Unit 12, Abnormal Psychology Notes(2011 update for use with Chapter 16 in 2007 Myers text)

Perspectives on Psychological Disorders 563A. Definition

1. harmful2. atypical3. disturbing4. maladaptive5. unjustifiable

Is ADHD a disorder? 563The text provides no answer. The debate continues.

B. Understanding Psychological Disorders 564What perspectives can help us understand psychological disorders?

The Medical Model a. medical model: diagnose the sickness and cure it

1.Etiology: Causation and developmental of the disorder.2.Diagnosis: Identifying (symptoms) and distinguishing one disease from another.3.Treatment: Treating a disorder in a psychiatric hospital.4.Prognosis: Forecast about the disorder.

2. Bio-psycho-social approacha. interaction of nature and nurture

C. Classifying Disorders 565How and why do clinicians classify psychological disorders?

1. DSM-IVa. Used to classify disorders

b. Not used to explain causes2. neurotic disorders: distressing but still can function3. psychotic disorders: debilitating

Table 16.1 page 645Axis I Is a Clinical Syndrome Present?Axis II Is a Personality Disorder Present?Axis III Is a General Medical Condition also Present?Axis IV Are Psychosocial or Environmental Problems Present?Axis V What is the Global Assessment of their functioning?

D. Labeling Psychological Disorders 567Why do some psychologists criticize the use of diagnostic labels?

1. David Rosenhan (1973) study revealed the power of labeling the mentally ill

2. stigmatizing3. stereotyping

Labels can serve as “self-fulfilling prophecies”.E. Insanity and responsibility 569

1. Legal definitionsa. wrongfulness of actionsb. ability to participate in legal defensec. danger to self or others

2. Hinckley case, 19813. Dahmer case, 19914. Unabomber case5. Andrea Yates case, 2002

II. Anxiety Type Disorders 569What are anxiety disorders, and how do they differ from ordinary worries and fears?

A. Generalized anxiety1. State of tension, apprehension, ANS arousal B. Panic disorder

1. sudden, intense dread episodeC. Phobias

1. persistent, intense, irrational fear of specific thingex: agoraphobia—fear of being outside

D. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) 1. unwanted thoughts constantly preoccupying you

ex: taking ten showers a day to stay clean

E. Post Traumatic Stress Disorder 1. Nightmares, insomnia and painful memories2. Post traumatic growth: finding positive strengths while dealing with PTSD

Understanding Anxiety Disorders 5741. Learning Perspective

Fear conditioning: stimulus generalization after the initial fear producing event, followed by reinforcement to maintain the phobia or compulsion. Observational learning: Susan Minetka (1985) found monkeys transmit their fear of snakes

2. The biological perspectiveNatural selection: we are prepared to face certain risksGenes: Some studies point to an anxiety gene; other studies implicate glutamate overabundance making the brain more sensitive The Brain: the anterior cingulate cortex is hyperactive in those with OCD

Somatoform disorders 576What are somatoform disorders?•Physical ailments that cannot be explained by organic causes•Psychosomatic diseases•Have a psychological origin•Symptoms are more imaginary than real

Types •1. Somatization disorder: affects mainly women; a list of minor complaints that may accompany depression or anxiety•2. Conversion disorder: loss of function of a specific organ•3. Hypochondriasis: excessive worry about developing a physical illness (Howard Hughes)

Dissociative disorders 5771. Sudden loss of memory or change in identity2. Dissociative identity disorder (DID)a. Two or more identities that control a person’s behaviorb. evidence includes changes in brain and body states and handednessc. Skeptics counter that it is a cultural phenomenon with few cases outside America 3. Dissociation: a sense of being separated from your body and watching yourself with a sense of detachment4. Some psychologists find physical evidence for personality changes.a. Massive dissociation of self from ordinary consciousnessb. role playing occurs: suggestions and leading by the therapistc.Nick Spanos (1986): dissociation is essentially role playing; Paul McHugh (1995) says the phenomenon is manufactured out of the patient-therapist relationship.

III. Mood Disorders 579What are mood disorders, and what forms do they take?Lethargic, withdrawn, feeling worthless or unlovable

A. Major Depressive Disorder 1. personal worthlessness 2. Dysthymic disorder: less disabling form of depression3. low levels of norepinephrine4. more females5. last less than 3 mos. 6. therapy not need most times to recover7. research: it’s increasing8. Reduction of norepinephrine and serotonin has been implicated

in depression.Drugs that alleviate mania reduce norepinephrine.

B. Bipolar Disorder1. alternating between lethargy and overexcitement2. manic episode: overexcitement, hyperactivity, wild optimism

C. Understanding Mood Disorders 582What causes mood disorders, and what might explain the Western world’s rising incidence of depression among youth and young adults?

Close Up: Suicide 5841. Higher rates among men2. Highest rates among older men3. Depressed have 5x higher rate4. Few who talk of actually commit5. Most who commit have talked of it6. Whites more than blacks7. Women more likely to attempt

1. The biological perspectivea. Genetic influences; heritability of depression is 35 to 40

percentLinkage analysis searchers for the genes responsible

b. The Depressed Brainc. neurotransmitters: lower levels of norepinephrine and/or

serotonind. The hippocampus is vulnerable to stress related damagee. The left frontal lobe is less active during depression

2. The socio cognitive perspective a. self-blaming attributions, b. negative thoughts and negative moods interact; women tend to overthink leading to higher rates than men (Susan Nolen-Hoeksema, 2003)c. maladaptive explanations of failure, your explanatory style: stable, internal and global thinkers display this negative approachd. Martin Seligman has describe this pessimistic style of thinking (1991).

IV. Schizophrenia 589What patterns of thinking, perceiving, feeling, and behaving characterize schizophrenia?

A. Symptoms1. disorganized and delusional thinking

Ex: thinking you’re “King of the Universe” (when you’re not) Ex: disordered speech (word salad)2. Hallucinations: perceiving things that are not there; frequently such hallucinations are auditory and lesser visual, somatosensory, olfactory or gustatory.

3. Inappropriate emotions and actionsA schizophrenic person may laugh at the news of someone dying, or show no emotion at all (apathy).Patients with schizophrenia can continually rub an arm or rock a chair or remain motionless for hours (catatonia).

Positive and Negative symptoms+ Delusions + Hallucinations+ Disorganized speech + Disordered behavior- Lack of expression- Lack of speech- Lack of direction

C. Understanding Schizophrenia 592What causes schizophrenia?

1. Brain abnormality: excess receptors for dopamine2. Abnormal brain activity and abnormality: Schizophrenia patients may express morphological changes in the brain like enlargement of fluid filled ventricles.Maternal virus during pregnancy: Schizophrenia has also been observed individuals who contracted viral infection (flu) during the middle of their fetal development.Genetics: predisposition for

The likelihood of individuals suffering from schizophrenia is 50% if their identical twins have the disease (Gottesman, 1991).Early warning sign: early physical maturation

4. Psychological factors: early warning signs include emotional issues, poor peer interaction, separation from parents, disruptive behavior, and mother with the disorder.

John Nash from A Beautiful Mind as an example

V. Personality Disorders 596What characteristics are typical of personality disorders?Personality disorders: disruptive, enduring behavior patterns that interfere with normal social functioning•A. Antisocial Personality Disorder–1. Disorder in which the person (usually man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members–2. May be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artistUnderstanding Antisocial Personality DisorderGenes put these people at riskA biology based on fearlessness.

B. Narcissistic 1. preoccupied with self importance

C. Avoidanti. being withdrawn

D. Schizoidi. eccentric and social disengaged

E. Histrionic1. Attention getting behavior; seeking praise

F. Murderous minds 1. frontal cortex has reduced activation failing to check impulses and/or aggression2. PET scans of 41 murderers revealed reduced activity in the frontal lobes. In a

follow-up study repeat offenders had 11% less frontal lobe compared to normals (Raine et al., 1999; 2000).

VI. Rates of Psychological Disorders 599

How many people suffer, or have suffered, from a psychological disorder?

Key terms: 602 (see study guide)AP Quiz: 602-603