Exam #2

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

11:07 AM
Stress - disruption in the course of a persons physical or psychological functioning
Psychological stressors
o Catastrophic events
o Conflict
o Pressured situations
measured
o Self-report - surveys measured in Life change units LCUs
Life experience survey LES
Perception
Daily hassles
o Behavioral
# cigarettes smokes
Less response bias but more open to interpretation
o Physiological
Heart rate, stress hormone levels
Baseline levels important
Pure measure but can be invasive
Responses
o Behavioral
Expressions, shaky voice, posture change, aggression
o Psychological
Emotional - anxiety, depression, anger
Cognitive - difficulty thinking/concentrating, memory loss, small event=end of world
o Physical
General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)
Alarm - activate nervous system - respiration, heart rate, blood pressure all go up
Resistance - increase production of steroids - short term energy
Exhaustion - final rallying of defenses followed by breakdown
Impact
o Psychoneuroimmunology - the study of stress, emotions, thoughts and behavior on the immune system
3 types of consequences
Direct physiological effects - heart rate
Harmful behaviors
Indirect heath related behaviors
Mediator cognitive appraisal
o Stressor then perceive as a threat or not - depends on person
If yes threat then can I cope?
o Social support
o Personality
Optimism vs negative affectivity
Hardiness - thrive in the face of stress
Type A behavior - increases the intensity of stress experience (workaholic)
Issues in research
o Certain events universally stressful some not
o Not always bad - right amount, moderately challenging, short period
Coping - efforts to control, reduce, or tolerate the threats that lead to stress
o Emotion focused
o Problem focused
o Gender differences
 o Modify cognitive appraisals
o Hobbies
o Exercise
o Social outlet
o Religious
o Stress management programs - meditation

3/6/15
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
7:24 PM
Personality
Enduring distinctive thoughts, emotions, behaviors that characterize individuals and how they adapt to the
world
Freud's psychoanalytic theory
o Sex drive - main determinant of personality development
o Early childhood shapes
o Unconscious processes influence behavior
o Constant conflict between desire to meet sexual urges and reality of living
Personality Structure
o 1d
Instincts and reservoir of psychic energy
Pleasure
o Ego
Deals w/ demands of reality
Reality principle
o Super Ego
Moral branch of personality
"conscience"
Ego's Defense Mechanisms
o Conflict between id, ego, superego results in anxiety or guilt
o Repression
Foundation for all defense mechanisms
Involuntarily put conscious conflict/problem into unconscious
Slips of the tongue "Freudian slip"
Ex : in "Friends" Ross says Rachel in wedding
o Denial
Never consciously recognizing conflict/problem in the first place
o Displacement
Act out feelings on an object other than the true target
o Projection
Assign your own characteristics onto someone else
o Sublimation
Replace an unacceptable impulse with a socially acceptable one
o Rationalization
Find a rational sounding argument to explain something, but misses the true explanation
o Reaction formation
Give strong expression to the opposite of true feelings b/c true feelings are threatened
o Regression
Seek the security of an earlier developmental period
Psychodynamic Approach to Personality Assessment
o Psychoanalysis (think subject on couch, therapist takes notes)
o Analyze dreams
 o Hypnosis
o Projective tests - project own meaning on ambiguous stimuli
Thematic Apperception Test (AT)
Series of ambiguous pictures viewed one at a time
Elicited stories reveal an individuals personality
Rorschach Inkblot Test
Personality score based on description of inkblots
Research on reliability/validity discouraging
o Criticisms
Questionable reliability/validity
Too much emphasis on early experiences
Too much faith on unconscious mind
Too much emphasis on sexual instincts
Theory cannot be tested
Pessimistal view of people
Humanistic Perceptions
o Emphasis on
Self perceptions
Capacity for personal growth
Freedom to choose own destiny
Positive human qualities
Rational - conscious experience
Sociality oriented
Ability to achieve what we desire
o Abraham Maslow
Humans have inner drive to grow, improve and reach their full potential
o Self actualization
o Carl Rogers - concept of self in central to theory of Rogers and other humanists
Merge real (perceived) and ideal self
Born w/ need for positive regard
Want unconditional positive regard from others with no conditions of worth
o Criticism
Vague, almost philosophical, formulations
Too optimistic in human nature
Promotes self love and narcissism
Trait Approach
o Traits - enduring personality characteristics that lead to typical responses5
People can be described by their typical behavior
o Traits are building blocks of personality
o 5 factor model : The "Big 5"
Broad traits - main dimensions of personality
Strong vs weak tendencies ( everyone has them, but how much is shown)
O.C.E.A.N.
Openness - inventive/curiousness vs cautious/conservative
Conscientiousness - efficient/organized vs. easy going/careless
Extraversion - outgoing vs shy
Agreeableness - friendly vs competitive/outspoken
Neuroticism - sensitive/nervous vs secure/confident or positive vs negative
Accepted across cultures
But differs in meaning by culture
Ex: introversion valued in Japan, Extroversion valued in U.S.
Even in animals
Monday, March 9, 2015
11:19 AM
Biological Perspectives
Personality and the brain
o Brain damage alters personality - Phineas Gage - railroad spike
o Brain size/responses correlate with personality
Behavioral Genetics
o Twin studies reveal substantial genetic influence on personality
Personological Perspectives
Henry Murray
o Personology - the study of the whole person
o Motives are largely unconscious
Need for achievement, affiliation and power
Dan McAdams
o Life story approach - our life story is our identity
Evaluation
Contributions
Rich record of an individuals experience
Criticisms
Difficult and time consuming
Extensive coding and content analysis
Not easily generalized
Social Cognitive Perspectives
Walter Mischel - stability vs. change
o Situationalism - behavior and personality vary considerably across context
Emphasize conscious process
o Interpretation of situation
o Goals
o Expectations
o Beliefs
o Personal control
Internal locus of control - I control my own life/behavior
External locus of control - mu life/behavior is controlled by environmental factors outside of
myself and beyond my control
Personality Assessment
Importance of valid assessments
Myers Briggs Type indicator
o Four dimensions
Extraversion-introversion
Act first think later, think first then act
Sensing - intuiting
Practical or imaginative
Thinking - feeling
Analytical or emotional
judgment - perception
Plan everything or go with flow
o Used to make personnel decisions
o Not empirically supported
Barnum effect
o Something for everyone
Forer profile
 o Description of personality portrayed as tailored to specific individual
o Individual perceives as highly accurate
o Vague and general as to apply to almost anyone
Trait Approach
o NEO PI-R
Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Personality Inventory-Revised
Assess the big 5 factors
Reliable and valid assessment
o MMPI
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory
Used for diagnosing psychosocial disorders
Used to make hiring decision and determine criminal risk
567 binary items (t/f)
Empirical test construction
Self-report Tests
o Beware social desirability
o Addressing social desirability problem
Test takers do not know what is being measured
Test items not related to purpose of test
Built in validity scales - MMPI is an example
Defining and explaining Abnormal Behavior
Wednesday march 11th
What is abnormal?
Behavior that is
o Deviant (atypical)
o Maladaptive (dysfunctional)
o Personally distressing (despair)
Only 1 needs to be present usually 2 or 3 tho
Theoretical approaches
o Biological Approach - medical model
Disorders with biological origins
Drug therapy
Genetic predisposition - greater genetic likelihood of developing disorder
Genes not necessarily expressed
o Psychological Approach
Experiences, emotions, thoughts and personality
o Sociocultural Approach
Social context
o Bio-psychosocial Model
Interaction of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors
Genetic predisposition interacting with stress to produce disorder
DSM
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
o Provides a standardized criteria for classifying disorders
Advantages
o Provides a common basis for communication
o Helps clinicians make predictions
o Naming the disorder can provide comfort
Disadvantages
o Stigma (shame, negative reputation)
o Medical terminology implies internal cause
o Focus on weakness ignores strengths
 Anxiety disorders
Fears that are uncontrollable, intense, long-lasting, disruptive
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
o Diagnosis and symptoms
Persistent anxiety for at least 6months
Inability to specify reasons for the anxiety
Constant state of worry and dread, restlessness, muscle tension, irritability, headaches,
difficulty concentrating and sleeping
o Etiology
Biological factors
Genetic predispositions, GABA deficiency
Psychological and sociocultural factors
Harsh self-standards, critical parents, negative thoughts, trauma
Panic Disorder
o Diagnosis and Symptoms
Recurrent, sudden onset of intense terror (panic attacks) that often occur without
warning
Heart palpitations, dizziness, sweating
Less than 10 mins
Common 30% of US in past year
o Etiology
Biological factors
Genetic predisposition - overly active automatic nervous system, hormonal
imbalance, GABA deficiency
Psychological disorders
Misinterpret arousal, fear of PA in public
Sociocultural disorders
Gender differences
Phobic Disorder
o Diagnosis and Symptoms
An irrational, overwhelming, persistent fear of a particular object or situation
Often person knows fear is irrational
o Etiology
Bio factors
Genetic predisposition, dysfunctional brain activity - over activation of
amygdala, under activation prefrontal cortex
Psychological factors
Learned
o Acrophobia - heights
o Agoraphobia - being away from home/alone
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
o Diagnosis and symptoms
Persistent anxiety - provoking thoughts and or urges to perform repetitive, ritualistic
behaviors to prevent or produce a situation
2 parts
Obsession - thoughts
Compulsion - behavior
o Etiology
Bio factors
Genetic predispositions, dysfunctional neuron loop in frontal cortex
Psychological factors
Life stress
 PTSD
o Diagnosis and Symptoms
Exposure to trauma
Re-experiencing - flashbacks
Avoiding
Excessive arousal - anger outbursts, hyper-vigilance
o Etiology
Trauma
Combat and war related
Sexual abuse and assault
Natural and unnatural disasters
Vulnerability
Genetic predisposition
Previous history of trauma
Mood Disorders
o disturbance of mood that affects entire emotional states
o Types
major depressive disorder
dysthymic disorder
bipolar disorder
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
o Diagnosis and Symptoms
Significant depressive episode that lasts for at least two weeks
Defined by presence of at least 5 of 9 symptoms
Daily function is impaired
depressed mood
reduced interest or pleasure (anhedonia)
significant weight loss/gain or significant appetite disturbance
sleep disturbance
psychomotor agitation
fatigue/loss of energy
feelings of worthlessness or guilt
difficulty thinking/concentrating
suicidal ideation
o Etiology
biological factors:
genetic predisposition
decrease in neurotransmitters (esp. serotonin)
decreased hippocampus size
psychological factors:
pessimistic attributions
ruminating on negative, self-defeating thoughts
sociocultural factors:
poverty
gender differences
Dysthymic Disorder (DD)
o Diagnosis and Symptoms
fewer systems than MDD
defined by presence of 2 out of 6 symptoms
appetite disturbance
sleep disturbance
low energy/fatigue
 low self-esteem
poor concentration
feelings of hopelessness
chronic depression
unbroken depressed mood lasting at least two years (adult) or one year (child)
Bipolar Disorder
o Onset typically at 15-25 yrs
o Characterized by extreme mood swings
Depression
Mania
Burst of energy (less seep)
Euphoric
Risky Behavior
o Etiology
strong genetic component
swings in metabolic activity in cerebral cortex
Dissociative Disorders
o Sudden, often temporary, disruption of consciousness, memory, identity
o Dissociation
feels disconnected from their immediate experiences
loss of memory or change in identity
generally following a stressful event
may serve as protection from extreme stress or shock
o Dissociative Amnesia
Suddenly inability to remember important info about self
may involve memory gap for specific traumatic event or long periods of time
retrograde amnesia- forget past up to a certain point
anterograde amnesia- cant form new memories
o Dissociative Fugue
Completely forget personal identity but only temporarily
unexpected travel; wandering around
suddenly take on completely new identity, abandoning old one
Dissociative Identity Disorder
o Diagnosis and Symptoms
the same individual possesses two or more distinct personalities
each personality has unique memories, behaviors, and relationships
not accessible to other personalities
only one personality is dominant at a time
personality shifts occur under distress
o Etiology
mostly women
extraordinarily severe abuse in early childhood
often linked with childhood sexual abuse
Schizophrenia
o pattern of serious symptoms involving severely disturbed thinking, emotion, perception, and
behavior
o disordered thought
o odd communication
o inappropriate emotion
o abnormal motor behavior
o social withdrawal
Split from reality (psychotic)
 split mind but not DID
Typically diagnosed in late adolescence/ early adulthood
o Etiology of Schizophrenia
Biological Factors
genetic predisposition
structural brain abnormalities
enlarged ventricles
small frontal cortex/less activity
regulation of neurotransmitters- dopamine
Psychological Factors
diathesis-stress model: genetic predisposition, stress trigger
Sociocultural Factors
associated with poverty
o Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Disturbances in Thinking
Neologisms (new words that have meaning to only them)
loose associations
clang associations
o I heard the bell. Well, hell, then I fell.
word salad
o Colorless green ideas sleep furiously
delusions:
being watched
of persecution
of grandeur
of reference
thought control
thought broadcasting
Disturbances in Emotion
Flat or blunted affect
Inappropriate affect
Disturbances in Perception & Attention
attention difficulties and memory problems
impaired ability to interpret information and make decisions
Feeling detached from the world
Hallucinations
Sensations without external stimuli to produce them
Disturbances in Movement & Behavior
agitated movement
catatonia
decreased motivation
decreased social skills
decreased personal hygiene
o Schizophrenia Subtypes
o Disorganized
delusions, hallucinations, incoherent speech, flat affect, poor hygiene
o Catatonic
Alternates between immobility/stupor and hyperactivity/wild movement
o Paranoid
Delusions of grandeur and persecution, anxiety
erratic/unpredictable
argumentative & angry
 o Undifferentiated
mix of symptoms
cant be typed into any above category
o Personality Disorders
chronic maladaptive cognitive-behavioral patterns
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Diagnosis and symptoms
Disregard for others rights and rules of society
Lack of remorse
Guiltless law-breaking, violence, deceit
Impulsive, irritable reckless and irresponsible
Etiology
Bio factors genetic, brain and nervous system differences
o Borderline Personality Disorder
Diagnosis and symptoms
Instability in interpersonal relationships and self image
Irrational belief one is powerless, unacceptable and that others are hostile
Frantic efforts to avoid abandonment
Splitting view others as deeply beloved or hated enemies
Impulsive, insecure, unstable and extreme emotions
Self-mutilating or suicidal behavior
Etiology
Genetic, childhood abuse, more common in women
o Implications: Suicide
o Prevalence
every 14.2 minutes, someone in the US dies by suicide
10th leading cause of death in US
3rd leading cause of death in adolescence (10-19 yrs)
o Suicide
Biological factors
low levels of serotonin
poor health
Psychological Factors
Mental disorders
Trauma
Substance abuse
Sociocultural Factors
chronic economic hardship
family history
gender differences: women are 3 times more likely to attempt, but men are 4
times more likely to die by suicide (lethal means)
o Social Implications
o Stereotypes and Stigma
negative attitudes toward mentally ill
successfully functioning individuals with mental illness reluctant to come out
educate to reduce stereotypes
use person-centered language

Therapies
Biological therapies
Bio/medical approach
o Treat physical cause of psychological disorder
 Forms of biological therapy
o Psychosurgery - drill into brain let demons out
o Electroconvulsive therapy ECT - serious depression
o Drug therapy
Antidepressants - influence levels of serotonin uptake
Mood stabilizers - lithium
Antianxiety meds
Antipsychotics - block dopamine
Psychodynamic therapies
Unconscious conflicts create problems
Emphasis
o Unconscious mind
o Early childhood experiences
o Therapeutic interpretation
Goals
o Relax barriers of conscious mind
Humanistic Therapies
Client is not functioning at optimal level
Emphasis
o Conscious thoughts
o Self healing and fulfillment
Goals
o Self understanding
o Personal growth
Methods
o Person centered therapy
o Unconditional persisted regard
o Provide empathy
Active listening and reflective speech
Behavioral Therapies **
Client has learned maladaptive behavior patterns
Emphasis
o Overt behavior change
Goals
o Reduce or eliminate maladaptive behavior
Methods
o Modeling
Social skills training
o Classical and operant conditioning
Positive reinforcement of adaptive behavior
Extinguish maladaptive behaviors (aversive conditioning)
Exposure
Systematic desensitization
flooding