AP Psychology Chapter 15 Vocabulary

Psychopathology

patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that are maladaptive, disruptive, or uncomfortable for those who are affected or for those with whom they come in contact

Biopsychosocial Approach

A view of mental disorders as caused by a combination of interacting biological, psychological, and sociocultural factor

Medical Model

A view in which psychological disorders are seen as reflecting disturbances in the anatomy and chemistry of the brain and in other biological processes

Psychological Model

A view in which mental disorder is seen as arising from psychological processes

Sociocultural Perspective

A way of looking at mental disorders in relation to gender, age, ethnicity, and other social and cultural factors

Sociocultural Factors

Characteristics or conditions that can influence the appearance and form of maladaptive behavior

Diathesis-Stress Model

The notion that psychological disorders arise when a predisposition for a disorder combines with sufficient amounts of stress to trigger symptoms

Anxiety Disorder

A condition in which intense feelings of apprehension are long-standing and disruptive

Phobia

An anxiety disorder involving strong, irrational fear of an object or situation that does not objectively justify such a reaction

Specific Phobia

An anxiety disorder involving fear and avoidance of heights, animals, or other specific stimuli and situations

Social Phobia

An anxiety disorder involving strong, irrational fears relating to social situations

Agoraphobia

An anxiety disorder involving strong fear of being alone or away from security of home

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A condition that involves relatively mild but long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any particular object or situation

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder involving sudden panic attacks

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

An anxiety disorder involving repetitive thoughts and urges to perform certain rituals

Obsessions

Obsessions are repetitive thoughts that cause anxiety and disruptions in day to day life.

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors that interfere with daily functioning but are performed in an effort to prevent dangers or events associated with obsessions

Somatoform Disorder

Psychological problems in which symptoms of a physical disorder are present without a physical cause

Conversion Disorder

A somatoform disorder in which a person displays blindness, deafness, or other symptoms of sensory or motor failure without a physical cause

Hypochondriasis

A somatoform disorder involving strong, unjustified fear of having physical illness

Somatization Disorder

A somatoform disorder in which there are numerous physical complaints without verifiable physical illness

Somatoform Pain Disorder

A somatoform disorder marked by complaints of severe pain with no physical cause

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

A somatoform disorder characterized by intense distress over imagined abnormalities of the skin, hair, face, or other areas of the body

Dissociative Disorder

Rare conditions that involve sudden and usually temporary disruptions in a person's memory, consciousness, or identity

Fugue Reaction

A dissociative disorder involving sudden loss of memory and possible assumption of a new identity in a new location

Dissociative Amnesia

A dissociative disorder marked by a sudden loss of memory

Dissociative Identity Disorder (D.I.D.)

A dissociative disorder in which a person reports having more than one identity

Affective Disorder (Mood Disorder)

A condition in which a person experiences extreme moods, such as depression or mania.

Major Depression

An affective disorder in which a person feels sad and hopeless for weeks or months

Delusions

False beliefs, such as those experienced by people suffering from schizophrenia or extreme depression

Dysthymic Disorder

An affective disorder involving a pattern of comparatively mild depression that lasts for at least two years

Bipolar Disorder

Affective disorders in which a person alternates between the emotional extremes of depression and mania

Mania

An elated, very active emotional state.

Cyclothymic Personality

An affective disorder characterized by an alternating pattern of mood swings that is less extreme than that of bipolar disorders.

Schizophrenia

A severe and disabling pattern of disturbed thinking, emotion, perception, and behavior.

Hallucinations

A symptom of disorder in which people perceive voices or other stimuli when there are no stimuli present

Positive Symptoms

Schizophrenic symptoms such as disorganized thoughts, hallucinations, and delusions

Negative Symptoms

Schizophrenic symptoms such as the absence of pleasure, lack of speech, and flat affect

Personality Disorders

Long-standing, inflexible ways of behaving that create a variety of problems

Antisocial Personality Disorder (A.P.D.)

A personality disorder involving impulsive, selfish, unscrupulous, and even criminal behavior.

Addiction

Development of a physical need for a psychoactive drug.

Substance-Related Disorders

Problems involving the use of psychoactive drugs for months or years in ways that harm the user or others