Clinical & Abnormal - AP Psychology

Under both the original frustration-aggression hypothesis and modern interpretations of it, the frustrating circumstance immediately triggers the aggressive feeling in the individual. The act of aggression, if any, may not occur until later, but if a condition does not immediately produce at least some aggressive response, then it is not likely to at a later time.

Most modern theories of stress and coping psychology agree that across different factors (e.g. gender, race, trauma type, age, physical health and even personality inventory scores) one characteristic stands out because it possesses a strong correlation with successful coping strategies: a strong external support network.

The approach-avoidance model of conflict describes a situation in which a single goal or choice both appeals to and repulses the same person. Charelle's desire to have a child before menopause occurs is warring with her desire to remain in charge of her own free time.

Approach-approach conflicts tend to result in an unstable equilibrium. This type of conflict arises when a person has to choose between two desires with positive outcomes. They create unstable equilibriums because as soon as a person moves towards one goal, they move away from another. These choices may cause them regret or dissonance in the future because one "cannot have their cake and eat it too." In other words, when someone is presented with two potentially positive outcomes, they may wish they had chosen differently depending on future circumstances.

The goal of cognitive behavior therapy is to modify maladaptive cognitions (thoughts). The goal of traditional psychoanalysis is to "increase insight" into the unconscious. Psychoanalysis may also work to reduce resistance to treatment, and sees resistance as an inevitable part of the process. Psychoanalysis attempts to decrease, rather than increase, the use of defense mechanisms like repression. Psychoanalysis does not directly modify behavior. Crisis intervention focuses on resolving a crisis and restoring previous functioning.

The double-bind hypothesis suggests that in childhood, individuals with schizophrenia received disorganized and contradictory messages from his or her mother. For instance, a child may have been told to eat as much as he wanted, but punished after he finished eating. According to the theory, these individuals internalize the disorganized messages and lead to a warped perception of reality.

Aaron Beck—a cognitive psychologist—hypothesized that depression was the result of cognitive errors. In other words, depressed people were more likely to interpret the world in a maladaptive way. They have negative thoughts about themselves, the world around them, and the future. He hypothesized that all three of these cognitive beliefs feed into one another and fuel depressive thoughts that produces a vicious cycle.

Sensation seeking is an important factor in understanding the cause and development of addictions—including substance abuse. When sensation seeking is elevated in a given individual, it can sometimes be channeled into healthy avenues that include competitive sports and leadership; however, it often results in seeking pleasurable experiences that end up becoming harmful habits. Individuals with elevated sensation seeking tendencies require more stimulation than the average individual to feel the same amount of pleasure or satisfaction.

Prosopagnosia is also known as face blindness. It results from head trauma or degenerative diseases. One symptom indicative of this disorder is the patient’s reliance on non-facial cues, such as hair, clothing, or accessories, to distinguish between individuals' faces.

All of the listed answer choices are Adlerian counseling pillars except psychosexual development. Adler developed the technique of "spitting in a client's soup" in order to provide a prospective of reality to the client. Adler focused strongly on birth order as well as early medical trauma that may cause difficulty with self-actualization later in life. This led to Adler’s understanding of an inferiority complex.

Prosopagnosia is a condition distinguished by a loss in the ability to recognize faces. The condition is also known as "face blindness," and is typically the result of brain damage. This damage usually occurs in the fusiform gyrus, a region of the brain which is associated with facial recognition.

A lack of color vision is more often genetic in origin. Achromatopsia is a condition involving a lack of color vision. Other conditions may describe an inability to describe emotion or to distinguish between voice or produce speech, but none of these are classified under prosopagnosia.

Primary prevention refers to efforts to prevent mental illnesses before they occur. These efforts aim to increase access to quality health care, education, and parenting classes—these factors can help protect individuals against experiencing mental illness. Psychotherapy, medical interventions (e.g. medications), and group therapy are all examples of intervention, not primary prevention.

The response of an organism to stress is known as adaptation; this is the adjustment of an organism to a change in internal or external conditions or circumstances, i.e.stress.

Anxiety is an uneasy feeling of discomfort or dread, the source of which is often unknown to the individual. It is distress caused by fear. Adjustment is the action of bringing a body part into alignment with the others. This is also referred to as manipulation. Assimilation is the absorption of newly perceived information into the person's existing conscious structure. Accommodation is the adjustment of the lens of the eye to focus on images at various distances.

A diathesis is a predisposition towards the development of a particular mental illness. It could be a genetic defect or an anatomical abnormality (ex. a biochemical disorder that leads to mental illness). According to the diathesis-stress model, individuals develop mental illnesses in response to a combination of stressful circumstances and genetic predispositions.

According to the diathesis-stress model, mental disorders are the result of a predisposition to mental illness and a stressful life event. In this theory, genetic abnormalities do not automatically result in mood disorders (e.g. like depression). They will only result in mental illnesses when combined with a traumatic life event, (e.g. the loss of a parent or abuse).

Many researchers believe that individuals have characteristic means of coping, even across a variety of stressful situations. Some individuals rely on healthy habits like seeking social support, relaxation techniques, or religion, while others turn to unhealthy coping behaviors such as alcohol or other controlled substances. A high level of perceived control over one's life can help individuals deal with difficult events.

Eustress describes a stress we have "enjoyed” (e.g. getting into college or starting a new job). The experience is taxing; however, these are enjoyable tasks that advance our development. Note the prefix “eu” that is from the Greek meaning good, well, true, or genuine. It is used in words such as euthymia (a pleasant mood state), euthanasia (literally, good death), and Eucharist.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a mood disorder associated with episodes of depression in the fall and winter months. It appears to be related to a lack of sunshine, causing increased melatonin production by the pineal gland. Seasonal affective disorder can be helped by phototherapy with bright white fluorescent lights.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) occurs when a person who has gone through a significant trauma shows stress symptoms that impair the person's ability to function. The trauma can be combat, torture or abuse, a life-threatening accident, a natural disater, or loss of a loved one.

Generalized anxiety disorder consists of persistent, excessive worrying that is not focused on one particular situation. Panic disorder is characterized by sudden, brief attacks of intense fear that rise abruptly, often for no reason. Situational phobias involve a fear of specific situations; crowded spaces, heights, flying, and confined spaces. Somatoform disorder occurs when there is no identifiable physical cause to explain physical symptoms.