Chapter 1: Abnormal Psychology: Historical and Modern Perspective

The idea that behavior is problematic or not problematic depending on the environment in which it occurs

Shared behavioral patterns and lifestyles that differentiate one group of people from another

Abnormal behaviors that were specific to a particular location or group

Behavior that may violate societal norms but is not always negative or harmful to others

Behavior that is inconsistent with the individual’s developmental, cultural, and societal norms , and creates emotional distress or interferes with daily functioning

An approach to understanding behavior that considers it from a quantitative perspective not a qualitative perspective

The idea that common symptoms of a disorder may vary depending on a person’s age

The process in which a circular instrument was used to cut away sections of the skull, possibly in an attempt to release demons from the brain

Imbalance of fluids found within the body that was thought to result in mental illnesses

Father of medicine. Famous Greek physician that produced a diagnostic classification system and a model by which to explain abnormal behavior. Identified hallucinations, delusions, melancholia, mania and hysteria.

People believed abnormal behavior stemmed from an imbalance of humours, which consisted of blood, black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm

The emphasis was on viewing people with mental illness as worthy of receiving respect and kindness, and incorporating moral treatment as the method of care.

Believed that spirits controlled much of the environment as well as aspects of a person’s behavior

His areas of expertise included many fields of medicine: neurophysiology and neuroanatomy. He discounted the “wandering uterus” theory about hysteria.

Demons were considered to be the source of all evil. Church officials interpreted negative behavior as the work of the devil or witchcraft

A situation in which a group of people share and sometimes even act upon a belief that is not based on fact

The automatic mimicry and synchronization of expressions, vocalizations, postures, and movements of one person by another

The first physician to specialize in the treatment of mental illness

Proposed that mental illness was often curable and that to apply appropriate treatment, the physician must listen to the patient and observe his behavior

Established the York Retreat that was designed to allow people with mental illnesses to live, work, and relax in a compassionate and religious environment

A force that Mesmer believed flowed within the body and, when impeded, resulted in disease

Effect in which symptoms are diminished or eliminated not because of any specific treatment but because the patient believes that a treatment is effective

Kraepelin’s name for a psychological disorder characterized by deterioration of mental faculties

A therapy in the form of discussion of psychological distress with a trained professional, leading to the elimination of distressing symptoms

Introduced psychoanalysis. Believed the roots of abnormal behavior were established in the first 5 years of life

A theory of abnormal behavior originated by Sigmund Freud that was based in the belief that many aspects of behavior were controlled by unconscious innate biological urges that existed from infancy

A form of learning in which a conditioned stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus to produce a conditioned response

The theory that the only appropriate objects of scientific study were observable behaviors, not inner thoughts or feelings

When providing treatment, psychologists rely on the findings of the research. They investigate topics that help to guide and improve psychological care

A nerve cell found throughout the body and the brain

A space between neurons

Chemical substances that are released into the synapse and transmit information from one neuron to another

The study of the structure and function of the nervous system and the interaction of that system and behavior

The process by which years of living with a disorder cause changes in the brain

The field of study that explores the role of genes and environment in the transmission of behavioral traits

The theory that during the prenatal period or shortly after birth, viral infections could cause some psychological disorders

A form of psychodynamic theory that focus on conscious motivations and healthy forms of human functioning

A form of learning in which behavior is acquired or changed by the events that happens afterwards

A contingent event that strengthens the response that precedes it

The application of something painful or the removal of something positive

A distinct type of learning in which the person need not actually do the behavior in order to acquire it

Identified the negative cognitive triad; people with depression have a negative view of the self, the world and the future

A school of thought that holds that one’s subjective perception of the world is more important than the world in actuality

His theory of abnormal behavior begins with the assumption that psychopathology is associated with psychological incongurence, or a discrepancy between one’s self image and one’s actual self

The idea that abnormal behavior must be understood within the context of social and cultural forces

A theoretical perspective that suggests that health is determined by complex interactions among biological, psychological, and social forces

The idea that psychological disorders may have a biological or psychological predisposition that lies dormant until environmental stress occurs and the combination produces abnormal