n
ABNORMAL PSYC - AU 435 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION
ABAB design - an experimental design, often involving a single subject, wherein a baseline period (A) is
followed by a treatment (B). To confirm that the treatment resulted in a change in behavior, the
treatment is then withdrawn (A) and reinstated (B)
abnormal psychology - field of psychology concerned with the study, assessment, treatment, and
prevention of abnormal behavior
acute - term used to describe a disorder of sudden onset, usually with intense symptoms
analogue studies - studies in which a researcher attempts to emulate the conditions hypothesized as
leading to abnormality
bias - observer bias occurs when the researcher has preconceived ideas and expectations that influence
the observations he or she makes in the research study
case study - an in-depth examination of an individual or family that draws from a number of data
sources, including interviews and psychological testing
chronic - term used to describe a long-standing or frequently recurring disorder, often with progressing
seriousness
comorbidity - occurrence of two or more identified disorders in the same psychologically disordered
individual
comparison or control group - group of subjects who do not exhibit the disorder being studied but who
are comparable in all other respects to the criterion group. Also, a comparison group of subjects who do
not receive a condition or treatment the effects of which are being studied
correlation - the tendency of two variables to change together. With positive correlation, as one variable
goes up, so does the other; with negative correlation, one variable goes up as the other goes down
correlational research - a research strategy that examines whether and how variables go together
(covary) without manipulating (changing) any variables
correlation coefficient - a statistic that ranges from +1.0 to -1.0 and reflects the degree of association
between two variables. The magnitude of the correlation indicates the strength of the association, and
the sign indicates whether the correlation is positive or negative
criterion group - group of subjects who exhibit the disorder under study
dependent variable - in an experiment, the factor that is observed to change with changes in the
manipulated (independent) variables
,direct observation - method of collecting research data that involves directly observing behavior in a
given situation
direction of effect problem - refers to the fact that, in correlational research, it cannot be concluded
whether variable A causes variable B or whether variable B causes variable A
double-blind study - often used in studies examining drug treatment effects, a condition where neither
the subject nor the experimenter has knowledge about what specific experimental condition (or drug)
the subject is receiving
effect size - a statistical term referring to the strength of the relationship between two variables in a
statistical population
epidemiology - study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or health-related behaviors in a given
population. Mental health epidemiology is the study of the distribution of mental disorders.
etiology - factors that are related to the development (or cause) of a particular disorder
experimental research - research that involves the manipulation of a given factor or variable with
everything else held constant
external validity - the extent to which the findings from a single study are relevant to other populations,
contexts, or times
family aggregation - the clustering of certain traits, behaviors, or disorders within a given family. Family
aggregation may arise because of genetic or environmental similarities.
generalizability - the extent to which the findings from a single study can be used to draw conclusions
about other samples
hypothesis - statement or proposition, usually based on observation, that is tested in an experiment;
may be refuted or supported by experimental results but can never be conclusively proved
incidence - occurrence (onset) rate of a given disorder in a given population
independent variable - factor whose effects are being examined and which is manipulated in some way
while other variables are held constant
internal validity - the extent to which a study is free of confounds, is methodologically sound, and allows
the researcher to have confidence in the findings
labeling - assigning a person to a particular diagnostic category, such as schizophrenia
lifetime prevalence - the proportion of living persons in a population who have ever had a disorder up to
the time of the epidemiological assessment
longitudinal design - a research design in which people are followed over time
meta-analysis - a statistical method used to combine the results of a number of similar research studies.
The data from each study are transformed into a common metric called the effect size. This allows the
data from the various studies to be combined and then analyzed. You can think of a meta-analysis as
,being like research that you are already familiar with, except that the "participants" are individual
research studies, not individual people
negative correlation - a relationship between two variables such that a high score on one variable is
associated with a low score on another variable
nomenclature - a formalized naming system
1-year prevalence - the total number of cases of a health-related state or condition in a population for a
given year
placebo treatment - an inert pill or otherwise neutral intervention that produces desirable therapeutic
effects because of the subject's expectations that it will be beneficial
point prevalence - the number of cases of a specific condition or disorder that can be found in a
population at one given point in time
positive correlation - a relationship between two variables such that a high score on one variable is
associated with a high score on another variable
prevalence - in a population, the proportion of active cases of a disorder that can be identified at a given
point in time or during a given period
prospective research - method that often focuses on individuals who have a higher-than-average
likelihood of becoming psychologically disordered before abnormal behavior is observed
random assignment - a procedure used to create equivalent groups in which every research participant
has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in the study
retrospective research - research approach that attempts to retrace earlier events in the life of a subject
sampling - the process of selecting a representative subgroup from a defined population of interest
self-report data - data collected directly from participants, typically by means of interviews or
questionnaires
single-case research design - an experimental research design (e.g., an ABAB design) that involves only
one subject
statistical significance - a measure of the probability that a research finding could have occurred by
chance alone
stereotyping - the tendency to jump to conclusions (often negative) about what a person is like based on
beliefs about that group that exist (often incorrectly) in the culture (e.g., French people are rude,
homosexuals have good taste in clothes, mental patients are dangerous, etc.)
stigma - negative labeling
third variable problem - refers to the problem of making causal inferences in correlational research
where the correlation between two variables could be due to their shared correlation with an
unmeasured third variable
, asylums - historically, these were institutions meant solely for the care of the mentally ill
behavioral perspective - a theoretical viewpoint organized around the theme that learning is central in
determining human behavior
behaviorism - school of psychology that formerly restricted itself primarily to the study of overt behavior
catharsis n- ndischarge nof nemotional ntension nassociated nwith nsomething, nsuch nas nby ntalking nabout
npast ntrauma
classical nconditioning n- na nbasic nform nof nlearning nin nwhich na nneutral nstimulus nis npaired nrepeatedly
nwith nan nunconditioned nstimulus n(US) nthat nnaturally nelicits nan nunconditioned nresponse n(UR). nAfter
nrepeated npairings, nthe nneutral nstimulus nbecomes na nconditioned nstimulus n(CS) nthat nelicits na
nconditioned nresponse n(CR).
deinstitutionalization n- nmovement nto nclose nmental nhospitals nand ntreat npeople nwith nsevere nmental
ndisorder nin nthe ncommunity
dream nanalysis n- nmethod ninvolving nthe nrecording, ndescription, nand ninterpretation nof na npatient's
ndreams
exorcisms n- nreligiously ninspired ntreatment nprocedure ndesigned nto ndrive nout nevil nspirits nor nforces
nfrom na n"possessed" nperson
free nassociation n- nmethod nfor nprobing nthe nunconscious nby nhaving npatients ntalk nfreely nabout
nthemselves, ntheir nfeelings, nand ntheir nmotives
insanity n- nlegal nterm nfor nmental ndisorder, nimplying nlack nof nresponsibility nfor none's nacts nand
ninability nto nmanage none's naffairs
lycanthropy n- ndelusion nof nbeing na nwolf
mass nmadness n- nhistorically, nwidespread noccurrence nof ngroup nbehavior ndisorders nthat nwere
napparently ncases nof nhysteria
mental nhygiene nmovement n- nmovement nthat nadvocated na nmethod nof ntreatment nfocused nalmost
nexclusively non nthe nphysical nwell-being nof nhospitalized nmental npatients
mesmerism n- ntheory nof n"animal nmagnetism" n(hypnosis) nformulated nby nAnton nMesmer
moral nmanagement n- nwide-ranging nmethod nof ntreatment nthat nfocuses non na npatient's nsocial,
nindividual, nand noccupational nneeds
Nancy nSchool n- ngroup nof nphysicians nin n19th ncentury nEurope nwho naccepted nthe nview nthat nhysteria
nwas na nsort nof nself-hypnosis
operant nconditioning n- nform nof nlearning nin nwhich nif na nparticular nresponse nis nreinforced, nit nbecomes
nmore nlikely nto nbe nrepeated non nsimilar noccasions
psychoanalysis n- nmethods nFreud nused nto nstudy nand ntreat npatients
ABNORMAL PSYC - AU 435 QUESTIONS
WITH COMPLETE SOLUTION
ABAB design - an experimental design, often involving a single subject, wherein a baseline period (A) is
followed by a treatment (B). To confirm that the treatment resulted in a change in behavior, the
treatment is then withdrawn (A) and reinstated (B)
abnormal psychology - field of psychology concerned with the study, assessment, treatment, and
prevention of abnormal behavior
acute - term used to describe a disorder of sudden onset, usually with intense symptoms
analogue studies - studies in which a researcher attempts to emulate the conditions hypothesized as
leading to abnormality
bias - observer bias occurs when the researcher has preconceived ideas and expectations that influence
the observations he or she makes in the research study
case study - an in-depth examination of an individual or family that draws from a number of data
sources, including interviews and psychological testing
chronic - term used to describe a long-standing or frequently recurring disorder, often with progressing
seriousness
comorbidity - occurrence of two or more identified disorders in the same psychologically disordered
individual
comparison or control group - group of subjects who do not exhibit the disorder being studied but who
are comparable in all other respects to the criterion group. Also, a comparison group of subjects who do
not receive a condition or treatment the effects of which are being studied
correlation - the tendency of two variables to change together. With positive correlation, as one variable
goes up, so does the other; with negative correlation, one variable goes up as the other goes down
correlational research - a research strategy that examines whether and how variables go together
(covary) without manipulating (changing) any variables
correlation coefficient - a statistic that ranges from +1.0 to -1.0 and reflects the degree of association
between two variables. The magnitude of the correlation indicates the strength of the association, and
the sign indicates whether the correlation is positive or negative
criterion group - group of subjects who exhibit the disorder under study
dependent variable - in an experiment, the factor that is observed to change with changes in the
manipulated (independent) variables
,direct observation - method of collecting research data that involves directly observing behavior in a
given situation
direction of effect problem - refers to the fact that, in correlational research, it cannot be concluded
whether variable A causes variable B or whether variable B causes variable A
double-blind study - often used in studies examining drug treatment effects, a condition where neither
the subject nor the experimenter has knowledge about what specific experimental condition (or drug)
the subject is receiving
effect size - a statistical term referring to the strength of the relationship between two variables in a
statistical population
epidemiology - study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or health-related behaviors in a given
population. Mental health epidemiology is the study of the distribution of mental disorders.
etiology - factors that are related to the development (or cause) of a particular disorder
experimental research - research that involves the manipulation of a given factor or variable with
everything else held constant
external validity - the extent to which the findings from a single study are relevant to other populations,
contexts, or times
family aggregation - the clustering of certain traits, behaviors, or disorders within a given family. Family
aggregation may arise because of genetic or environmental similarities.
generalizability - the extent to which the findings from a single study can be used to draw conclusions
about other samples
hypothesis - statement or proposition, usually based on observation, that is tested in an experiment;
may be refuted or supported by experimental results but can never be conclusively proved
incidence - occurrence (onset) rate of a given disorder in a given population
independent variable - factor whose effects are being examined and which is manipulated in some way
while other variables are held constant
internal validity - the extent to which a study is free of confounds, is methodologically sound, and allows
the researcher to have confidence in the findings
labeling - assigning a person to a particular diagnostic category, such as schizophrenia
lifetime prevalence - the proportion of living persons in a population who have ever had a disorder up to
the time of the epidemiological assessment
longitudinal design - a research design in which people are followed over time
meta-analysis - a statistical method used to combine the results of a number of similar research studies.
The data from each study are transformed into a common metric called the effect size. This allows the
data from the various studies to be combined and then analyzed. You can think of a meta-analysis as
,being like research that you are already familiar with, except that the "participants" are individual
research studies, not individual people
negative correlation - a relationship between two variables such that a high score on one variable is
associated with a low score on another variable
nomenclature - a formalized naming system
1-year prevalence - the total number of cases of a health-related state or condition in a population for a
given year
placebo treatment - an inert pill or otherwise neutral intervention that produces desirable therapeutic
effects because of the subject's expectations that it will be beneficial
point prevalence - the number of cases of a specific condition or disorder that can be found in a
population at one given point in time
positive correlation - a relationship between two variables such that a high score on one variable is
associated with a high score on another variable
prevalence - in a population, the proportion of active cases of a disorder that can be identified at a given
point in time or during a given period
prospective research - method that often focuses on individuals who have a higher-than-average
likelihood of becoming psychologically disordered before abnormal behavior is observed
random assignment - a procedure used to create equivalent groups in which every research participant
has an equal chance of being assigned to any group in the study
retrospective research - research approach that attempts to retrace earlier events in the life of a subject
sampling - the process of selecting a representative subgroup from a defined population of interest
self-report data - data collected directly from participants, typically by means of interviews or
questionnaires
single-case research design - an experimental research design (e.g., an ABAB design) that involves only
one subject
statistical significance - a measure of the probability that a research finding could have occurred by
chance alone
stereotyping - the tendency to jump to conclusions (often negative) about what a person is like based on
beliefs about that group that exist (often incorrectly) in the culture (e.g., French people are rude,
homosexuals have good taste in clothes, mental patients are dangerous, etc.)
stigma - negative labeling
third variable problem - refers to the problem of making causal inferences in correlational research
where the correlation between two variables could be due to their shared correlation with an
unmeasured third variable
, asylums - historically, these were institutions meant solely for the care of the mentally ill
behavioral perspective - a theoretical viewpoint organized around the theme that learning is central in
determining human behavior
behaviorism - school of psychology that formerly restricted itself primarily to the study of overt behavior
catharsis n- ndischarge nof nemotional ntension nassociated nwith nsomething, nsuch nas nby ntalking nabout
npast ntrauma
classical nconditioning n- na nbasic nform nof nlearning nin nwhich na nneutral nstimulus nis npaired nrepeatedly
nwith nan nunconditioned nstimulus n(US) nthat nnaturally nelicits nan nunconditioned nresponse n(UR). nAfter
nrepeated npairings, nthe nneutral nstimulus nbecomes na nconditioned nstimulus n(CS) nthat nelicits na
nconditioned nresponse n(CR).
deinstitutionalization n- nmovement nto nclose nmental nhospitals nand ntreat npeople nwith nsevere nmental
ndisorder nin nthe ncommunity
dream nanalysis n- nmethod ninvolving nthe nrecording, ndescription, nand ninterpretation nof na npatient's
ndreams
exorcisms n- nreligiously ninspired ntreatment nprocedure ndesigned nto ndrive nout nevil nspirits nor nforces
nfrom na n"possessed" nperson
free nassociation n- nmethod nfor nprobing nthe nunconscious nby nhaving npatients ntalk nfreely nabout
nthemselves, ntheir nfeelings, nand ntheir nmotives
insanity n- nlegal nterm nfor nmental ndisorder, nimplying nlack nof nresponsibility nfor none's nacts nand
ninability nto nmanage none's naffairs
lycanthropy n- ndelusion nof nbeing na nwolf
mass nmadness n- nhistorically, nwidespread noccurrence nof ngroup nbehavior ndisorders nthat nwere
napparently ncases nof nhysteria
mental nhygiene nmovement n- nmovement nthat nadvocated na nmethod nof ntreatment nfocused nalmost
nexclusively non nthe nphysical nwell-being nof nhospitalized nmental npatients
mesmerism n- ntheory nof n"animal nmagnetism" n(hypnosis) nformulated nby nAnton nMesmer
moral nmanagement n- nwide-ranging nmethod nof ntreatment nthat nfocuses non na npatient's nsocial,
nindividual, nand noccupational nneeds
Nancy nSchool n- ngroup nof nphysicians nin n19th ncentury nEurope nwho naccepted nthe nview nthat nhysteria
nwas na nsort nof nself-hypnosis
operant nconditioning n- nform nof nlearning nin nwhich nif na nparticular nresponse nis nreinforced, nit nbecomes
nmore nlikely nto nbe nrepeated non nsimilar noccasions
psychoanalysis n- nmethods nFreud nused nto nstudy nand ntreat npatients
