260 Chapter 1

psychological disorder

psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning that is not a typical or culturally expected response

phobia

any psychological disorder characterized by marked and persistent fear of an object or situation

psychopathology

scientific study of psychological disorders

scientist-practitioners

expectation that mental health professionals will apply scientific methods to their work. they must keep current in the latest research on diagnosis and treatment, they must evaluate their own methods for effectiveness, and they may generate their own research to discover new knowledge of disorders and their treatment

presenting problem

original complaint reported by the client to the therapist. the actual treated problem may sometimes be a modification derived from the presenting problem

clinical description

details of the combination of behaviours, thoughts, and feelings of an individual that make up a particular disorder

prevalence

number of people displaying a disorder in the total population at any given time

lifetime prevalence

number of people in the population who have ever had the disorder

incidence

number of new cases of a disorder appearing during a specific time period

course

pattern of development and change of a disorder over time

prognosis

predicted future development of a disorder over time

etiology

cause or source of a disorder

psychosocial

social and cultural factors (such as family experience) and psychological influences

moral therapy

19th century psychosocial approach to treatment that involved treating patients as normally as possible in normal environments

mental hygiene movement

mid-20th century effort to improve care of the mentally disordered by informing the public of their mistreatment

psychoanalysis

psychoanalytic assessment and therapy, which emphasizes the exploration of, and insight into, unconscious processes and conflicts, pioneered by Sigmund Freud

behaviourism

explanation of human behaviour, including dysfunction, based on principles of learning and adaptation derived from experimental psychology

unconscious

part of the psychic makeup that is outside the person's awareness

catharsis

rapid or sudden release of emotional tension thought to be an important factor in psychoanalytic therapy

psychoanalytical model

complex and comprehensive theory originally advanced by Sigmund Freud that seeks to account for the development and structure of personality, as well as the origin of abnormal behaviour, based primarily on inferred inner entities and forces

id

in psychoanalysis, the unconscious psychical entity present at birth representing basic drives

ego

in psychoanalysis, the psychical entity responsible for finding realistic and practical ways to satisfy id drives

superego

in psychoanalysis, the psychical entity representing the internalized moral standards of parents and society

intrapsychic conflicts

in psychoanalysis, the struggles among the id, ego, and superego

defence mechanisms

common patterns of behaviour, often adaptive coping styles when they occur in moderation, observed in response to particular situations. in psychoanalysis, these are thought to be unconscious processes originating in the ego

psychosexual stages of development

in psychoanalysis, the sequence of phases a person passes through during development. each stage is named for the location on the body where id gratification is maximal at that time

ego psychology

derived from psychoanalysis, this theory emphasizes the role of the ego in development and attributes psychological disorders to failure of the ego to manage impulses and internal conflicts

free association

psychoanalytic therapy technique intended to explore threatening material repressed into the unconscious. the patient is instructed to say whatever comes to mind without censoring

dream analysis

psychoanalytic therapy method in which dream contents are examined as symbolic of id impulses and intrapsychic conflicts

psychoanalyst

therapist who practises psychoanalysis after earning either an M.D. or Ph.D degree and then receiving additional specialized postdoctoral training

transference

psychoanalytic concept suggesting that clients may seek to relate to the therapist as they do to important authority figures, particularly their parents

psychodynamic psychotherapy

contemporary version of psychoanalysis that still emphasizes unconscious processes and conflicts but is briefer and more focused on specific problems

self-actualizing

process emphasized in humanistic psychology in which people strive to achieve their highest potential against difficult life experiences

person-centered therapy

therapy model in which the client, rather than the counsellor, primarily directs the course of discussion, seeking self-discovery and self-responsibility

unconditional positive regard

acceptance by the counsellor of the client's feelings and actions without judgment or condemnation

psychotherapy process

how psychotherapy works

behavioural model

explanation of human behaviour, including dysfunction, based on principles of learning and adaptation derived from experimental psychology

classical conditioning

fundamental learning process first described by Ivan Pavlov. an event that automatically elicits a response is paired with another stimulus event that does not (a neutral stimulus). after repeated pairings, the neutral stimulus becomes a conditioned stimulus that by itself can elicit the desired response

extinction

learning process in which a response maintained by reinforcement in operant conditioning or pairing in classical conditioning decreases when that reinforcement or pairing is removed; also the procedure of removing that reinforcement or pairing

introspection

early, nonscientific approach to the study of psychology involving systematic attempts to report thoughts and feelings that specific stimuli evoked

systematic desensitization

behavioural therapy technique to diminish excessive fears, involving gradual exposure to the feared stimulus paired with a positive coping experience, using relaxation

behavioural therapy

array of therapy methods based on the principles of behavioural and cognitive science as well as principles of learning as applied to clinical problems. it considers specific behaviours rather than inferred conflict as legitimate targets for change

shaping

in operant conditioning, the development of a new response by reinforcing successively more similar versions of that response. both desirable and undesirable behaviours may be learned in this manner