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Psychology 5/e Book Cover
Psychology, 5/e
Lester M. Sdorow, Arcadia University
Cheryl A. Rickabaugh, University of Redlands

Psychological Disorders


agoraphobia  A fear of being in public, usually because the person fears the embarrassment of a panic attack.
antisocial personality disorder  A personality disorder marked by impulsive, manipulative, often criminal behavior, without any feelings of guilt in the perpetrator.
anxiety disorder  A psychological disorder marked by persistent anxiety that disrupts everyday functioning.
bipolar disorder  A mood disorder marked by periods of mania alternating with longer periods of major depression.
borderline personality disorder (BPD)  A personality disorder marked by impulsivity, unstable moods, an inconsistent sense of identity, and difficulty maintaining intimate relationships.
catatonic schizophrenia  A type of schizophrenia marked by unusual motor behavior, such as bizarre actions, extreme agitation, or immobile stupor.
diathesis-stress viewpoint  The assumption that psychological disorders are consequences of the interaction of a biological, inherited predisposition (diathesis) and exposure to stressful life experiences.
disorganized schizophrenia  A type of schizophrenia marked by severe personality deterioration and extremely bizarre behavior.
dissociative amnesia  The inability to recall personally significant memories.
dissociative disorder  A psychological disorder in which thoughts, feelings, and memories become separated from conscious awareness.
dissociative fugue  Memory loss characteristic of dissociative amnesia as well as the loss of one's identity and fleeing from one's prior life.
dissociative identity disorder  A dissociative disorder, more commonly known as multiple personality disorder, in which the person has two or more distinct personalities that alternate with one another.
generalized anxiety disorder  An anxiety disorder marked by a persistent state of anxiety that exists independently of any particular stressful situation.
insanity  A legal term attesting that a person is not responsible for his or her own actions, including criminal behavior.
major depression  A mood disorder marked by depression so intense and prolonged that the person may be unable to function in everyday life.
mania  A mood disorder marked by euphoria, hyperactivity, grandiose ideas, annoying talkativeness, unrealistic optimism, and inflated self-esteem.
mood disorder  A psychological disorder marked by prolonged periods of extreme depression or elation, often unrelated to the person's current situation.
obsessive-compulsive disorder  An anxiety disorder in which the person has recurrent, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and recurrent urges to perform ritualistic actions (compulsions).
panic disorder  An anxiety disorder marked by sudden, unexpected attacks of overwhelming anxiety, often associated with the fear of dying or "losing one's mind."
paranoid schizophrenia  A type of schizophrenia marked by hallucinations, delusions, suspiciousness, and argumentativeness.
personality disorder  A psychological disorder characterized by enduring, inflexible, maladaptive patterns of behavior.
phobia  An anxiety disorder marked by excessive or inappropriate fear.
psychopathology  The study of psychological disorders.
schizophrenia  A class of psychological disorders characterized by grossly impaired social, emotional, cognitive, and perceptual functioning.
seasonal affective disorder (SAD)  A mood disorder in which severe depression arises during a particular season, usually the winter.
social phobia  A phobia of situations that involve public scrutiny.
specific phobia  An anxiety disorder marked by an intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation.