Psyc 331: Abnormal Psychology

Study Guide for Exam # 1

Fall, 2014
Chapter 1 and Related Materials
Case of Joyce Brown Homeless, living on the streest of NYC. She had disheveld and
odd behavior. Attempted to treat her for mental illness but she refused treatment
Definition of abnormal psychology Study of abnormal behavior in order to describe,
predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning.
Features of abnormality: The Four Ds
1) Deviance Different, extreme, unusual
2) Distress Unpleasant and upsetting
3) Dysfuntion Causes interference with life
4) Danger Poses risk of harm to to yourself and community
Thomas Szaz; mental illness as a myth
Problems in living but it is not something wrong with the person. Concept of
mental illness invented by societies to control people
Culture
Values, beliefs, and practices that are shared by a specific community or group of
people. These values and beliefs influence views about abnormal and normal
behavior.
Cross-cultural studies: Severe forms of psychopathology found in virtually every
culture social scientist have studied
Murphys findings Studied 2 groups (Alaska and West Africa). In both
cultures, certain forms of being were seen as being crazy. Consistent with what
we call schizophrenia. Both cultures has specific explanations and treatment
approaches
General epidemiological findings. Severe forms of mental disorders are not
limited to Western cultures. Other disorders are more tied to certain cultures (such
as eating disorder)
Supernatural traditions:
Primitive Demonology evil spirits: (Stone Age to Early Greeks)
Trephination: An ancient operation in which a stone instrument
was used to cut away a circular section of the skill, to treat ab.
behavior
Medieval Demonology devil: There is a devil inside that needs to be taken out
Biological traditions
Greek and Roman civilizations
Hippocrates: Believed that imbalances of the four humors (yellow
bile, black bile, blood, phlegm) affected personality. Treatment was
through living a healthy life.
19th century and 20th century

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Somatogenic perspective: The view that abnormal psychological
functioning has physical causes
Treatment - wet packs, hydrotherapy, insulin coma therapy,
lobotomy
Psychological traditions
Moral treatment: to treat people with mental dysfunction that emphasized moral
guidance and humane and respectful treatment
Dorothea Dix - strong advocate of humane treatment and of mental hospitals
Rush Father of American Psychiatry. He was the reason for the spread of moral
treatment. He required that the hospital hire intelligent and sensitive attendants to
work closely with patients. He also gave gifts to his patients.
Psychogenic perspective -Freud and Psychoanalysis
o Treatment of abnormal mental functioning that emphasizes unconscious
psychological forces as the cause of psychopathology
Current Trends
Psychotrophic medications: Drugs that mainly affect the brain and reduce many
symptoms of mental dsyfunctioning.
Deinstitutionalization: The practice of releasing hundreds of thousands of
patients from public mental hospitals.
Private psychotherapy An arrangement in which a person directly pays a
therapist for counseling services
Prevention: Intervention aimed at deterring mental disorders before they can
develop
Multiple theoretical perspectives and mental health professionals: Theories of
biological, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic-existential, sociocultural. Counseling
therapists, educational, school psychologists, nurses, marriage therapist, family
therapist
Chapter 2 and Related Materials
Nomothetic understanding: A general understanding of the nature, causes, and
treatments of ab psychological functioning in the form of laws and principles.
Case study -- value and limitations
Value: New ideas, Tentative support for a theory, Challenge a theorys
assumptions,Inspire new therapeutic technique, Study unusual problems
Limitations: Relies on subjective evidence, poor internal validity, Provides little
basis for generalization, poor external validity
Internal validity: The accuracy with which a study can pinpoint one of the various
possible factors as the cause of a phenomenon
External validity: The degree to which the results of a study may be generalized beyond
that study
Correlational Method: the degree to which events or characteristics are related to each
other. It does not imply causes and effect (Directionality and third variable) Correlation
coefficient: -1.00 to 1.00 = strength and direction of a relationship.
Positive correlation: The relationship is positive and increasing
Negative correlation: The relationship is negative and decreasing

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Correlation and causation
Third variable: This refers to the possibility that there is an unmeasured
variable, Variable C, that is causing changes in both Variable A and
Variable B
Directionality: This refers to the possibility that Variable A is causing
changes in Variable B, or that Variable B is causing changes in Variable A.
Experimental Method: causal relationships
Hypothesis: An education guess
Independent variable: Manipulated variable
Dependent variable: Variable being observed
Manipulation:
Random assignment: A selection procedure that ensures that participants are
randomly placed in control or experimental group
Treatment Research clinical trials
Experimental group: Exposed to independent variable
Control group: not exposed to independent variable
Placebo group: A sham treatment that the participant in an experiment believes to
be genuine
Bias experimenter or participant
Single blind: Participants do not know whether they are the experimental or
control group
Double blind: Neither participant nor the experimenter knows whether the
participants has received the experimental treatment or a placebo
Epidemiological studies: A study that measures the incidence and prevalence of a
disorder in a given population
Incidence: number of new cases of a disorder or illness during a period of time
Prevalence: total number of cases (new and existing) in a population during a
period of time
Natural experiment: Nature, rather than experimenter, manipulates an independent
variable (Ex: Natural disasters)
Analogue experiment: The experimenter produces ab like behavior in laboratory
participants and then conducts experiments on the participants (Usually done to animals
due to ethical issues)
Ethical review- Institutional Review Board
Ethical principles
Respect for persons - Informed Consent
Beneficence do no harm, benefits outweigh risk
Justice do not exploit
Chapter 3 and Related Materials
Model or paradigm: A set of assumptions and concepts that help scientists explain and
interpret observations

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One-dimensional versus multi-dimensional models: Single cause Vs. multiple
influences that may occur at many different points in time
Biopsychosocial model
Interaction of genetic, biological, developmental, emotional, behavioral, cognitive,
social, and societal influences
Importance of these influences may vary depending on disorder and individual
Genetics
Genetic contributions to behavior
Huntingtons disease degenerative brain disease appears early 40s
genetic defect
PKU inability of body to metabolize PKU present at birth cause
mental retardation
Polygenic inheritance
Diathesis-stress model: Diathesis: inherited tendency to express certain traits
vulnerability
Stress environmental events which may activate vulnerabilty
Biological factors
Neuroscience
Central nervous system: brain and spinal cord
Peripheral nervous system: somatic (muscles) and autonomic nervous system
(cardiovascular and endocrine systems)
Neuron: Nerve cell
Dendrites: receptor sites, signal is received here
Axon: Signal travels through axons
Synapse: neurotransmitters A chemical that, released by one neuron, crosses the
synapstic space to be received at receptors on the dendrites of neighboring neurons
Reuptake
Degradation
Electrical versus chemical transmission
Important neurotransmitters
Dopamine: special neurotransmitter because it is considered to be both excitatory
and inhibitory.
Norepinephrine: excitatory neurotransmitter that is responsible for stimulatory
processes in the body
Serotonin: inhibitory neurotransmitter which means that it does not stimulate
the brain
GABA: inhibitory neurotransmitter; When GABA is out of range (high or low
excretion values), it is likely that an excitatory neurotransmitter is firing too often
in the brain. GABA will be sent out to attempt to balance this stimulating overfiring.
Endocrine system hormones
Hormones carry messages through the body. It affects moods and energy levels.
System of glands producing hormones.

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Biological treatments
Psychotrophic medications
ECT
Psychodynamic Model unconscious conflict - Behavior is determined largely by
underlying dynamic psychological forces of which she or he is not aware unconscious
Freud
Parts of personality
Id Pleasure Principle produces instinctual needs, drives, and impulses
Ego Reality Principle employs reason and operates in accordance with
reality principle
Superego Morality Principle represent a persons values and ideals
Developmental stages
Oral (0 to 18 months of age)
Anal (18 months to 3 years of age)
Phallic (3 to 5 years of age)
Latency (5 to 12 years of age)
Genital (12 years of age to adulthood)
Other psychodynamic theories:
Ego theories: emphasize ego
Self theories sense of self
Object-relations theories need for relationships
Psychodynamic therapies
Uncover past trauma and unconscious conflicts
A major criticism of psychodynamic model: lack of empirical support
Behavioral Model: principles of learning
Emphasis is on observable behavior and environmental factors
Focus on how behavior is acquired (learned) and maintained over time
Operant Conditioning: rewards
Classical conditioning: Pavlov
UCS and UCR
CS and CR
Behavioral treatments: Systematic desensitization exposing phobia slowly to react
calmly
Cognitive Models: Maladaptive thinking is cause of abnormal behavior and emotions
Faulty or maladaptive thinking: assumptions, attitudes or beliefs,
illogical thinking, overgeneralization
Beck: cognitive therapy - help clients recognize and restructure thinking
Humanistic-Existential Models
Self actualize: humans fulfill their potential for goodness and growth

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Carl Rogers: client-centered therapy: help by conveying acceptance, accurate
empathy, and genuiness
Sociocultural Model
Group therapy and self-help groups
Family therapy
Community mental health treatment
Chapter 4 and Related Materials
Idiographic approach: understanding behavior of a particular individual
Assessment: collecting and interpreting relevant info abt participant
Interview
Unstructured
Semi-structured
Structured
Mental Status Exam: know areas observed that we discussed in class
Appearance and behavior
Thought processes
Mood and affect
Intellectual functioning
Sensorium how well is one oriented
Tests: know general uses of each
Personality inventories: MMPI (reading statements and having the respond
indicate their personality)
Response inventories: Beck Depression Inventory
Projective tests: Rorschach, TAT, Sentence Completion
Intelligence: Wechsler scales
Neuropsychological tests
Battery approach
Psychophysiological measures: polygraph
Neurological tests: EEG
Neuroimaging: CT Scan, PET scan, MRI, fMRI
Choosing tests questions to consider
Some controversies Rorschach and Wikipedia, IQ tests and eBay
Psychometric properties
Standardization - test is administered to a large group whose performance serves
as a common standard (norm)
Reliability interrater reliability (independent judges)
Validity predictive, concurrent
Assessment problems: types of bias
1) Interviewer bias = Interviewer can introduce a bias in the way that he/she wants to
see the situation
2) Self report bias = How the person talking and reporting in the interview is biased.
They are not always truthful

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3) Culture bias = A lot of the tests are favoring the white middle class people. The
non-majority culture people will have a difficulty in taking the test. Even if they
do, it will not reflect their distress
Special problems: children and cultural issues
Children: limited ability to report
Parents or teacher report
Observation
Clients from other cultures
Language
Bias or stereotypes
May think or talk about symptoms differently
Observations
Diagnosis - Label attached to a set of symptoms
Syndrome
DSM classification system 1st edition in 1952, most recent revision in 2013 = DSM-5
Changes introduced in DSM-III
Multiaxial system abandoned in DSM-5, but know what the 5 axes are
Axis I
Clinical syndrome
Axis II
Personality disorders and mental retardation
Axis III
Relevant general medical conditions
Axis IV
-- Psychosocial and environmental problems
Axis V
Global assessment of functioning (GAF) on 0100 scale
Operational definition
Changes introduced in DSM-5
Eliminated the multiaxial system
Reorganized categories, changed names of some categories, created some new
categories, and changed some criteria
Eliminated general category of Disorders First Diagnosed in Infancy,
Childhood, and Adolescence some of these disorders were moved to other
categories and some kept in a new category called neurodevelopmental disorders
Divided anxiety disorders into three general categories anxiety disorders,
trauma- and stressor-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related
disorders
Separated mood disorders into two general categories bipolar and related
disorders and depressive disorders

Combined autism and Aspergers disorder into new category autism spectrum
disorder
Replaced terms dementia with neurocognitive disorder and mental
retardation with intellectual developmental disorder
Combined substance abuse and substance dependence substance use disorder
Created some new diagnoses e.g., hoarding, premenstrual dysphoric disorder,
mild neurocognitive disorder binge eating disorder, disruptive mood disregulation
disorder
Added more dimensional features
And others which we will discuss as we review diagnostic categories

Comorbidity
Dangers of Diagnosis
Labeling
Rosenhan (1973)
8 pseudopatients admitted to 12 hospital
Symptoms empty, hollow, thud
Self fulfilling prophecy
Purpose of diagnosis/ classification - Organize information, Guide treatment, Facilitate
communication and research
Chapter 5 and Related Materials
Components of Anxiety
Fear vs. anxiety
Fear
Immediate alarm reaction
Danger
Recedes when danger removed
Anxiety
Future-oriented
Vague source of threat
Persistent
When is anxiety adaptive? Prepare to confront threat
Maladaptive: In the absence of realistic threat
Out of proportion to threat
Persists after threat ends
Leads to maladaptive coping or defensive strategies
Panic
Alarm response but no clear danger
Panic attack abrupt experience of intense fear accompanied by physical
symptoms
Situationally bound phobias

Situationally predisposed
Unexpected

Agoraphobia anxiety of certain places

DSM-5 reorganization of disorders into three categories: anxiety disorders, traumaand stress-related disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
Know key symptoms and DSM-5 criteria given in book for the following:
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Phobias
specific phobia
Excessive, unreasonable fear cued by presence or anticipation of object or
situation
Exposure provokes immediate anxiety reaction
Person recognizes the fear is unreasonable or excessive (adult)
Phobic situation is avoided or endured with great anxiety)
Interferes with persons functioning
Subtypes animal, natural environment, blood-injection-injury,
situational, other
social phobia or social anxiety disorder
Panic Disorder
Recurrent, unexpected Panic Attacks
At least attack followed by 1 month or more of 1 or more of the following:
Persistent concern about additional attacks
Worry about implications or consequences
Significant change in behavior
Often occurs with agoraphobia
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Either obsessions or compulsions:
Obsessions
Persistent thoughts, ideas, impulses, or images
Compulsions
Repeated and rigid behaviors or mental acts that people feel
they must perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety
Biopsychosocial approach to Anxiety Disorders - biological, emotional/cognitive,
behavioral, and social influences
Biological Influences
Inherited vulnerability
Activation of specific brain circuits, neurotransmitters, neurohormonal
systems
Emotional/cognitive
Heightened sensitivities

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Unconscious beliefs about physical symptoms

Behavioral
Operant conditioning
Classical conditioning
Modeling
Avoidance of situations associated with panic or anxiety
Social
Stress
Support reduces intensity
Lack of support intensifies symptoms

Obsessions: Persistent thoughts, ideas, impulses, or images

Compulsions: Repeated and rigid behaviors or mental acts that people feel they must
perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety
Relationships of obsessions and compulsions
Cognitive-Behavioral Model of OCD
Normal intrusive thought, idea
Misinterpret as significant or threatening
Subjective distress
Safety seeking behavior (e.g., rituals)
Anxiety reduction
Operant conditioning Reinforcements
Biological factors in OCD
NT serotonin
Serotonin-based antidepressants reduce OCD symptoms
Brain abnormalities
orbital region of frontal cortex and caudate nuclei
brain circuit that converts sensory information into thoughts and actions
may be too active, letting through troublesome thoughts and actions
serotonin
orbital region of frontal cortex
caudate nuclei
Treatments of OCD
Antidepressant drugs
Combination therapies
Exposure and response prevention
Psychodynamic perspective on OCD
Panic attack
Explanations of Panic Disorder
Biological norepinephrine

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Locus cereleus
Cognitive Perspective misinterpretation
factors contributing to vulnerability to misinterpretations

Explanations for Generalized Anxiety

Psychodynamic perspective
Cognitive perspective: maladaptive assumptions
Biological perspective: GABA
Treatments for Generalized Anxiety
Antianxiety drugs: benzodiazepines
Relaxation training
EMG Biofeedback
Stress-inoculation training
Behavioral explanations for phobias
Classical conditioning: Little Albert and white rat
Generalization
Extinction
Preparedness
Treatments for phobias
Systematic desensitization fear hierarchy
In vivo
Covert
Exposure treatments
Social skills training for social phobia
Chapter 6 and Related Materials
Stressor: event creating demands
Stress response: reactions to the demands
Fight or flight response
Hypothalamus
Autonomic nervous system
Sympathetic nervous system
Parasympathetic nervous system
Endocrine system - Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) pathway
Adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH)
Corticosteroids cortisol
Trauma
Dissociation
Symptoms of Acute Stress Disorder and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Acute stress disorder

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Symptoms begin within four weeks of event and last for less than one
month
Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
Symptoms can begin at any time following the event but must last for
longer than one month
May develop from acute stress disorder

DSM-5 criteria for PTSD

Delayed onset
History of PTSD
Combat neurosis
Vietnam War unique features of this war
Vulnerability to PTSD
Genetic factors research with Vietnam veterans
Cortisol
Personality or coping style
Childhood experiences
Social support
Emotional Processing Edna Foa
Veteran Outreach Centers rap groups
Prevention disaster response
Critical incident debriefing
EMDR
Adjustment Disorders
Psychophysiological Disorders psychosomatic disorders
DSM IV - Axis III
DSM-5 Psychological Factors Affecting Other Medical Conditions
Difference from somatoform and factitious disorders
Holmes and Rahe initial study with naval personnel
General research approach
Health psychology
General Adaptation Syndrome
Alarm
Resistance
Exhaustion
General Theories
Somatic Weakness Theory
Personality or coping style
Type A personality
Friedman and Rosenman
3 key features

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Risk factors for coronary heart disease
Psychoneuroimmunology
Immune system and stress
Cortisol
Lymphocytes
Behavioral medicine
Relaxation training
Biofeedback
Support groups