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AB.Psych_CH.1 Terms
Abnormal Psych (6th ed.) - Halgin & Whitbourne - CH.1_terms
Question | Answer |
---|---|
adoption study | method of comparing genetic vs. environmental contributions to a disorder by tracking the incidence of disorders in children whose biological parents have DX psychological disorders but whose rearing parents do not. |
asylums | place of refuge or safety; psychiatric facility; word became to have a negative connotation. |
baseline | the period in which a participant is observed prior to being given treatment; purpose being to document the frequency of the target behavior. |
biological markers | measurable characteristics or traits whose patterns parallel the inheritance of a disorder or other characteristic. |
biopsychosocial | a model in which the interaction of biological, psychological, & sociocultural factors is seen as influencing the development of the individual. |
case study methods | intensive study of a single person described in detail. |
concordance rate | agreement ratios between people DX as having a particular disorder & their relatives. |
control group | group of participants that does not receive the treatment thought to influence the behavior under study. |
correlation | an association, or correlation, between tow variables, that can range in value from +1.0 to -1.0 |
cross fostering study | a method of comparing genetic vs. environmental contributions to a disorder by tracking the incidence of disorders in children who are adopted by parents with psychological disorders but whose biological parents do not. |
deinstitutionalization movement | the process in the 1960-1970s that prompted the release of psychiatric patients into community treatment sites. |
demand characteristics | the expectations of participants in a experiment about what is going to happen to them or the proper way to respond. |
dependent variable | variable whose value is the outcome of the experimenter's manipulation of the independent variable |
diathesis-stress model | proposal that people are born with a predisposition (or diathesis) that places them at risk for developing a psychological disorder if exposed to certain extremely stressful life experiences |
dizygotic twins | nonidentical or fraternal twins who are genetically alike only to the same degree as other siblings |
double-blind technique | experimental procedure in which neither the person giving the treatment nor the person receiving the treatment knows whether the participant is in the experimental or control group |
experimental group | group of participants that receives the treatment thought to influence the behavior under the study |
experimental method | research method that involves altering or changing the conditions to which participants are exposed (independent variable) & observing the effects of this manipulation on the participant's behavior (dependent variable) |
genetic mapping | the attempt by biological researchers to identify the structure of a gene & the characteristics it controls |
hypnotism | the process of inducing a trance state |
hypothesis formation process | the stage of research in which the researcher generates ideas about a cause-effect relationship between the behaviors under study |
hysteria | disorder in which psychological problems become expressed in physical form |
incidence | the frequency of new cases within a given time period |
independent variable | variable whose level is adjusted or controlled by the experimenter |
medical model | the view that abnormal behavior result from physical problems & should be treated medically |
mental health parity | a standard that would require health insurers to provide equal levels of coverage for physical & mental illnesses |
mesmerized | derived from the name Mesmer; process of bringing about a state of heightened suggestibility through the words & actions of a charismatic individual |
monozygotic twins | identical twins who share the same genetic inheritance |
moral treatment | the philosophy popular in the mid-19th century that people can, with proper care, develop self-control over their own disturbed behaviors |
multiple baseline approach | in behavioral research, the observation of different dependent variables in a person over the course of treatment, or observing the behavior as it occurs under different conditions |
observation process | the stage of research in which the researcher watches & records the behavior of interest |
placebo condition | the condition used in experimental research in which people are given an inert substance or treatment that is similar in all other ways to the experimental treatment |
population | the entire group of individuals sharing a particular characteristic |
pragmatic case study | an organized approach for the development & accumulation of case study material that focuses on practical results |
prevalence | the # of people who have ever had a disorder at a given time or over a specified period |
probability | the odds or likelihood that an event will happen |
psychoanalysis | a theory and system of practice that relies heavily on the concepts of the unconscious mind, inhibited sexual impulses, early development, & the use of the "free association" technique & dream analysis |
psychoanalytic model | an approach that seeks explanations of abnormal behavior in the workings of unconscious psychological processes |
psychotherapy | the treatment of abnormal behavior through psychological techniques |
quasi-experimental design | a design that is like an experimental design but lacks the key ingredient of random assignment to groups |
representativeness | the extent to which a sample adequately reflects the characteristics of the population from which it is drawn |
single-subject design | an experimental procedure in which one person at a time is studied in both the experimental & control conditions |
stigma | a label that causes certain people to be regarded as different, defective, & set apart from mainstream members of society |
survey method | a research tool, used to gather information from a sample of people considered representative of particular population, in which participants are asked to answer questions about the topic of concern |
trephining | the drilling of a hole in the skull; psychological treatment in prehistoric times |
variable | a dimension along which people, things, or events differ |