Upgrade to remove ads
Only $35.99/year

Abnormal Psychology— Causal Factors and Viewpoints

Terms in this set (39)

Two major current paradigms
Biological and Psychological perspectives.
Etiology (three causes, two causal factors)
Causal pattern of abnormal behavior
Necessary (if Disorder T occurs, then Cause X must have preceded it)
Sufficient (If Cause X occurs, then Disorder Y will also occur)
Contributory (If X occurs, then the probability of Y increases)

Distal (happened a long time ago)
Proximal (immediate, e.g., extremely traumatic event)
Diathesis-Stress Model
Combination of diathesis (relatively distal necessary or contributory cause that is NOT sufficient to cause disorder) and stress (response of individual to taxing demands) to cause disorder
Resilience (ability to successfully adapt to very difficult circumstances, PROTECTIVE FACTORS [influences that modify person's response to stressors])
Central Nervous System (four components)
Neural and glial cells (support cells)
Structures of the hindbrain (pons, cerebellum, medulla) and forebrain (cerebral cortex, thalamus, hypothalamus, basal ganglia)
Lobes of the cortex (frontal, temporal, parietal, occipital)
Neurotransmitters (Catecholamines [dopamine, epinephrine], serotonin, acetylcholine [muscle contraction, sleep], amino acids]
Abnormalities in brain structure can result in abnormal behavior (five components)
Huntington's (breakdown of nerve cells in basal ganglia, memory loss, angry outbursts, defect in dominant IT15 gene on chromosome 4)
Alzheimer's (neuritic plaques on axon terminals, neurofibrillary ranges within nerve cells; memory loss, confusion, depression, paranoia, psychosis)
Encephalitis (inflammation due to infection, can cause memory loss or personality changes)
Physical trauma to head/brain (memory/speech, motor coordination problems)
Korsakoff's Syndrome (from chronic alcohol abuse, inability to metabolize thiamine (B1), damage to thalamus and hypothalamus, memory loss)
Mental disorders linked to neurotransmission problems (three disorders)
Depression (serotonin and norepinephrine)
Anxiety (increase in norepinephrine and decrease in GABA)
Schizophrenia (too much dopamine)
Peripheral Nervous System (two systems)
Somatic nervous system (connects CNS with sensory organs and skeletal muscles)
Autonomic (nerves connect CNS to internal organs, not under voluntary control, two divisions)
Sympathetic division (fight or flight response, increase HR, etc.)
Parasympathetic (relax body to conserve energy)
Endocrine System (two disorder examples)
Hormones released by endocrine glands regulate behaviors.
Excess of cortisol and testosterone cause aggressive behavior.
Hypothyroidism (not enough thyroid hormone) can lead to depression.
Genetics can contribute to abnormality via: (four components)
Structural abnormalities, abnormalities in neurotransmission, abnormalities in regulation of hormones, or excesses/deficiencies in reactivity of autonomic nervous system
Most genetically influenced disorders appear to be _________.
Polygenic (influenced by multiple genes)
Traditional research methods in behavioral genetics (two methods)
Twin studies
Adoption studies
Concordance rate
% of twins sharing a phenotype
Biological Treatment Interventions (four interventions)
Psychotherapy (prefrontal lobotomy [psychosis], split-brain procedures [epilepsy])
Electroconvulsive therapy (severe depression that has not responded to other treatments)
Psychotropic medications (agonists facilitate neurotransmission, antagonists inhibit neurotransmitters)
Deep brain stimulation (severe depression and Parkinson's)
Three parts of personality, according to psychoanalysis
Id (represents instinctual needs, sexual [libido] energy, pleasure principle, masturbation hehe, primary process "thinking" [primitive, illogical, immediate])
Ego (appears at 6 months, reality principle [uses reason to inform us when we can express id impulses], secondary process thinking [making decisions, assessing risks])
Superego (5-6 years, internalized values of parents and society, conscience, draws energy from id and ego, healthy ego finds way to satisfy both superego and id and not get in trouble)
Psychosexual stages (five stages)
1. Oral (birth to 1-2 years, focus on mouth, FIXATION)
2. Anal (2-3 years, focus on anus, pleasure from pooping, difficulties during toilet training may cause pathological anxiety because id impulses appear dangerous)
3. Phallic (3 to 5-6 years, sexual drive focused on genitals, child is self-absorbed and "remorselessly pleasure-seeking", Oedipal/Electra complex, tied to superego development, constantly fearing castration anxiety = derive pleasure from flashing people [exhibitionism])
4. Latency (6 to Puberty, focus on development and social tasks, nothing going on sexually)
5. Genital (after puberty, sexual impulses re-awakened, but toward others, striving for heterosexual relationship, marriage is healthy)
Sets with similar terms