Chapter 13 Learning Objectives with SubQuestions As you review the various theories in this chapter, you might want to make notes on the tables at the end of this document to use as study aids for comparing the theories later. MYTHS & REALITIES OF ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR #1) Describe the medical model of abnormal behavior (pp 403-404) What does the medical model think about abnormal behavior? What does pathology mean? #2) Explain the most commonly used criteria of abnormality (pp 404-405) What are the three criteria that mental health professionals use to diagnose psychological disorders? #3) List three stereotypes of people with psychological disorders (Activities 13.1 and 13.2 + the Stereotypes of Psychological Disorders lecture slide) During your lecture and Activities 13.1 and 13.2 where you had to guess which student role-played the part of a mentally ill person at the bus stop and where you watched video clips of individuals with psychiatric disorders, which of the following statements did you find to be false an indication that they are common stereotypes of psychological disorders? o People with psychological disorders, at first glance, usually are indistinguishable from people without psychological disorders. o People with psychological disorders always behave in bizarre ways and are very different from normal people. o People with psychological disorders are often violent and dangerous. o People with even the most severe psychological disorders can be treated successfully. #4) List the five diagnostic axes of DSM-IV (pp 405-406 + Figure 13.2) Referring to Figure 13.2, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (the latest version of which is abbreviated DSM-IV) is a formal classification system used in the diagnosis of what? How many axes does the DSM-IV have? o On which axes (I, II, III, IV, or V) are clinical syndromes, personality disorders and mental retardation recorded on? o On which axes (I, II, III, IV, or V) is supplement information (like general medical conditions, psychosocial and environmental problems, and current level of functioning) recorded on?
#5) Discuss estimates of the prevalence of psychological disorders (this should be covered during your class lecture) Referring to the two How Common are Psychological Disorders lecture slides: o According to the DSM-IV and lifetime prevalence, what percentage of the population will experience a psychological disorder at some point in their lives? o According to continuing research on lifetime prevalence, what fraction of the population will experience a psychological disorder at some point in their lives? ANXIETY DISORDERS #6) List five types of anxiety disorders and describe the symptoms associated with each (pp 407-408) What are anxiety disorders? What is generalized anxiety disorder, and what types of physical symptoms are associated with this disorder? What is a phobic disorder, and what are some common phobias that people develop? What is a panic disorder, and what phobia is associated with it? What is obsessive-compulsive disorder? o What types of thoughts do the obsessions often center on? o What types of compulsions (or ritual behaviors) do people commonly engage in to relieve their anxiety? What is posttraumatic stress disorder, and what symptoms are commonly associated with it? #7) Discuss the contribution of biological and cognitive factors, conditioning, and stress to the etiology (the cause or origin) of anxiety disorders (pp 409-410) Regarding the influence of biological factors on anxiety disorders: According to twin and family studies, does the research suggest that the genetic predisposition for anxiety disorders is low, moderate, or high? Evidence about which two neurotransmitters suggests that there may be a neurochemical basis for anxiety disorders? Regarding the influence of conditioning on anxiety disorders: What are the two separate conditioning processes that can create and then sustain specific anxiety responses? Conditioning seems to play a primary role in one particular type of anxiety disorder, as a substantial portion of people identify a traumatic conditioning experience that contributed to it. Which anxiety disorder is it? Seligman s concept of preparedness may explain why people develop phobias of certain objects and situations especially phobias of ancient over modern sources of threat. What are some examples of these ancient and modern sources of threat?
SOMATOFORM DISORDERS #8) Compare and contrast the three somatoform disorders and discuss their etiology (pp 410-412) What are somatoform disorders? What is a somatization disorder, and what is its distinguishing feature? What is conversion disorder, and what are some of its common symptoms? What is hypochondriasis, and what do hypochondriacs frequently do when they are told by their physician that they do not have a real illness? Regarding the influence of cognitive factors on somatoform disorders: Recent evidence suggests that people with somatoform disorders tend to apply a faulty standard of good health to themselves. What does that mean? Regarding the influence of the sick role on somatoform disorders: What are three benefits that are commonly associated with being sick? DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS #9) Describe three dissociative disorders and their etiology (pp 412-413) What are dissociative disorders? What is dissociative amnesia? o How extensive is the memory loss in dissociative amnesia? o What types of traumatic events have been associated with dissociative amnesia? What is dissociative fugue? o How extensive is the memory loss in dissociative fugue? o Referring to the Dissociative Fugue lecture slide, what other characteristic is associated with dissociative fugue in addition to memory loss? What is dissociative identity disorder? Regarding the cause or origins (etiology) of dissociative disorders: Both dissociative amnesia and dissociative fugue are usually attributed to what? While some theorists believe that dissociative identity disorder (DID) is an authentic disorder, others do not: o The skeptical theorists, who do not believe that DID is an authentic disorder, think that people with multiple personalities are simply engaging in what? o The theorists who believe that it is an authentic disorder think that most cases of DID are rooted in what? Which dissociative disorder is the most controversial, since so little is known about its causes?
MOOD DISORDERS #10) Describe the two major mood disorders (pp 414-416) What are mood disorders? What is major depressive disorder? o Based on the finding of one longitudinal study, your chances of relapsing into depression, after you ve just recovered from your first depressive episode, is what percentage after one year? After two years? After five years? o What percentage of Americans endures a depressive disorder at some time in their lives? What is bipolar disorder? o What percentage of the population is affected by bipolar disorder? o What is the peak age of onset for bipolar disorder? #11) Explain how genetic and neurochemical factors may be related to the development of mood disorders (pp 416-417) Regarding the influence of genetic factors on mood disorders: Does the evidence suggest that genetic factors influence the likelihood of developing mood disorders? Regarding the influence of neurochemical and neuroanatomical factors on mood disorders: Mood disorders have been linked to abnormal levels of which two neurotransmitters? Depression has been linked to what structural abnormality in the brain? #12) Explain how cognitive factors, interpersonal factors, and stress may be related to the development of mood disorders (pp 417-418) Regarding the influence of cognitive factors on mood disorders: Seligman believes that the roots of depression lie in what? What type of explanatory style makes a person more vulnerable to depression? If a person has a pessimistic explanatory style: o What does he tend to attribute his setbacks to? o What types of conclusions does he tend to draw about his personal inadequacies based on these setbacks? Regarding the influence of interpersonal factors on mood disorders: Do inadequate social skills put people on the road to mood disorders or not? Regarding the influence of stress on mood disorders: What type of link exists between stress and the onset of mood disorders? Is there a moderately weak link or a moderately strong link between the two?
SCHIZOPHRENIA #13) Describe the general characteristics (symptoms) of schizophrenia (pp 418-419) What are schizophrenic disorders? What four symptoms are commonly seen in schizophrenia? o What is the central, defining feature of schizophrenic disorders? o What are delusions? o What does deterioration of adaptive behavior mean? o What are hallucinations? o What two types of emotional response are characteristic of disturbed emotion? #14) Discuss the course of schizophrenia (p 421 + your lecture notes) At what stage of life do schizophrenic disorders usually emerge? What percentage of schizophrenic patients enjoys a full recovery? Referring to the Course & Outcome lecture slide, what six factors contribute to a favorable prognosis for schizophrenia? #15) Explain how genetic vulnerability, neurochemical factors, and structural abnormalities in the brain may contribute to the etiology of schizophrenia (pp 421-423) Regarding the influence of genetic factors on schizophrenia: Is there evidence that heredity factors play a role in the development of schizophrenia or not? Regarding the influence of neurochemical factors on schizophrenia: The dopamine hypothesis asserts that the neurochemical basis for schizophrenia is an excessive level of which neurotransmitter in the brain? Regarding the influence of structural abnormalities on schizophrenia: CT and MRI scans suggest an association between schizophrenic disturbance and what structural abnormality in the brain? #16) Summarize evidence on how neurodevelopmental processes, family dynamics, and stress may be related to the development of schizophrenia (pp 423-426) Regarding the influence of neurodevelopmental processes on schizophrenia: The neurodevelopmental hypothesis asserts that schizophrenia is caused, at least in part, by what? What three sources of early insults to the brain has research focused on thus far? o Which two occur during prenatal development? o Which one occurs during the birth process?
Regarding the influence of family dynamics on schizophrenia: What is the meaning of expressed emotion? What do studies indicate about the family s expressed emotion and the course of schizophrenia? Specifically, is it a good predictor or a poor predictor of the course of a schizophrenic patient s illness? How many times higher are the relapse rates for schizophrenic patients who return to a family that is high in expressed emotion versus a family that is low in expressed emotion? EATING DISORDERS #18) Describe the subtypes, symptoms, and etiology of eating disorders (Pp 427-429) What are eating disorders? What is anorexia nervosa? o Do individuals suffering from anorexia appreciate the maladaptive quality of their behavior and seek treatment on their own? Why or why not? o What cascade of medical problems can anorexia eventually lead to? What is bulimia nervosa? o Do individuals suffering from bulimia typically maintain a reasonably normal weight? Which is the more life-threatening condition? Anorexia or bulimia? Who is more likely to recognize that their eating behavior is pathological? Someone suffering from anorexia or bulimia? About what percentage of individuals with anorexia and bulimia are female? Regarding the influence of personality factors on eating disorders: Victims of anorexia nervosa tend to display what types of personality traits? Victims of bulimia nervosa tend to display what types of personality traits? What is an additional risk factor for anorexia? Regarding the influence of family dynamics on eating disorders: Some theorists suggest that when parents turn the normal adolescent push for independence into an unhealthy struggle, it can lead to adolescent eating disorders. What type of involvement do these parents have in their children s life that provokes such eating disorders?
CULTURE & PATHOLOGY OF PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS (this learning objective was moved to the end since it applies to all of the disorders) #17) Discuss the evidence on culture and pathology (pp 426-427) What do theorists who hold a relativistic view of psychological disorders believe? What do theorists who hold a pancultural view of psychological disorders believe? What are culture-bound disorders, and which of the two views do they support?
Anxiety disorders Description of the disorder Symptoms, characteristics, distinguishing features, or examples of the disorder Generalized anxiety disorder Phobic disorder Panic disorder Obsessive-compulsive disorder Posttraumatic stress disorder What are the potential causes or origins (etiology) of anxiety disorders?
Somatoform disorders Description of the disorder Symptoms, characteristics, distinguishing features, or examples of the disorder Somatization disorder Conversion disorder Hypochondriasis What are the potential causes or origins (etiology) of somatoform disorders?
Dissociative disorders Description of the disorder Symptoms, characteristics, distinguishing features, or examples of the disorder Dissociative amnesia Dissociative fugue Dissociative identity disorder What are the potential causes or origins (etiology) of dissociative disorders?
Mood disorders Description of the disorder Symptoms, characteristics, distinguishing features, or examples of the disorder Major depressive disorder Bipolar disorder What are the potential causes or origins (etiology) of mood disorders?
Disorder Description of the disorder Symptoms, characteristics, distinguishing features, or examples of the disorder Schizophrenic disorders What are the potential causes or origins (etiology) of schizophrenic disorders?
Eating disorders Description of the disorder Symptoms, characteristics, distinguishing features, or examples of the disorder Anorexia nervosa Bulimia nervosa What are the potential causes or origins (etiology) of eating disorders?