Independent variable
A variable manipulated by a researcher that is hypothesized to be the cause of the outcome.
dependent variable
Variables that measure a certain outcome that a researcher is trying to explain or predict.
learned helplessness
depression that people act in a helpless, passive fashion upon learning their actions have little effect on their overall environment.
right hemisphere
influences spatial relations and patterns, and impacts emotion and intuition.
left hemisphere
influences analytical thinking, and impacts grammar and vocabulary.
behavioral assessment
An assessment approach that focuses on measuring overt behaviors or responses
agonists
Medications to treat substance-related disorders that have a similar chemical composition as an addictive drug.
antagonists
Medications to treat substancerelated disorders that block pleasurable effects and cravings for an addictive drug.
inflexible families
are overly rigid and do not adapt well to changes within or outside the family.
enmeshed families
are characterized by family members who are overly involved in the private lives of other family members�everything is everyone's business.
disengaged families
are characterized by family members who operate independently of one another with little parental supervision.
triangular relationships
situations where parents avoid talking to each other or addressing marital conflicts by keeping their children involved in all conversations and activities.
oral stage
Mouth is the chief means of reaching satisfaction.
anal stage
Attention becomes centered on defecation and urination.
phallic stage
Sexual organs become the prime source of gratification.
latency stage
Lack of overt sexual activity or interest
genital stage
Mature expression of sexuality.
psychophysiological assessment
Evaluating bodily changes possibly associated with certain mental conditions.
diathesis
risk factors for mental disorders
Projective test
Psychological testing techniques based on the assumption that people faced with an ambiguous stimulus such as an inkblot will project their own needs, personality, conflicts, and wishes.
control group
Those who do not receive the active independent variable in an experiment.
placebo
A nonspecific factor involving a client's expectation of improvement in treatment.
internal validity
Extent to which a researcher can be confident that changes in the dependent variable are truly the result of manipulation of the independent variable.
external validity
Ability to generalize results from one investigation to the general population.
predictive validity
Whether test or interview results accurately predict some behavior or event in the future.
construct validity
Whether test or interview results relate to other measures or behaviors in a logical, theoretically expected fashion.
concurrent validity
Whether current test or interview results relate to an important feature or characteristic at the present time.
id
The deep, inaccessible portion of the personality that contains instinctual urges.
ego
The organized, rational component of the personality
superego
A component of the personality representing the ideals and values of society as conveyed by parents.
genotype
The genetic composition of an individual that is fixed at birth and received from one's parents.
phenotype
Observable characteristics of an individual that can change.
stigma
A characterization by others of disgrace or reproach based on an individual characteristic.
primary prevention
A type of prevention targeting large groups of people who have not yet developed a disorder.
secondary prevention
A type of prevention that addresses emerging problems while they are still manageable and before they become resistant to intervention.
tertiary prevention
A type of prevention aimed to reduce the severity, duration, and negative effects of a mental disorder after it has occurred.
cognitive therapy
A treatment technique for cognitive symptoms of anxiety that involves helping a person think more realistically and develop a sense of control over anxious situations.
operant conditioning
A learning principle that behavior followed by positive or pleasurable consequences is likely to be repeated but behavior followed by negative consequences is not likely to be repeated.
avoidance conditioning
A theory of fear development that combines classical and operant conditioning with internal states such as driving or motivating factors.
flooding
An exposure-based therapy technique involving exposure to, and eventual extinction of, one's most intense fear.
systematic desensitization
exposure treatment, which involves directly confronting a feared stimulus.
epidemiology
The study of patterns of diseases, disorders, and other health-related behavior in a population of interest.
aversion treatment
A treatment for paraphilias that involves associating paraphilic stimuli with unpleasant stimuli.
somatic nervous system
controls voluntary muscles and movement
autonomic nervous system
sympathetic and parasympathetic. regulates cardiovascular system and body temp. regulates endocrine system and aids in digestion.
hormones
slow action and have broader influence
repression defense mechanism
push unacceptable feelings from awareness
projection defense mechanism
sees unacceptable feelings in others
reaction formation defense mechanism
transforms unacceptable feelings to polar opposite
intellectualization defense mechanism
cut off unacceptable feelings and focus on thoughts
sublimation defense mechanism
transform impulse into societally acceptable behavior
unconditional stimulus in classical conditioning
the first response to a bad situation. ex: dog bite
conditioned stimulus in classical conditioning
learned response from bad situation. ex:seeing the dog that bit you again
incidence
Rate of new cases of a disorder that occur or develop during a specific time period such as a month or year.
prevalence
Rate of new and existing cases of a condition observed during a specific time period.
comorbidity
two or more disorders in one person.
reliability
measure of consistency
interjudge
two different kinds of measures. two different people assessing with their own tests.
test-retest
give test and later test with same test again
split half
give half the test once and the other half at a different time
validity
if a test measures what it's supposed to measure
longitudinal design
looking at the same group of people over time
cross sectional design
looking at different groups of people at different ages