Glossary (See related pages) ABAB (reversal) design   type of experimental design in which an intervention is introduced, withdrawn, and then reinstated, and the behavior of a participant is examined on and off the treatment abstinence violation effect   what happens when a person attempting to abstain from alcohol use ingests alcohol and then endures conflict and guilt by making an internal attribution to explain why he or she drank, thereby making him or her more likely to continue drinking in order to cope with the self-blame and guilt acculturation   extent to which a person identifies with his or her group of origin and its culture or with the mainstream dominant culture acute stress disorder   disorder similar to posttraumatic stress disorder but occurs within one month of exposure to the stressor and does not last more than four weeks; often involves dissociative symptoms adjustment disorder   stress-related disorder that involves emotional and behavioral symptoms (depressive symptoms, anxiety symptoms, and/or antisocial behaviors) that arise within three months of the onset of a stressor adoption study   study of the heritability of a disorder by finding adopted people with a disorder and then determining the prevalence of the disorder among their biological and adoptive relatives, in order to separate out contributing genetic and environmental factors affective flattening   negative symptom of schizophrenia that consists of a severe reduction or the complete absence of affective responses to the environment agnosia   impaired ability to recognize objects or people agoraphobia   anxiety disorder characterized by fear of places and situations in which it would be difficult to escape, such as enclosed places, open spaces, and crowds agranulocytosis   condition characterized by a deficiency of granulocytes, which are substances produced by the bone marrow and fight infection; 1 to 2 percent of people who take clozapine develop this condition akathesis   agitation caused by neuroleptic drugs akinesia   condition marked by slowed motor activity, a monotonous voice, and an expressionless face, resulting from taking neuroleptic drugs alcohol abuse   diagnosis given to someone who uses alcohol in dangerous situations, fails to meet obligations at work or at home due to alcohol use, and has recurrent legal or social problems as a result of alcohol use alcohol dependence   diagnosis given to someone who has a physiological tolerance to alcohol, spends a lot of time intoxicated or in withdrawal, or continues to drink despite significant legal, social, medical, or occupational problems that result from alcohol (often referred to as alcoholism) alcohol-induced dementia   loss of intellectual abilities due to prolonged alcohol abuse, including memory, abstract thinking, judgment, and problem solving, often accompanied by changes in personality, such as increases in paranoia alcohol-induced persisting amnesic disorder   permanent cognitive disorder caused by damage to the central nervous system due to prolonged alcohol abuse, consisting of Wernicke's encephalopathy and Korsakoff's psychosis ALI rule   legal principle stating that a person is not responsible for criminal conduct if he or she lacks the capacity to appreciate the criminality (wrongfulness) of the act or to conform his or her conduct to the requirements of the law as a result of mental disease alogia   deficit in both the quantity of speech and the quality of its expression alternate form reliability   extent to which a measure yields consistent results when presented in different forms altruistic suicide   suicide committed by people who believe that taking their own lives will benefit society Alzheimer's disease   progressive neurological disease that is the most common cause of dementia amenorrhea   cessation of the menses American Psychiatric Association definition of insanity   definition of insanity stating that people cannot be held responsible for their conduct if, at the time they commit crimes, as the result of mental disease or mental retardation they are unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of their conduct amnesia   impairment in the ability to learn new information or to recall previously learned information or past events amphetamines   stimulant drugs that can produce symptoms of euphoria, selfconfidence, alertness, agitation, paranoia, perceptual illusions, and depression amyloid   class of proteins that can accumulate between cells in areas of the brain critical to memory and cognitive functioning anal stage   according to Freud, psychosexual stage that occurs between the ages of 18 months and 3 years; the focus of gratification is the anus, and children are interested in toilet activities; parents can cause children to be fixated in this stage by being too harsh and critical during toilet training analogue study   study that creates conditions in the laboratory meant to represent conditions in the real world animal studies   studies that attempt to test theories of psychopathology using animals animal type phobias   extreme fears of specific animals that may induce immediate and intense panic attacks and cause the individual to go to great lengths to avoid the animals anomic suicide   suicide committed by people who experience a severe disorientation and role confusion because of a large change in their relationship to society anorexia nervosa   eating disorder in which people fail to maintain body weights that are normal for their ages and heights and suffer from fears of becoming fat, distorted body images, and amenorrhea antagonist drugs   drugs that block or change the effects of an addictive drug, reducing desire for the drug anterograde amnesia   deficit in the ability to learn new information antianxiety drugs   drugs used to treat anxiety, insomnia, and other psychological symptoms anticonvulsants   drugs used to treat mania and depression antidepressants   drugs used to treat the symptoms of depression, such as sad mood, negative thinking, and disturbances of sleep and appetite; three common types are monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclics, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors antipsychotic drugs   drugs used to treat psychotic symptoms, such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thinking antisocial personality disorder (ASPD)   pervasive pattern of criminal, impulsive, callous, and/or ruthless behavior, predicated upon disregard for the rights of others and an absence of respect for social norms anxiety   state of apprehension, tension, and worry anxiety sensitivity   belief that bodily symptoms have harmful consequences anxious-fearful personality disorders   category including avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders, which are characterized by a chronic sense of anxiety or fearfulness and behaviors intended to ward off feared situations aphasia   impaired ability to produce and comprehend language applied tension technique   technique used to treat blood-injection-injury type phobias in which the therapist teaches the client to increase his or her blood pressure and heart rate, thus preventing the client from fainting apraxia   impaired ability to initiate common voluntary behaviors arousal   phase in the sexual response cycle, psychological experience of arousal and pleasure as well as physiological changes, such as the tensing of muscles and enlargement of blood vessels and tissues (also called the excitement phase) Asperger's disorder   pervasive developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social skills and activities; similar to autism but does not include deficits in language or cognitive skills assertive community treatment programs   system of treatment that provides comprehensive services to people with schizophrenia, employing the expertise of medical professionals, social workers, and psychologists to meet the variety of patients' needs 24 hours per day assessment   process of gathering information about a person's symptoms and their possible causes attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)   syndrome marked by deficits in controlling attention, inhibiting impulses, and organizing behavior to accomplish long-term goals atypical antipsychotics   drugs that seem to be even more effective in treating schizophrenia than phenothiazines without the same neurological side effects; they bind to a different type of dopamine receptor than other neuroleptic drugs auditory hallucination   auditory perception of a phenomenon that is not real, such as hearing a voice when one is alone autism   childhood disorder marked by deficits in social interaction (such as a lack of interest in one's family or other children), communication (such as failing to modulate one's voice to signify emotional expression), and activities and interests (such as engaging in bizarre, repetitive behaviors) automatic thoughts   thoughts that come to mind quickly and without intention, causing emotions such as fear or sadness aversion therapy   treatment that involves the pairing of unpleasant stimuli with deviant or maladaptive sources of pleasure in order to induce an aversive reaction to the formerly pleasurable stimulus aversive classical conditioning   pairing of alcohol with a substance (such as disulfiram) that will interact with it to cause nausea or vomiting in order to make alcohol itself a conditioned stimulus to be avoided avoidant personality disorder   pervasive anxiety, sense of inadequacy, and fear of being criticized that lead to the avoidance of most social interactions with others and to restraint and nervousness in social interactions avolition   inability to persist at common goal-directed activities barbiturates   drugs used to treat anxiety and insomnia that work by suppressing the central nervous system and decreasing the activity level of certain neurons behavior genetics   study of the processes by which genes affect behavior and the extent to which personality and abnormality are genetically inherited behavior therapies   therapies that focus on changing a person's specific behaviors by replacing unwanted behaviors with desired behaviors behavioral assessment   in behavior therapies, the therapist's assessment of the clients' adaptive and maladaptive behaviors and the triggers for these behaviors behavioral assignments   'homework' given to clients to practice new behaviors or gather new information between therapy sessions behavioral inhibition   set of behavioral traits including shyness, fearfulness, irritability, cautiousness, and introversion; behaviorally inhibited children tend to avoid or withdraw from novel situations, are clingy with parents, and become excessively aroused when exposed to unfamiliar situations behavioral observation   method for assessing the frequency of a client's behaviors and the specific situations in which they occur behavioral theories   theories that focus on an individual's history of reinforcements and punishments as causes for abnormal behavior behavioral theory of depression   view that depression results from negative life events that represent a reduction in positive reinforcement; sympathetic responses to depressive behavior then serve as positive reinforcement for the depression itself behaviorism   study of the impact of reinforcements and punishments on behavior bell and pad method   treatment for enuresis in which a pad placed under a sleeping child to detect traces of urine sets off a bell when urine is detected, awakening the child to condition him or her to wake up and use the bathroom before urinating benzodiazepines   drugs that reduce anxiety and insomnia binge-eating disorder   eating disorder in which people compulsively overeat either continuously or on discrete binges but do not behave in ways to compensate for the overeating bingeing   eating a large amount of food in one sitting binge/purge   type of anorexia nervosa type of anorexia nervosa in which periodic bingeing or purging behaviors occur along with behaviors that meet the criteria for anorexia nervosa biofeedback   group of techniques designed to help people change bodily processes by learning to identify signs that the processes are going awry and then learning ways of controlling the processes biological approach   view that biological factors cause and should be used to treat abnormality biological theories   theories of abnormality that focus on biological causes of abnormal behaviors bipolar disorder   disorder marked by cycles between manic episodes and depressive episodes; also called manicdepression bipolar I disorder   form of bipolar disorder in which the full symptoms of mania are experienced; depressive aspects may be more infrequent or mild bipolar II disorder   form of bipolar disorder in which only hypomanic episodes are experienced, and the depressive component is more pronounced blackout   amnesia for events that occurred during intoxication blood-injection-injury type phobias   extreme fears of seeing blood or an injury or of receiving an injection or another invasive medical procedure, which cause a drop in heart rate and blood pressure and fainting body dysmorphic disorder   syndrome involving obsessive concern over a part of the body the individual believes is defective borderline personality disorder   syndrome characterized by rapidly shifting and unstable mood, self-concept, and interpersonal relationships, as well as impulsive behavior and transient dissociative states bulimia nervosa   eating disorder in which people engage in bingeing and behave in ways to prevent weight gain from the binges, such as self-induced vomiting, excessive exercise, and abuse of purging drugs (such as laxatives) buspirone   drug that appears to alleviate the symptoms of general anxiety for some, has very few side effects, and is unlikely to lead to physical dependence butyrophenone   class of drug that can reduce psychotic symptoms; includes haloperidol (Haldol) caffeine   chemical compound with stimulant effects calcium channel blockers   drugs used to treat mania and depression cannabis   substance that causes feelings of well-being, perceptual distortions, and paranoid thinking case studies   in-depth analyses of individuals castration anxiety   according to Freud, boys' fear that their fathers will retaliate against them by castrating them; this fear serves as motivation for them to put aside their desires for their mothers and to aspire to become like their fathers cataplexy   episodes of sudden loss of muscle tone lasting from a few seconds to minutes catatonia   group of disorganized behaviors that reflect an extreme lack of responsiveness to the outside world catatonic excitement   state of constant agitation and excitability catatonic schizophrenia   type of schizophrenia in which people show a variety of motor behaviors and ways of speaking that suggest almost complete unresponsiveness to their environment catharsis   expression of emotions connected to memories and conflicts, which, according to Freud, leads to the release of energy used to keep these memories in the unconscious caudate nucleus   part of the basal ganglia that is involved in carrying the impulses to the thalamus that direct primitive patterns of primitive behavior, such as aggression, sexuality, and bodily excretion causal attribution   explanation for why an event occurred cerebral cortex   part of the brain that regulates complex activities, such as speech and analytical thinking cerebrovascular disease   disease that occurs when the blood supply to the brain is blocked, causing tissue damage to the brain childhood disintegrative disorder   pervasive developmental disorder in which children develop normally at first but later show permanent loss of basic skills in social interactions, language, and/or movement chlorpromazine   antipsychotic drug civil commitment   forcing of a person into a mental-health facility against his or her will 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 classification system   set of syndromes and the rules for determining whether an individual's symptoms are part of one of these syndromes client-centered therapy (CCT)   Carl Rogers' form of psychotherapy, which consists of an equal relationship between therapist and client as the client searches for his or her inner self, receiving unconditional positive regard and an empathic understanding from the therapist cocaine   central nervous system stimulant that causes a rush of positive feelings initially but that can lead to impulsiveness, agitation, and anxiety and can cause withdrawal symptoms of exhaustion and depression cognitions   thoughts or beliefs cognitive-behavioral therapy   treatment focused on changing negative patterns of thinking and solving concrete problems through brief sessions in which a therapist helps a client challenge negative thoughts, consider alternative perspectives, and take effective actions cognitive disorders   dementia, delirium, or amnesia characterized by impairments in cognition (such as deficits in memory, language, or planning) and caused by a medical condition or by substance intoxication or withdrawal cognitive theories   theories that focus on belief systems and ways of thinking as the causes of abnormal behavior cognitive therapies   therapeutic approaches that focus on changing people's maladaptive thought patterns cohort effect   effect that occurs when people born in one historical period are at different risk for a disorder than are people born in another historical period community mental-health centers   clinics that provide mental-health care based in the community through teams of social workers, therapists, and physicians who coordinate care community mental-health movement   movement launched in 1963 that attempted to provide coordinated mental-health services to people in community-based treatment centers. compulsions   repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels he or she must perform computerized tomography (CT)   method of analyzing brain structure by passing narrow X-ray beams through a person's head from several angles to produce measurements from which a computer can construct an image of the brain concordance rate   probability that both twins will develop a disorder if one twin has the disorder concurrent validity   extent to which a test yields the same results as other measures of the same phenomenon conditioned response (CR)   in classical conditioning, response that first followed a natural stimulus but that now follows a conditioned stimulus conditioned stimulus (CS)   in classical conditioning, previously neutral stimulus that, when paired with a natural stimulus, becomes sufficient to elicit a response conditions of worth   external standards some people feel they must meet in order to be acceptable conduct disorder   syndrome marked by chronic disregard for the rights of others, including specific behaviors, such as stealing, lying, and engaging in acts of violence conscious   mental contents and processes of which we are actively aware construct validity   extent to which a test measures only what it is intended to measure content validity   extent to which a measure assesses all the important aspects of a phenomenon that it purports to measure context   environment and circumstances in which a behavior occurs contingencies of self-worth   "if-then" rules concerning self-worth, such as "I'm nothing if a person I care about doesn't love me" continuous reinforcement schedule   system of behavior modification in which certain behaviors are always rewarded or punished, leading to rapid learning of desired responses continuous variable   factor that is measured along a continuum (such as 0–100) rather than falling into a discrete category (such as "diagnosed with depression") control group   in an experimental study, group of subjects whose experience resembles that of the experimental group in all ways, except that they do not receive the key manipulation control theory   cognitive theory that explains people's variance in behavior in certain domains in terms of their beliefs that they can or cannot effectively control situations in that domain conversion disorder   syndrome marked by a sudden loss of functioning in a part of the body, usually following an extreme psychological stressor coronary heart disease (CHD)   chronic illness that is a leading cause of death in the United States, occurring when the blood vessels that supply the heart with oxygen and nutrients are narrowed or closed by plaque, resulting in a myocardial infarction (heart attack) when closed completely correlation coefficient   statistic used to indicate the degree of relationship between two variables correlational studies   method in which researchers assess only the relationship between two variables and do not manipulate one variable to determine its effects on another variable cortisol   hormone that helps the body respond to stressors, inducing the fightor- flight response covert sensitization therapy   pairing of mental images of alcohol with other images of highly unpleasant consequences resulting from its use in order to create an aversive reaction to the sight and smell of alcohol and reduce drinking crisis intervention   program that helps people who are highly suicidal and refers them to mental-health professionals cross-sectional   type of research examining people at one point in time but not following them over time cue exposure and response prevention   therapy to reduce relapse among alcoholics by tempting them with stimuli that induce cravings to drink while preventing them from actually drinking, allowing them to habituate to the cravings and reduce temptation cultural relativism   view that norms among cultures set the standard for what counts as normal behavior, which implies that abnormal behavior can only be defined relative to these norms; no universal definition of abnormality is therefore possible; only definitions of abnormality relative to a specific culture are possible cyclothymic disorder   milder but more chronic form of bipolar disorder that consists of alternation between hypomanic episodes and mild depressive episodes over a period of at least two years dangerousness to others   legal criterion for involuntary commitment that is met when a person would pose a threat or danger to other people if not incarcerated dangerousness to self   legal criterion for involuntary commitment that is met when a person is imminently suicidal or a danger to him- or herself as judged by a mental-health professional day treatment centers   centers where people with mental-health problems can obtain treatment all day, including occupational and rehabilitative therapies, but live at home at night death darers   individuals who are ambivalent about dying and take actions that increase their chances of death but that do not guarantee they will die death ignorers   individuals who intend to end their lives but do not believe this means the end of their existence death initiators   individuals who intend to die but believe that they are simply speeding up an inevitable death death seekers   individuals who clearly and explicitly seek to end their lives defense mechanisms   strategies the ego uses to disguise or transform unconscious wishes degradation   process in which a receiving neuron releases an enzyme into the synapse, breaking down neurotransmitters into other biochemicals deinstitutionalization   movement in which thousands of mental patients were released from mental institutions; a result of the patients' rights movement, which was aimed at stopping the dehumanizing of mental patients and at restoring their basic legal rights delirium   cognitive disorder that is acute and usually transient, including disorientation and memory loss delirium tremens (DTs)   symptoms that result during severe alcohol withdrawal, including hallucinations, delusions, agitation, and disorientation delusion of reference   false belief that external events, such as people's actions or natural disasters, relate somehow to oneself delusions   fixed beliefs with no basis in reality delusions of thought   insertion beliefs that one's thoughts are being controlled by outside forces demand characteristics   factors in an experiment that suggest to participants how the experimenter would like them to behave dementia   cognitive disorder in which a gradual and usually permanent decline of intellectual functioning occurs; can be caused by a medical condition, substance intoxication, or withdrawal dementia praecox   historical name for schizophrenia dependent personality disorder   pervasive selflessness, a need to be cared for, and fear of rejection, which lead to total dependence on and submission to others dependent variable   factor that an experimenter seeks to predict depersonalization disorder   syndrome marked by frequent episodes of feeling detached from one's own body and mental processes, as if one were an outside observer of oneself; symptoms must cause significant distress or interference with one's ability to function depletion syndrome   set of symptoms shown by depressed older people, consisting of loss of interest, loss of energy, hopelessness, helplessness, and psychomotor retardation depression   state marked by either a sad mood or a loss of interest in one's usual activities, as well as feelings of hopelessness, suicidal ideation, psychomotor agitation or retardation, and trouble concentrating depressive realism   phenomenon whereby depressed people make more realistic judgments as to whether they can control actually uncontrollable events than do nondepressed people, who exhibit an illusion of control over the same events desensitization   treatment used to reduce anxiety by rendering a previously threatening stimulus innocuous by repeated and guided exposure to the stimulus under nonthreatening circumstances detoxification   first step in treatment for substance-related disorders, in which a person stops using the substance and allows it to exit the body fully developmental coordination disorder   disorder involving deficits in the ability to walk, run, or hold on to objects diagnosis   label given to a set of symptoms that tend to occur together Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)   official manual for diagnosing mental disorders in the United States, containing a list of specific criteria for each disorder, how long a person's symptoms must be present to qualify for a diagnosis, and requirements that the symptoms interfere with daily functioning in order to be called disorders dialectical behavior therapy   cognitive behavioral intervention aimed at teaching problem-solving skills, interpersonal skills, and skills at managing negative emotions dichotomous thinking   inflexible way of thinking in which everything is viewed in either/or terms differential diagnosis   determination of which of two or more possible diagnoses is most appropriate for a client discomfort   criterion for abnormality that suggests that only behaviors that cause a person great distress should be labeled as abnormal disease model   view that alcoholism (or another drug addiction) is an incurable physical disease, like epilepsy or diabetes, and that only total abstinence can control it disorder of written expression   developmental disorder involving deficits in the ability to write disorganized schizophrenia syndrome marked by incoherence in cognition, speech, and behavior as well as flat or inappropriate affect (also called hebephrenic schizophrenia) dissociation   process whereby different facets of an individual's sense of self, memories, or consciousness become split off from one another dissociative amnesia   loss of memory for important facts about a person's own life and personal identity, usually including the awareness of this memory loss dissociative fugue   disorder in which a person moves away and assumes a new identity, with amnesia for the previous identity dissociative identity disorder (DID)   syndrome in which a person develops more than one distinct identity or personality, each of which can have distinct facial and verbal expressions, gestures, interpersonal styles, attitudes, and even physiological responses dissociative symptoms   symptoms suggesting that facets of the individual's sense of self, memories, or consciousness have become split off from one another disulfiram   drug that produces an aversive physical reaction to alcohol and is used to encourage abstinence; commonly referred to as Antabuse dizygotic (DZ) twins   twins who average only 50 percent of their genes in common because they developed from two separate fertilized eggs dopamine   neurotransmitter in the brain, excess amounts of which have been thought to cause schizophrenia double depression   disorder involving a cycle between major depression and dysthymic disorder double-blind experiment   study in which both the researchers and the participants are unaware of which experimental condition the participants are in, in order to prevent demand effects dramatic-emotional personality disorders   category including antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, and histrionic personality disorders, which are characterized by dramatic and impulsive behaviors that are maladaptive and dangerous drug addicts   people who are physically dependent on substances and who suffer from withdrawal when not taking the substances Durham rule   legal principle stating that the presence of a mental disorder is sufficient to absolve a criminal of responsibility for a crime dyspareunia   genital pain associated with sexual intercourse dyssomnias   primary sleep disorders that involve abnormalities in the amount, quality, or timing of sleep dysthymic disorder   type of depression that is less severe than major depression but more chronic; diagnosis requires the presence of a sad mood or anhedonia, plus two other symptoms of depression, for at least two years, during which symptoms do not remit for two months or longer echolalia   communication abnormality in which an individual simply repeats back what he or she hears rather than generating his or her own speech echopraxia   repetitive imitation of another person's movements effectiveness   in therapy outcome research, how well a therapy works in real-world settings efficacy   in therapy outcome research, how well a therapy works in highly controlled settings with a narrowly defined group of people ego   part of the psyche that channels libido acceptable to the superego and within the constraints of reality egoistic suicide   suicide committed by people who feel alienated from others and lack social support electra complex   Freud's theory that girls realize during the phallic stage that they don't have a penis and are horrified at the discovery; they realize that their mothers also don't have penises and disdain females for this deficit; an attraction for the father ensues, following the belief that he can provide a penis electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)   treatment for depression that involves the induction of a brain seizure by passing electrical current through the patient's brain while he or she is anesthetized elimination disorders   disorders in which a child shows frequent, uncontrolled urination or defecation far beyond the age at which children usually develop control over these functions encopresis   diagnosis given to children who are at least 4 years old and who defecate inappropriately at least once a month for 3 months endocrine system   system of glands that produces many different hormones enlarged ventricles   fluid-filled spaces in the brain that are larger than normal and suggest atrophy or deterioration in other brain tissue enmeshed families   families in which there is extreme interdependence in family interactions, so that the boundaries between the identities of individual members are weak and easily crossed enuresis   diagnosis given to children over 5 years of age who wet the bed or their clothes at least twice a week for 3 months epidemiology   study of the frequency and distribution of a disorder, or a group of disorders, in a population euthanasia   killing of another person as an act of mercy excessive reassurance seeking   constantly looking for assurances from others that one is accepted and loved executive functions   functions of the brain that involve the ability to sustain concentration; use abstract reasoning and concept formation; anticipate, plan, program; initiate purposeful behavior; self-monitor; and shift from maladaptive patterns of behavior to more adaptive ones exhibitionism   obtainment of sexual gratification by exposing one's genitals to involuntary observers existential anxiety   universal human fear of the limits and responsibilities of one's existence existential theories   views that uphold personal responsibility for discovering one's personal values and meanings in life and then living in accordance with them; people face existential anxiety due to awareness of their life's finitude and must overcome both this anxiety and obstacles to a life governed by the meanings they give to it, in order to achieve mental health and avoid maladaptive behavior experimental group   in an experimental study, group of participants that receives the key manipulation experimental studies   studies in which the independent variables are directly manipulated and the effects on the dependent variable are examined expressed emotion   family interaction style in which families are overinvolved with each other, are overprotective of the disturbed family member, voice selfsacrificing attitudes to the disturbed family member, and simultaneously are critical, hostile, and resentful of this member expressive language disorder   disorder involving deficits in the ability to express oneself through language external validity   extent to which a study's results can be generalized to phenomena in real life extinction   abolition of a learned behavior eye movement desensitization and reprocessing (EMDR)   highly controversial therapy for trauma survivors in which a client attends to the image of the trauma, thoughts about the trauma, and the physical sensations of anxiety aroused by the trauma while the therapist quickly moves a finger back and forth in front of the client's eyes to elicit a series of repeated, rapid, jerky, side-to-side eye movements ("saccades") face validity   extent to which a test seems to measure a phenomenon on face value, or intuition factitious disorder by proxy   disorder in which the individual creates an illness in another individual in order to gain attention factitious disorders   disorders marked by deliberately faking physical or mental illness to gain medical attention family history study   study of the heritability of a disorder involving identifying people with the disorder and people without the disorder and then determining the disorder's frequency within each person's family family systems theories   theories that see the family as a complex system that works to maintain the status quo family systems therapy   psychotherapy that focuses on the family, rather than the individual, as the source of problems; family therapists challenge communication styles, disrupt pathological family dynamics, and challenge defensive conceptions in order to harmonize relationships among all members and within each member female orgasmic disorder   in women, recurrent delay in or absence of orgasm after having reached the excitement phase of the sexual response cycle (also called anorgasmia) female sexual arousal disorder   in women, recurrent inability to attain or maintain the swelling-lubrication response of sexual excitement fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS)   syndrome that occurs when a mother abuses alcohol during pregnancy, causing the baby to have lowered IQ, increased risk for mental retardation, distractibility, and difficulties with learning from experience fetishism   paraphilia in which a person uses inanimate objects as the preferred or exclusive source of sexual arousal fight-or-flight response   physiological changes in the human body that occur in response to a perceived threat, including the secretion of glucose, endorphins, and hormones as well as the elevation of heart rate, metabolism, blood pressure, breathing, and muscle tension five-factor model   personality theory that posits that any individual's personality is organized along five broad dimensions of personality: neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness, and conscientiousness flooding (implosive therapy)   behavioral technique in which a client is intensively exposed to a feared object until the anxiety diminishes formal thought disorder   state of highly disorganized thinking (also known as loosening of associations) free association   method of uncovering unconscious conflicts in which the client is taught to talk about whatever comes to mind, without censoring any thoughts frotteurism   obtainment of sexual gratification by rubbing one's genitals against or fondling the body parts of a nonconsenting person gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)   neurotransmitter that carries inhibiting messages from one neuron to another gender identity   one's perception of oneself as male or female gender identity disorder (GID)   condition in which a person believes that he or she was born with the wrong sex's genitals and is fundamentally a person of the opposite sex gender roles   according to Freud, what society considers to be the appropriate behaviors for males or females general adaptation syndrome   physiological changes that occur when an organism reacts to stress; includes the stages of alarm, resistance, and exhaustion general paresis   disease that leads to paralysis, insanity, and eventually death; discovery of this disease helped establish a connection between biological diseases and mental disorders generalizability   extent to which the results of a study generalize to, or inform us about, people other than those who were studied generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)   anxiety disorder characterized by chronic anxiety in daily life genital stage   psychosexual stage that occurs around the age of 12, when children's sex drives reemerge; if a child has successfully resolved the phallic stage, interest in sex turns toward heterosexual relationships global assumptions   fundamental beliefs that encompass all types of situations glove anesthesia   state in which people lose all feeling in one hand as if they were wearing a glove that wiped out all physical symptoms grandiose delusions   elevated thinking about the self, ideas of omnipotence, and the taking of credit for occurrences not personally facilitated grave disability legal   criterion for involuntary commitment that is met when a person is so incapacitated by a mental disorder that he or she cannot care for his or her own basic needs, such as for food, clothing, or shelter, and his or her survival is threatened as a result group comparison study   study that compares two or more distinct groups on a variable of interest group therapy therapy   conducted with groups of people rather than one on one between a therapist and client guided mastery techniques   interventions designed to increase health-promoting behaviors by providing explicit information about how to engage in these behaviors as well as opportunities to engage in these behaviors in increasingly challenging situations guilty but mentally ill (GBMI)   verdict that requires a convicted criminal to serve the full sentence designated for his or her crime, with the expectation that he or she will also receive treatment for mental illness halfway houses   organizations that offer people with long-term mental-health problems a structured, supportive environment in which to live while they reestablish a job and ties to their friends and family hallucinations   perceptual experiences that are not real hallucinogens   substances, including LSD and MDMA, that produce perceptual illusions and distortions even in small doses harm-reduction model   approach to treating substance use disorders that views alcohol use as normative behavior and focuses education on the immediate risks of the excessive use of alcohol (such as alcohol-related accidents) and on the payoffs of moderation (such as avoidance of hangovers) health psychology   study of the effects of psychological factors on health histrionic personality disorder   syndrome marked by rapidly shifting moods, unstable relationships, and an intense need for attention and approval, which is sought by means of overly dramatic behavior, seductiveness, and dependence hopelessness   sense that the future is bleak and there is no way of making it more positive hormon   chemical that carries messages throughout the body, potentially affecting a person's moods, levels of energy, and reactions to stress human laboratory   study experimental study involving human participants humanistic theories   views that people strive to develop their innate potential for goodness and self-actualization; abnormality arises as a result of societal pressures to conform to unchosen dictates that clash with a person's selfactualization needs and from an inability to satisfy more basic needs, such as hunger humanistic therapy (person-centered therapy)   type of therapy in which 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 hypersomnia   type of dyssomnia that involves being chronically sleepy and sleeping for long periods at a time hypertension   condition in which the blood supply through the blood vessels is excessive and can lead to deterioration of the cell tissue and hardening of the arterial walls hypoactive sexual desire disorder   condition in which a person's desire for sex is diminished to the point that it causes him or her significant distress or interpersonal difficulties and is not due to transient life circumstances or another sexual dysfunction hypochondriasis   syndrome marked by chronic worry that one has a physical symptom or disease that one clearly does not have hypomania   state in which an individual shows mild symptoms of mania hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA axis)   three key components of the neuroendocrine system that work together in a feedback system interconnected with the limbic system and the cerebral cortex hypothalamus   component of the brain that regulates eating, drinking, sex, and basic emotions; abnormal behaviors involving any of these activities may be the result of dysfunction in the hypothalamus hypothesis   testable statement about two or more variables and the relationship between them id   according to Freud, most primitive part of the unconscious; consists of drives and impulses seeking immediate gratification immune system   system that protects the body from disease-causing microorganisms and affects our susceptibility to diseases impulsivity   difficulty in controlling behaviors; acting without thinking first in vivo exposure   technique of behavior therapy in which clients are encouraged to experience directly the stimuli that they fear incidence number   of new cases of a specific disorder that develop during a specific period of time incompetent to stand trial   legal status of an individual who lacks a rational understanding of the charges against him or her, an understanding of the proceedings of his or her trial, or the ability to participate in his or her own defense independent variable   factor that is manipulated by an experimenter or used to predict the dependent variable informed consent   procedure (often legally required prior to treatment administration) in which a patient receives a full and understandable explanation of the treatment being offered and makes a decision about whether to accept or refuse the treatment inhalants   solvents, such as gasoline, glue, or paint thinner, that one inhales to produce a high and that can cause permanent central nervous system damage as well as liver and kidney disease insanity   legal term denoting a state of mental incapacitation during the time a crime was committed insanity defense   defense used by people accused of a crime in which they state that they cannot be held responsible for their illegal acts because they were mentally incapacitated at the time of the act Insanity Defense Reform Act 1984   law, affecting all federal courts and about half of the state courts, that finds a person not guilty by reason of insanity if it is shown that, as a result of mental disease or mental retardation, the accused was unable to appreciate the wrongfulness of his or her conduct at the time of the offense insomnia   type of dyssomnia that involves difficulty in initiating or maintaining sleep; chronically nonrestorative sleep integrationist   approach approach to psychopathology that emphasizes how biological, psychological, and social factors interact and influence each other to produce and maintain mental-health problems intelligence   tests tests that assess a person's intellectual strengths and weaknesses internal reliability   extent to which a measure yields similar results among its different parts as it measures a single phenomenon internal validity   extent to which all factors that could extraneously affect a study's results are controlled within a laboratory study interoceptive awareness   heightened awareness of bodily cues that a panic attack may soon happen interpersonal theories   theories that attribute abnormal behavior to problems in interpersonal realtionships interpersonal theories of depression   theories that view the causes of depression as rooted in interpersonal relationships interpersonal therapy (IPT)   more structured, short-term version of psychodynamic therapies interrater reliability   extent to which an observational measure yields similar results across different judges (also called interjudge reliability) introject   to internalize moral standards because following them makes one feel good and reduces anxiety introjected hostility theory   Freud's theory explaining how depressive people, being too frightened to express their rage for their rejection outwardly, turn their anger inward on parts of their own egos; their self-blame and punishment is actually blame and punishment intended for others who have abandoned them irresistible impulse rule   legal principle stating that even a person who knowingly performs a wrongful act can be absolved of responsibility if he or she was driven by an irresistible impulse to perform the act or had a diminished capacity to resist performing the act Korsakoff's psychosis   alcohol-induced permanent cognitive disorder involving deficiencies in one's ability to recall both recent and distant events la belle indifference   feature of conversion disorders involving an odd lack of concern about one's loss of functioning in an area of one's body latency stage   according to Freud, period of psychosexual development, following the phallic stage, in which libidinal drives are quelled and children's energy turns toward the development of skills and interests and toward becoming fully socialized to the world; the opposite sex is avoided learned helplessness deficits   symptoms such as low motivation, passivity, indecisiveness, and an inability to control outcomes that result from exposure to uncontrollable negative events learned helplessness theory   view that exposure to uncontrollable negative events leads to a belief in one's inability to control important outcomes and a subsequent loss of motivation, indecisiveness, and failure of action, libido   according to Freud, psychical energy derived from physiological drives light therapy   treatment for seasonal affective disorder that involves exposure to bright lights during the winter months limbic system   part of the brain that relays information from the primitive brain stem about changes in bodily functions to the cortex, where the information is interpreted lithium   drug used to treat manic and depressive symptoms locus ceruleus   area of the brain stem that plays a part in the emergency response and may be involved in panic attacks longitudinal   type of research evaluating the same group(s) of people for an extended period of time lymphocytes   immune system cells that attack viruses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)   method of measuring both brain structure and brain function through the construction of a magnetic field that affects hydrogen atoms in the brain, emitting signals that a computer then records and uses to produce a threedimensional image of the brain major depression   disorder involving a sad mood or anhedonia plus four or more of the following symptoms: weight loss or a decrease in appetite, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation or retardation, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness or severe guilt, trouble concentrating, and suicidal ideation; these symptoms must be present for at least two weeks and must produce marked impairments in normal functioning maladaptive   in reference to behaviors, causing people who have the behaviors physical or emotional harm, preventing them from functioning in daily life, and/or indicating that they have lost touch with reality and/or cannot control their thoughts and behavior (also called dysfunctional) male erectile disorder   in men, recurrent inability to attain or maintain an erection until the completion of sexual activity male orgasmic disorder   in men, recurrent delay in or absence of orgasm following the excitement phase of the sexual response cycle malingering   feigning of a symptom or a disorder for the purpose of avoiding an unwanted situation, such as military service managed care   health care system in which all necessary services for an individual patient are supposed to be coordinated by a primary care provider; the goals are to coordinate services for an existing medical problem and to prevent future medical problems before they arise mania   state of persistently elevated mood, feelings of grandiosity, overenthusiasm, racing thoughts, rapid speech, and impulsive actions mathematics disorder   developmental disorder involving deficits in the ability to learn mathematics mental hygiene movement   movement to treat mental patients more humanely and to view mental disorders as medical diseases mental illness   phrase used to refer to a physical illness that causes severe abnormal thoughts, behaviors, and feelings mental retardation   developmental disorder marked by significantly subaverage intellectual functioning, as well as deficits (relative to other children) in life skill areas, such as communication, self-care, work, and interpersonal relationships mentally ill   legal description of an individual who purportedly suffers from a mental illness, which is analogous (in this view) to suffering from a medical disease mesmerism   treatment for hysterical patients based on the idea that magnetic fluids in the patients' bodies are affected by the magnetic forces of other people and objects; the patients' magnetic forces are thought to be realigned by the practitioner through his or her own magnetic force mesolimbic pathway   subcortical part of the brain involved in cognition and emotion meta-analysis   statistical technique for summarizing the results across several studies methadone   opioid that is less potent and longer-lasting than heroin; taken by heroin users to decrease their cravings and help them cope with negative withdrawal symptoms methadone maintenance programs   treatments for heroin abusers that provide doses of methadone to replace heroin use and that seek eventually to wean addicted people from the methadone itself mixed receptive-expressive language   disorder disorder involving deficits in the ability to express oneself through language and to understand the language of others M'Naghten rule   legal principle stating that, in order to claim a defense of insanity, accused persons must have been burdened by such a defect of reason, from disease of the mind, as not to know the nature and quality of the act they were doing or, if they did know it, that they did not know what they were doing what was wrong modeling   process of learning behaviors by imitating others, especially authority figures or those like oneself monoamine oxidase inhibitors (MAOIs)   class of antidepressant drugs monoamine theories   theories that low levels of monoamines, particularly norepinephrine and serotonin, cause depression, whereas excessive or imbalanced levels of monoamines, particularly dopamine, cause mania monoamines   neurotransmitters, including catecholamines (epinephrine, norepinephrine, and dopamine) and serotonin, that have been implicated in the mood disorders monozygotic (MZ)   twins twins who share 100 percent of their genes, because they developed from a single fertilized egg moral anxiety   anxiety that occurs when one is punished for expressing id impulses and come to associate those with punishment moral treatment   type of treatment delivered in mental hospitals in which patients were treated with respect and dignity and were encouraged to exercise self-control myotonia   in the sexual response cycle, muscular tension in the body, which culminates in contractions during orgasm naloxone drug   that blocks the positive effects of heroin and can lead to a decreased desire to use it naltrexone   drug that blocks the positive effects of alcohol and heroin and can lead to a decreased desire to drink or use substances narcissistic personality disorder   syndrome marked by grandiose thoughts and feelings of one's own worth as well as an obliviousness to others' needs and an exploitive, arrogant demeanor narcolepsy   type of dyssomnia that involves irresistible attacks of sleep natural environment type phobias   extreme fears of events or situations in the natural environment that cause impairment in one's ability to function normally need for treatment   legal criterion operationalized as a signed certificate by two physicians stating that a person requires treatment but will not agree to it voluntarily; formerly a sufficient cause to hospitalize the person involuntarily and force him or her to undergo treatment negative cognitive triad   perspective seen in depressed people in which they have negative views of themselves, of the world, and of the future negative reinforcement   process in which people avoid being exposed to feared objects, and this avoidance is reinforced by the subsequent reduction of their anxiety negative symptoms   in schizophrenia, deficits in functioning that indicate the absence of a capacity present in normal people, such as affective flattening (also called Type II symptoms) neurofibrillary tangles   twists or tangles of filaments within nerve cells, especially prominent in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, common in the brains of Alzheimer's disease patients neuroleptic   drug used to treat psychotic symptoms neuropsychological tests   tests of cognitive, sensory, and/or motor skills that attempt to differentiate people with deficits in these areas from normal subjects neurosis   according to Freud, a set of maladaptive symptoms caused by unconscious anxiety neurotic anxiety   according to Freud, anxiety that occurs when one is repeatedly prevented from expressing one's id impulses neurotic paradox   psychoanalytic term for a condition in which an individual's way of coping with unconscious concerns creates even more problems in that individual's life neurotransmitters   biochemicals, released from a sending neuron, that transmit messages to a receiving neuron in the brain and nervous system nicotine   alkaloid found in tobacco; operates on both the central and peripheral nervous systems, resulting in the release of biochemicals, including dopamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, and the endogenous opioids nonpurging type of bulimia nervosa   type of bulimia nervosa in which bingeing is followed by excessive exercise or fasting to control weight gain norepinephrine   neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of mood null hypothesis   alternative to a primary hypothesis, stating that there is no relationship between the independent variable and the dependent variable object relations   view held by a group of modern psychodynamic theorists that one develops a self-concept and appraisals of others in a four-stage process during childhood and retains them throughout adulthood; psychopathology consists of an incomplete progression through these stages or an acquisition of poor self and other concepts observational learning   learning that occurs when a person observes the rewards and punishments of another's behavior and then behaves in accordance with the same rewards and punishments obsessions   uncontrollable, persistent thoughts, images, ideas, or impulses that an individual feels intrude upon his or her consciousness and that cause significant anxiety or distress obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)   anxiety disorder characterized by obsessions (persistent thoughts) and compulsions (rituals) obsessive-compulsive personality disorder   pervasive rigidity in one's activities and interpersonal relationships; includes qualities such as emotional constriction, extreme perfectionism, and anxiety resulting from even slight disruptions in one's routine ways odd-eccentric personality disorders   disorders, including paranoid, schizotypal, and schizoid personality disorders, marked by chronic odd and/or inappropriate behavior with mild features of psychosis and/or paranoia oedipus complex   according to Freud, major conflict of male sexual development, during which boys are sexually attracted to their mothers and hate their fathers as rivals 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 operationalization   specific manner in which one measures or manipulates variables in a study opioids substances   including morphine and heroin, that produce euphoria followed by a tranquil state; in severe intoxication, can lead to unconsciousness, coma, and seizures; can cause withdrawal symptoms of emotional distress, severe nausea, sweating, diarrhea, and fever oppositional defiant disorder   syndrome of chronic misbehavior in childhood marked by belligerence, irritability, and defiance, although not to the extent found in a diagnosis of conduct disorder oral stage   according to Freud, earliest psychosexual stage, lasting for the first 18 months of life; libidinal impulses are best satisfied through the stimulation of the mouth area, including actions such as feeding or sucking; major issues of concern are dependence and the reliability of others organic amnesia   loss of memory caused by brain injury resulting from disease, drugs, accidents (blows to head), or surgery orgasm   discharge of neuromuscular tension built up during sexual activity; in men, entails rhythmic contractions of the prostate, seminal vesicles, vas deferens, and penis and seminal discharge; in women, entails contractions of the orgasmic platform and uterus pain disorder   syndrome marked by the chronic experience of acute pain that appears to have no physical cause palialia   continuous repetition of sounds and words panic attacks   short, intense periods during which an individual experiences physiological and cognitive symptoms of anxiety, characterized by intense fear and discomfort panic disorder disorder   characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks paranoid personality disorder   chronic and pervasive mistrust and suspicion of other people that are unwarranted and maladaptive paranoid schizophrenia   syndrome marked by delusions and hallucinations that involve themes of persecution and grandiosity paraphilias   atypical sexual activities that involve one of the following: (1) nonhuman objects, (2) nonconsenting adults, (3) the suffering or humiliation of oneself or one's partner, or (4) children parasomnias   primary sleep disorders that involve abnormal behavioral and physiological events occurring during sleep partial reinforcement schedule   form of behavior modification in which a behavior is rewarded or punished only some of the time patients' rights movement   movement to ensure that mental patients retain their basic rights and to remove them from institutions and care for them in the community pedophilia   adult obtainment of sexual gratification by engaging in sexual activities with young children penis envy   according to Freud, wish to have the male sex organ performance anxiety   anxiety over sexual performance that interferes with sexual functioning perinatal hypoxia   oxygen deprivation during labor and delivery; an obstetrical complication that may be especially important in neurological development persecutory delusion   false, persistent belief that one is being pursued by other people personality   habitual and enduring ways of thinking, feeling, and acting that make each person unique personality disorder   chronic pattern of maladaptive cognition, emotion, and behavior that begins in adolescence or early adulthood and continues into later adulthood personality inventories   questionnaires that assess people's typical ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving; used to obtain information about people's wellbeing, self-concept, attitudes, and beliefs pervasive developmental disorders   disorders characterized by severe and persisting impairment in several areas of development phallic stage   according to Freud, psychosexual stage that occurs between the ages of 3 and 6: the focus of pleasure is the genitals; important conflicts of sexual development emerge this time, differing for boys and girls phenothiazines drugs   that reduce the functional level of dopamine in the brain and tend to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia phenylcyclidine (PCP)   substance that produces euphoria, slowed reaction times, and involuntary movements at low doses; disorganized thinking, feelings of unreality, and hostility at intermediate doses; and amnesia, analgesia, respiratory problems, and changes in body temperature at high doses phonological disorder   disorder involving the use of speech sounds inappropriate for one's age or dialect pituitary   major endocrine gland that lies partly on the outgrowth of the brain and just below the hypothalamus; produces the largest number of different hormones and controls the secretions of other endocrine glands placebo control group   in a therapy outcome study, group of people whose treatment is an inactive substance (to compare with the effects of a drug) or a nontheory-based therapy providing social support (to compare with the effects of psychotherapy) plaques   deposits of amyloid protein that accumulate in the extracellular spaces of the cerebral cortex, hippocampus, and other forebrain structures in people with Alzheimer's disease plateau phase   in the sexual response cycle, period between arousal and orgasm, during which excitement remains high but stable pleasure principle   drive to maximize pleasure and minimize pain as quickly as possible polygenic   combination of many genes, each of which makes a small contribution to an inherited trait positive symptoms   in schizophrenia, hallucinations, delusions, and disorganization in thought and behavior (also called Type I symptoms) positron-emission tomography (PET)   method of localizing and measuring brain activity by detecting photons that result from the metabolization of an injected isotope posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)   anxiety disorder characterized by (1) repeated mental images of experiencing a traumatic event, (2) emotional numbing and detachment, and (3) hypervigilance and chronic arousal preconscious   according to Freud, area of the psyche that contains material from the unconscious before it reaches the conscious mind predictive validity   extent to which a measure accurately forecasts how a person will think, act, and feel in the future predisposition   tendency to develop a disorder that must interact with other biological, psychological, or environmental factors for the disorder to develop prefrontal cortex   region at the front of the brain important in language, emotional expression, the planning and producing of new ideas, and the mediation of social interactions prefrontal lobotomy   type of psychosurgery in which the frontal lobes of the brain are severed from the lower centers of the brain in people suffering from psychosis premature ejaculation   man's inability to delay ejaculation after minimal sexual stimulation or until one wishes to ejaculate, causing significant distress or interpersonal problems premenstrual dysphoric   disorder syndrome in which a woman experiences an increase in depressive symptoms during the premenstrual period and relief from these symptoms with the onset of menstruation prepared classical conditioning   theory that evolution has prepared people to be easily conditioned to fear objects or situations that were dangerous in ancient times prevalence   proportion of the population that has a specific disorder at a given point or period in time primary prevention   cessation of the development of psychological disorders before they start primary process thinking   wish fulfillment, or fantasies, humans use to conjure up desired objects or actions; an example is a hungry infant's imagining its mother's breast when she is not present prodromal symptoms   in schizophrenia, milder symptoms prior to an acute phase of the disorder, during which behaviors are unusual and peculiar but not yet psychotic or completely disorganized projective test   presentation of an ambiguous stimulus, such as an inkblot, to a client, who then projects unconscious motives and issues onto the stimulus in his or her interpretation of its content prototypes   images of the self and others in relation to the self formed from experiences with family during childhood psychic epidemics   phenomena in which large numbers of people begin to engage in unusual behaviors that appear to have a psychological origin psychoanalysis   form of treatment for psychopathology involving alleviating unconscious conflicts driving psychological symptoms by helping people gain insight into their conflicts and finding ways of resolving these conflicts psychodynamic theories   theories developed by Freud's followers but usually differing somewhat from Freud's original theories psychodynamic therapies   therapies focused on uncovering and resolving unconscious conflicts that drive psychological symptoms psychogenic amnesia   loss of memory in the absence of any brain injury or disease and thought to have psychological causes psychological approach   approach to abnormality that focuses on personality, behavior, and ways of thinking as possible causes of abnormality sychological theories   theories that view mental disorders as caused by psychological processes, such as beliefs, thinking styles, and coping styles psychopathology   symptoms that cause mental, emotional, and/or physical pain psychopathy   set of broad personality traits including superficial charm, a grandiose sense of self-worth, a tendency toward boredom and need for stimulation, pathological lying, an ability to be conning and manipulative, and a lack of remorse psychosexual   stages according to Freud, tages in the developmental process children pass through; in each stage, sex drives are focused on the stimulation of certain areas of the body and particular psychological issues can arouse anxiety psychosis   state involving a loss of contact with reality as well as an inability to differentiate between reality and one's subjective state psychosomatic   disorders syndromes marked by identifiable physical illness or defect caused at least partly by psychological factors psychosurgery   rare treatment for mental disorders in which a neurosurgeon attempts to destroy small areas of the brain thought to be involved in a patient's symptoms psychotherapy   treatment for abnormality that consists of a therapist and client discussing the client's symptoms and their causes; the therapist's theoretical orientation determines the foci of conversations with the client purging type of bulimia nervosa   type of bulimia nervosa in which bingeing is followed by the use of self-induced vomiting or purging medications to control weight gain random assignment assignment   of participants in an experiment to groups based on a random process rapid cycling bipolar disorder   diagnosis given when a person has four or more cycles of mania and depression within a single year reading disorder   developmental disorder involving deficits in reading ability realistic anxiety anxiety   that occurs when one faces a real danger or threat, such as a tornado reality principle   idea that the ego seeks to satisfy one's needs within the realities of society's rules, rather than following the abandon of the pleasure principle receptor   molecules on the membranes of neurons to which neurotransmitters bind reflection   method of responding in which a therapist expresses his or her attempt to understand what the client is experiencing and trying to communicate reformulated learned helplessness theory   view that people who attribute negative events to internal, stable, and global causes are more likely than other people to experience learned helplessness deficits following such events and are thus predisposed to depression relapse prevention programs   treatments that seek to offset continued alcohol use by identifying high-risk situations for those attempting to stop or cut down on drinking and teaching them either to avoid those situations or to use assertiveness skills when in them, while viewing setbacks as temporary reliability   degree of consistency in a measurement—that is, the extent to which it yields accurate measurements of a phenomenon across several trials, across different populations, and in different forms repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)   biological treatment that exposes patients to repeated, high-intensity magnetic pulses that are focused on particular brain structures in order to stimulate those structures replication   repetition of the same results from study to study repression   defense mechanism in which the ego pushes anxiety-provoking material back into the unconscious residual schizophrenia   diagnosis made when a person has already experienced a single acute phase of schizophrenia but currently has milder and less debilitating symptoms residual symptoms   in schizophrenia, milder symptoms following an acute phase of the disorder, during which behaviors are unusual and peculiar but not psychotic or completely disorganized resistance   in psychodynamic therapy, when a client finds it difficult or impossible to address certain material, the client's resistance signals an unconscious conflict, which the therapist then tries to interpret resolution   in the sexual response cycle, state of deep relaxation following orgasm in which a man loses his erection and a woman's orgasmic platform subsides response shaping   technique used in behavior therapy in which a person's behavior problems are changed to desirable behaviors through operant conditioning restricting type of anorexia nervosa   type of anorexia nervosa in which weight gain is prevented by refusing to eat retrograde amnesia   deficit in the ability to recall previously learned information or past events Rett's disorder   pervasive developmental disorder in which children develop normally at first but later show permanent loss of basic skills in social interactions, language, and/or movement reuptake   process in which a sending neuron reabsorbs some of the neurotransmitter in the synapse, decreasing the amount left in the synapse right to refuse treatment   right, although not recognized by all states, of involuntarily committed people to refuse drugs or other treatment right to treatment   fundamental right of involuntarily committed people to active treatment for their disorders rather than shelter alone risk factors   conditions or variables associated with a higher risk of having a disorder role-play ’ technique used in behavioral therapy in which the client and the therapist take on the roles of people involved with the client's maladaptive behaviors; the therapist observes the client's behavior in the role-play to assess what aspects of that behavior need to change rumination   focusing on one's personal concerns and feelings of distress repetitively and passively ruminative response   styles theory theory stating that tendencies to focus on one's symptoms of distress and the possible causes and consequences of these symptoms, in a passive and repetitive manner, leads to depression sadomasochism   pattern of sexual rituals between a sexually sadistic "giver" and a sexually masochistic "receiver" sample   group of people taken from a population of interest to participate in a study schizoid personality disorder   syndrome marked by a chronic lack of interest in and avoidance of interpersonal relationships as well as emotional coldness in interactions with others schizophrenia   disorder consisting of unreal or disorganized thoughts and perceptions as well as verbal, cognitive, and behavioral deficits schizotypal personality disorder   chronic pattern of inhibited or inappropriate emotion and social behavior as well as aberrant cognitions and disorganized speech scientific method systematic method   of obtaining and evaluating information relevant to a problem seasonal affective disorder (SAD)   disorder identified by a two-year period in which a person experiences major depression during winter months and then recovers fully during the summer; some people with this disorder also experience mild mania during summer months secondary prevention   detection of psychological disorders in their earliest stages and treatment designed to reduce their development secondary process thinking rational   deliberation, as opposed to the irrational thought of primary process thinking selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)   class of antidepressant drugs self-actualization   fulfillment of one's potential for love, creativity, and meaning self-efficacy beliefs   beliefs that one can engage in the behaviors necessary to overcome a situation self-help groups   groups that form to help the members deal with a common problem self-monitoring   method of assessment in which a client records the number of times per day that he or she engages in a specific behavior and the conditions surrounding the behavior sensate focus therapy   treatment for sexual dysfunction in which partners alternate between giving and receiving stimulation in a relaxed, openly communicative atmosphere, in order to reduce performance anxiety and concern over achieving orgasm by learning each partner's sexual fulfillment needs separation anxiety disorder   syndrome of childhood and adolescence marked by the presence of abnormal fear or worry over becoming separated from one's caregiver(s) as well as clinging behaviors in the presence of the caregiver(s) serotonin   neurotransmitter that is involved in the regulation of mood and impulsive responses set point   natural body weight determined by a person's metabolic rate, diet, and genetics sexual aversion disorder   condition in which a person actively avoids sexual activities and experiences sex as unpleasant or anxiety-provoking sexual desire   in the sexual response cycle, an urge or inclination to engage in sexual activity sexual dysfunctions   problems in experiencing sexual arousal or carrying through with sexual acts to the point of sexual arousal sexual masochism   sexual gratification obtained through experiencing pain and humiliation at the hands of one's partner sexual orientation   one's preference for partners of the same or opposite sex with respect to attraction and sexual desire sexual sadism   sexual gratification obtained through inflicting pain and humiliation on one's partner single-case experimental design   experimental design in which an individual or a small number of individuals is studied intensively; the individual is put through some sort of manipulation or intervention, and his or her behavior is examined before and after this manipulation to determine the effects situational type phobias   extreme fears of situations such as public transportation, tunnels, bridges, elevators, flying, driving, or enclosed spaces sleep apnea   repeated episodes of upperairway obstruction during sleep; people with sleep apnea typically snore loudly, go silent and do not breathe for several seconds at a time, then gasp for air sleep restriction therapy   treatment for insomnia that involves initially restricting the amount of time that people with insomnia can try to sleep at night smooth pursuit eye movement   task in which individuals are asked to keep their head still and track a moving object (sometimes referred to as eye tracking); some people with schizophrenia show deficits on this task social approach   approach to abnormality that focuses on interpersonal relationships, culture, society, and the environment as possible causes of abnormality social learning theory   theory that people learn behaviors by imitating and observing others and by learning about the rewards and punishments that follow behaviors social phobia   extreme fear of being judged or embarrassed in front of people, causing the individual to avoid social situations social selection   explanation of the effects of the symptoms of schizophrenia on a person's life and the resulting tendency to drift downward in social class, as compared with the person's family of origin social skills training   technique often used in behavior therapy to help people with problems in interacting and communicating with others social structural theories   theories that focus on environmental and societal demands as causes of abnormal behavior somatic hallucinations   perceptions that something is happening inside one's body—for example, that worms are eating one's intestines somatization disorder   syndrome marked by the chronic experience of unpleasant or painful physical symptoms for which no organic cause can be found somatoform disorders   disorders marked by unpleasant or painful physical symptoms that have no apparent organic cause and that are often not physiologically possible, suggesting that psychological factors are involved specific phobias   extreme fears of specific objects or situations that cause an individual to routinely avoid those objects or situations splitting   in object relations theory, phenomenon wherein a person splits conceptions of self and others into either all-good or all-bad categories, neglecting to recognize people's mixed qualities squeeze technique   sex therapy technique used for premature ejaculation; the man's partner stimulates him to an erection, and then when he signals that ejaculation is imminent, the partner applies a firm but gentle squeeze to his penis, either at the glands or at the base, for three or four seconds, the goal of this technique is for the man to learn to identify the point of ejaculatory inevitability and to control his arousal level at the point statistical significance   likelihood that a study's results have occurred only by chance stimulus-control therapy   behavioral intervention for insomnia that involves a set of instructions designed to reduce behaviors that might interfere with sleep and to regulate sleep wake schedules stop-start technique   sex therapy technique used for premature ejaculation; the man or his partner stimulates his penis until he is about to ejaculate; the man then relaxes and concentrates on the sensations in his body until his level of arousal declines; the goal of this technique is for the man to learn to identify the point of ejaculatory inevitability and to control his arousal level at that point stress   experience of events that we perceive as endangering our physical or psychological well-being stress-management interventions   strategies that teach clients to overcome the problems in their lives that are increasing their stress stroke   sudden damage to the brain due to blockage of blood flow or hemorrhaging structured interview   meeting between a clinician and a client or a client's associate(s) in which the clinician asks questions that are standardized, written in advance, and asked of every client stuttering   significant problem in speech fluency, often including frequent repetitions of sounds or syllables subintentional deaths   acts in which individuals indirectly contribute to their own deaths substance   naturally occurring or synthetically produced product that alters perceptions, thoughts, emotions, and behaviors when ingested, smoked, or injected substance abuse   diagnosis given when a person's recurrent substance use leads to significant harmful consequences, as manifested by a failure to fulfill obligations at work, school, or home, the use of substances in physically hazardous situations, legal problems, and continued use despite social and legal problems substance dependence   diagnosis given when a person's substance use leads to physiological dependence or significant impairment or distress, as manifested by an inability to use the substance in moderation; a decline in social, occupational, or recreational activities; or the spending of large amounts of time obtaining substances or recovering from their effects substance intoxication   experience of significantly maladaptive behavioral and psychological symptoms due to the effect of a substance on the central nervous system that develops during or shortly after use of the substance substance withdrawal   experience of clinically significant distress in social, occupational, or other areas of functioning due to the cessation or reduction of substance use substance-induced sexual dysfunction   problems in sexual functioning caused by substance use substance-related disorder   inability to use a substance in moderation and/or the intentional use of a substance to change one's thoughts, feelings, and/or behaviors, leading to impairment in work, academic, personal, or social endeavors suicide   purposeful taking of one's own life suicide cluster   when two or more suicides or attempted suicides nonrandomly occur closely together in space or time suicide contagion   phenomenon in which the suicide of a well-known person is linked to the acceptance of suicide by people who closely identify with that individual suicide hot lines   organizations in which suicide crisis intervention is done over the phone superego   part of the unconscious that consists of absolute moral standards internalized from one's parents during childhood and from one's culture supernatural theories   theories that see mental disorders as the result of supernatural forces, such as divine intervention, curses, demonic possession, and/or personal sins; mental disorders can be cured through religious rituals, exorcisms, confessions, and/or death symptom questionnaire   questionnaire that assesses what symptoms a person is experiencing synapse   space between a sending neuron and a receiving neuron into which neurotransmitters are first released (also known as the synaptic gap) syndrome   set of symptoms that tend to occur together systematic desensitization therapy   type of behavior therapy that attempts to reduce client anxiety through relaxation techniques and progressive exposure to feared stimuli tactile hallucinations   perceptions that something is happening to the outside of one's body—for example, that bugs are crawling up one's back tardive dyskinesia   neurological disorder marked by involuntary movements of the tongue, face, mouth, or jaw, resulting from taking neuroleptic drugs test-retest reliability   index of how consistent the results of a test are over time theory   set of assumptions about the likely causes of abnormality and appropriate treatments therapeutic alliance   during therapy, the therapist is empathetic and supportive of the client in order to create a relationship of trust with the client and to encourage the exploration of difficult issues therapy outcome study   experimental study that assesses the effects of an intervention designed to reduce psychopathology in an experimental group, while performing no intervention or a different type of intervention on another group third variable problem   possibility that variables not measured in a study are the real cause of the relationship between the variables measured in the study thought-stopping techniques   strategies that involve finding ways to stop intrusive thoughts token economy   application of operant conditioning in which patients receive tokens for exhibiting desired behaviors that are exchangeable for privileges and rewards; these tokens are withheld when a patient exhibits unwanted behaviors tolerance   condition of experiencing less and less effect from the same dose of a substance transference   in psychodynamic therapies, the client's reaction to the therapist as if the therapist were an important person in his or her early development; the client's feelings and beliefs about this other person are transferred onto the therapist transsexuals   people who experience chronic discomfort with their gender and genitals as well as a desire to be rid of their genitals and to live as a member of the opposite sex transvestism   paraphilia in which a heterosexual man dresses in women's clothing as his primary means of becoming sexually aroused trephination   procedure in which holes were drilled in the skulls of people displaying abnormal behavior to allow evil spirits to depart their bodies; performed in the Stone Age tricyclic antidepressants   class of antidepressant drugs twin studies   studies of the heritability of a disorder by comparing concordance rates between monozygotic and dizygotic twins type A behavior pattern   personality pattern characterized by time urgency, hostility, and competitiveness unconditional positive regard   essential part of humanistic therapy; the therapist expresses that he or she accepts the client, no matter how unattractive, disturbed, or difficult the client is unconditioned response (UR)   in classical conditioning, response that naturally follows when a certain stimulus appears, such as a dog salivating when it smells food unconditioned stimulus (US)   in classical conditioning, stimulus that naturally elicits a reaction, as food elicits salivation in dogs unconscious   area of the psyche where memories, wishes, and needs are stored and where conflicts among the id, ego, and superego are played out undifferentiated schizophrenia   diagnosis made when a person experiences schizophrenic symptoms, such as delusions and hallucinations, but does not meet criteria for paranoid, disorganized, or catatonic schizophrenia unipolar depression   type of depression consisting of depressive symptoms but without manic episodes unstructured interview   meeting between a clinician and a client or a client's associate(s) that consists of open-ended, general questions that are particular to each person interviewed unusualness   criterion for abnormality that suggests that abnormal behaviors are rare or unexpected vaginismus   in women, involuntary contractions of the muscles surrounding the outer third of the vagina that interfere with penetration and sexual functioning vagus nerve stimulation (VNS)   treatment in which the vagus nerve—the part of the autonomic nervous system that carries information from the head, neck, thorax, and abdomen to several areas of the brain, including the hypothalamus and amygdala—is stimulated by a small electronic device much like a cardiac pacemaker, which is surgically implanted under a patient's skin in the left chest wall validity   degree of correspondence between a measurement and the phenomenon under study variable   measurable factor or characteristic that can vary within an individual, between individuals, or both vascular dementia   second most common type of dementia, associated with symptoms of cerebrovascular disease (tissue damage in the brain due to a blockage of blood flow) vasocongestion   in the sexual response cycle, the filling of blood vessels and tissues with blood, leading to erection of the penis in males and enlargement of the clitoris, swelling of the labia, and vaginal moistening in women (also called engorgement) visual hallucination   visual perception of something that is not actually present voyeurism   obtainment of sexual arousal by compulsively and secretly watching another person undressing, bathing, engaging in sex, or being naked vulnerability-stress models   comprehensive models of the many factors that lead some people to develop a given mental disorder wait list control group   in a therapy outcome study, group of people that functions as a control group while an experimental group receives an intervention and then receives the intervention itself after a waiting period Wernicke's encephalopathy   alcoholinduced permanent cognitive disorder involving mental disorientation, confusion, and, in severe states, coma word salad   speech that is so disorganized that a listener cannot comprehend it working memory   ability to hold information in memory and manipulate it working through   method used in psychodynamic therapies in which the client repeatedly goes over and over painful memories and difficult issues as a way to understand and accept them
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