activity of the frontal cortex are associated with schizophrenia o Biochemical Imbalances Many biochemical theories of psychopathology suggest that the amount of certain neurotransmitters in the synapses is associated with specific types of psychopathology Psychological symptoms may also be associated with the number and functioning of the receptors for neurotransmitters on the dendrites o Genetic abnormalities alterations in the structure or number of chromosomes can cause major defect Family history studies provide very useful information about the possible genetic transmission of a disorder By tracing family pedigrees it can be determined how many relatives have the disorder Twin studies if a disorder is determined entirely by genetics then when one member of a monozygotic twin pair has a disorder the other member of the pair should always have the disorder Adoption studies if a disorder is strongly influenced by genetics researchers should see higher rates of the disorder among the biological relatives of the adoptee than among the adoptive relatives How psychological theories attempt to explain the origins of abnormal behavior o Psychodynamic theories unconscious conflicts between primitive desires and constraints feelings o Behavioral theories reinforcements and punishments for specific behaviors and o Cognitive theories Peoples ways of interpreting situations their assumptions about the world and self concepts o Humanistic Existential theories all humans are inherently good strive to fulfill their potential for good and self actualize Interpersonal approaches shifted
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