Abnormal Psychology: Past and Present Chapter 1 Abnormal Psychology: Past and Present

Defining Psychological Abnormality and Treatment ______ - different, extreme, or unusual (thoughts, feelings, or behaviors) ______ - unpleasant and upsetting to the person ________ - interferes with ability to function _____ - to oneself or others

Causes of Abnormality ____________ _____________ genetic inheritance medical conditions ______________________ exposure to environmental stimuli _____________________________ learned associations __________________________ faulty ways of thinking _____________ disturbances in _____________________ problems in extended relationships _________________________________ discrimination toward one’s social group

Biopsychosocial Perspective Diathesis-Stress Model: people are born with a predisposition (or “__________”) that places them at risk for developing a psychological disorder if exposed to certain extremely stressful life experiences. Related to the biopsychosocial approach is the diathesis-stress model.

Three prominent themes in explaining psychological disorders recur throughout history: The mystical The scientific The humanitarian Mystical explanations attribute abnormality to possession by evil or demonic spirits. This theme was prevalent during prehistoric times and again in the Middle Ages. The scientific approach looks for natural causes, psychological, or physical disturbances within the person. This theme had its origins in ancient Greece and Rome, and it has predominated since the 19th Century. Humanitarian explanations view abnormality as the result of cruelty, nonacceptance, or poor living conditions. This theme predominated during the reform movements of the 18th Century and is still evident in contemporary society. Clip art section copyright © 2005 www.clipart.com. Used with permission.

How Was Abnormality Viewed and Treated in the Past? Ancient Views caused by ________ treated through _____________________ Greek and Roman Views disease caused by ___________: imbalance of humors (fluids in the body) warm and supportive atmosphere Europe in the Middle Ages: Demonology Returns conflict between _______ mass madness physical abuse in order to _______________ ________________

The Renaissance and the Rise of Asylums Johann Weyer (founder of ________________) more humane treatment asylums were established (eventually turned into filthy places) The Nineteenth Century: Reform and Moral Treatment ___________: emphasized moral guidance and humane techniques Benjamin Rush and Dorothea Dix in US ________________; not everyone could be cured with these techniques

The Early Twentieth Century: The Somatogenic and Psychogenic Perspectives _________: biological discoveries linked mental health symptoms to physical factors lobotomies & tooth extraction were not successful techniques ________ Mesmer: treated patients with _________ ______: psychoanalysis Current trends (1950s) psychotropic medications _____________________ health insurance other mental health professionals

(the outcome measured) Research Methods Experiment independent variable (the possible cause) dependent variable (the outcome measured) Correlation In the experimental method, the researcher adjusts the level of the independent variable and observes its effects on the dependent variable. The independent variable is the experimental variable that the researcher manipulates. An experimental group receives the “treatment” thought to influence the behavior under study, and the control group does not. (A special kind of control group in a placebo condition would receive an inert substance or treatment similar in all other ways except for its lack of the independent variable’s “treatment.”) The dependent variable is measured because it is believed to depend on the manipulated changes in the independent variable. The quasi-experimental method is a variant of this procedure and is used to compare groups that differ on a predetermined characteristic. an association (or co-relation) between two variables.

The Survey Method ______________: ________________: gather information from a sample considered representative of a particular population ______________: The frequency of new cases within a given time period. Survey method: A research tool used to gather information from a sample of people considered representative of a particular population in which participants are asked to answer questions about the topic of concern. ________________: The number of people who ever had a disorder or the total number of cases at a given time.

Single-Subject Design –experiment conducted on _______________________ The Case Study Method – _______________ of an individual or small group Single-Subject Design –experiment conducted on _______________________ In the case study method, one individual is studied intensively, and a detailed and careful analysis of that individual is conducted. In the single-subject design, one person at a time is studied in both the experimental and control conditions, as treatment is applied and removed in alternating phases. Studies of genetic influence may examine concordance rates, biological markers, or genetic mapping. Concordance rate: Agreement ratios between people diagnosed as having a particular disorder and their relatives. Biological markers: Measurable characteristics or traits whose patterns parallel the inheritance of a disorder or other characteristic. Genetic mapping: The attempt by biological researchers to identify the structure of a gene and the characteristics it controls.