PSYC 435 Exam Questions With Correct
Answers
What is abnormal psychology concerned with? - answerunderstanding the nature, causes and
treatment of mental disorders
What is family aggregation - answerwhether a disorder runs in families
7 indicators of abnormailty - answer1. subjective distress
...
What is abnormal psychology concerned with? - answer✔understanding the nature, causes and
treatment of mental disorders
What is family aggregation - answer✔whether a disorder runs in families
7 indicators of abnormailty - answer✔1. subjective distress
2. maladaptiveness
3. statistical delivery
4. violation of the standards of society
5. social discomfort
6. irrationality and unpredictability
7. dangerousness
DSM definition of a mental disorder - answer✔A syndrome that is present in an individual and
that involves clinically significant disturbance in behaviour, emotional regulation or cognitive
functioning
Advantages of classification - answer✔Provides us with nomenclature and enable us to structure
information in a more helpful manner
Disadvantages of classification - answer✔Use of shorthand leads to a loss of information, there
can be some stigma associated with a having a psychiatric diagnosis, and stereotyping
What is epidemiology - answer✔the study of the distribution of diseases, disorders or health
related behaviours in a given population
Difference between prevalence and incidence - answer✔prevalence refers to the number of
active cases in a population, incidence refers to the number of new cases that occur over a given
period of time
What is external validity - answer✔The extent to which we can generalize results of a study
What is internal validity - answer✔The degree of confidence we can have in the results of a
particular study
What is a correlation coefficient? - answer✔the strength of a correlation
What is statistical significance? - answer✔probability that results are due to chance
What is a meta analysis? - answer✔Statistical approach which calculates and then combines the
effect sizes from studies
what is a longitudinal design? - answer✔a study that follows people over time and tries to
identify factors that predate the onset of a disorder
what is an experimental research approach? - answer✔A study where researchers control all
factors except one
What is an ABAB design? - answer✔A design that starts with controlled conditions, introduces
treatment, removes the treatment, and then reintroduces the treatment. Recommended form of
practice. Has more comparisons which allows for greater confidence in findings.
3 general categories of mental disorders according to hippocrates - answer✔1. mania
2. melancholia
3. phrenitis (brain fever)
hippocrates belief on mental disorders - answer✔Denied that demons intervened, instead insisted
that mental disorders had natural causes. Believed that mental disorders were due to brain
pathology.
Mahers four element theory - answer✔Four elements:
1. blood (sanguis)
2. phlem
3. bile (choler)
4. black bile (melancholia)
These fluids combined in different proportions in different individuals, and determines a person's
temperament
plato's opinion on mental illness - answer✔Responses of the whole organism, reflecting its
internal state. Such persons were not responsible for their acts and should not receive normal
punishment.
aristotle's opinion on mental illness - answer✔agreed with aristotles theory of the bile, and
thought very hot bile generated amorous desires, verbal fluency, and suicidal impulses
what country was the earliest civilization to attend to mental disorders - answer✔china, but then
regressed to a belief in supernatural forces as causal agents
what is mass madness - answer✔the widespread occurrence of group behaviour disorders that
were apparently cases of hysteria
what is tarantism - answer✔groups of people would suddenly start to jump, dance, and go into
convulsions
What is lycanthropy? - answer✔A condition in which people believe themselves to be possessed
by wolves
what is pinel's experiment - answer✔tested his views that patients with mental illness should be
treated with kindness. removed chains from patients, provided sunny rooms and permitted
exercise
what is moral management? - answer✔emphasized the patients' moral and spiritual development
and rehabilitation of their character rather than their disorders
what is the mental hygiene movement? - answer✔advocated the physical well being of patients,
received no help for mental problems, created by Dorothy Dix
what is neurasthenisia - answer✔an old condition that involved pervasive feelings of low mood,
lack of energy, and physical symptoms related to demands of civilization
what is the deinstitutionalization movement? - answer✔during the latter of the 20th century
vigorous efforts were made to close down mental hospitals and return people who were
psychiatrically disabled to the community, considered a more humane treatment
4 major themes in abnormal psychology in the 20th century - answer✔1. biological discoveries
2. the development of a classification system for mental disorders
3. the emergence of psychological causation views
4. experimental psychological research developments
paresis-syphilis of the brain - answer✔produced paralysis and insanity, typically caused death
within 2-5 years as a result of brain deterioration, treatment discovered in 1917
what are lobotomies and when were they used - answer✔an ice pick was used to sever the neural
connections in the brain after entering through the eye sockets, used in 1920s
mesmer's opinion on mental illness - answer✔believed the planets affected a universal magnetic
fluid in the body, the distribution of which determined health or disease
what 2 methods enabled freud to explore unconscious - answer✔free association and dream
analysis
necessary cause, sufficient cause, contributory cause - answer✔necessary: a character must exist
for a disorder to occur, sufficient: a condition that guarantees the occurrence of a disorder,
contributory: factor that increases probability of developing a disorder
distal vs proximal risk factors - answer✔distal: causal factors occurring relatively early in life
proximal: causal factors occurring shortly before the onset of symptoms of a disorder
4 categories of biological factors that seem relevant to the development of maladaptive
behaviour - answer✔1. genetic vulnerabilities
2. brain dysfunction and neural plasticity
3. neurotransmitter and hormonal abnormalities
4. temperament
what are polymorphisms? - answer✔naturally occurring variations of genes
3 ways in which an individuals genotype may shape their environment - answer✔1. genotype has
passive effect on environment
2. genotype has evocative effect on environment
3. genotype has active effect on environment
3 primary methods used in behaviour genetics - answer✔1. family history method
2. twin method
3. adoption method
what are linkage analysis studies - answer✔attempt to determine the actual location of genes
responsible for mental disorders
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