Glossary
Behavioral Perspective
Explains psychological disorders as arising from maladaptive learned associations through processes like classical or operant conditioning.
Example:
From a behavioral perspective, a fear of dogs might be explained by a past traumatic experience, such as being bitten by a dog.
Biological Perspective
Attributes psychological disorders to physiological or genetic factors, including imbalances in neurotransmitters, brain abnormalities, or inherited vulnerabilities.
Example:
A biological perspective would investigate if a person's schizophrenia is linked to specific genetic markers or dopamine dysregulation in the brain.
Biopsychosocial Model
A comprehensive model that recognizes psychological problems as a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.
Example:
The biopsychosocial model would explain a person's anxiety disorder by considering their genetic predisposition, their coping mechanisms, and their stressful work environment.
Cognitive Perspective
Focuses on how maladaptive thoughts, beliefs, and attitudes, such as distorted thinking patterns and negative self-talk, contribute to psychological distress.
Example:
The cognitive perspective would suggest that a person's depression is maintained by their persistent negative self-talk and pessimistic outlook.
DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
A widely used classification system in the United States that categorizes psychological disorders based on specific symptoms and criteria.
Example:
A therapist might use the DSM to confirm if a client's symptoms align with the diagnostic criteria for Major Depressive Disorder.
Deviance
Thoughts or behaviors that significantly differ from what is considered socially or culturally normal.
Example:
Consistently talking to oneself loudly in public, when it's not culturally accepted, might be considered deviance.
Diathesis-Stress Model
Proposes that psychological disorders emerge when an individual's genetic or biological vulnerability (diathesis) interacts with significant environmental stressors.
Example:
According to the diathesis-stress model, someone with a family history of depression might develop the disorder after experiencing a major job loss.
Distress
The amount of emotional pain and suffering an individual experiences due to their condition.
Example:
Feeling overwhelming sadness and hopelessness for months after a breakup indicates significant emotional distress.
Dysfunction
The extent to which a condition interferes with a person's ability to maintain relationships and carry out daily tasks.
Example:
A student's inability to attend classes due to severe anxiety demonstrates significant dysfunction in their academic life.
Eclectic Approach
A therapeutic approach where psychologists draw from multiple psychological perspectives to understand and treat a client's unique needs.
Example:
A psychologist using an eclectic approach might combine cognitive-behavioral techniques with psychodynamic insights to help a client with anxiety.
Evolutionary Perspective
Suggests that some disorders may be maladaptive expressions of behaviors that once served an adaptive purpose in ancestral environments.
Example:
From an evolutionary perspective, generalized anxiety might be seen as an exaggerated form of a survival mechanism that once helped detect threats.
Humanistic Perspective
Views disorders as resulting from a lack of social support and an inability to fulfill one's potential for growth, focusing on subjective experiences and self-concept.
Example:
A humanistic perspective therapist would focus on helping a client find self-acceptance and personal meaning to overcome feelings of emptiness.
ICD (International Classification of Mental Disorders)
An internationally used classification system for mental disorders, serving a similar purpose to the DSM.
Example:
A researcher in Europe might use the ICD to categorize participants' mental health conditions for a global study.
Psychodynamic Perspective
Attributes disorders to unconscious thoughts, feelings, and unresolved conflicts, often stemming from early childhood experiences and repressed emotions.
Example:
A therapist from the psychodynamic perspective might explore a client's early relationship with their parents to understand their current relationship difficulties.
Sociocultural Perspective
Emphasizes the influence of social, cultural, and environmental factors, such as societal pressures and maladaptive relationships, on mental health.
Example:
The sociocultural perspective might explain higher rates of eating disorders in cultures that heavily promote thinness as an ideal.