Abnormal Psychology

• Clinical Psychology


  Applied branch of psychology that seeks to understand, assess, and treat psychological conditions in a clinical setting
• 4 D’s of Psychological Disorder

  • Psychological Dysfunction, Distress or Impairment, Atypical or Not Culturally Expected (Deviance), Dangerousness
• Normalcy and Abnormalcy
• Basic Genetic Epidemiology


  Statistical analysis of family, twin, and adoption studies to determine if a disorder can be inherited and how much is attributable to genetics
• Multidimensional Approach


  • Looking for a systemic cause
• Normal Behavior


  Behavior that is like other people in society
• Theoretical Approaches in Explaining the Etiology of Psychological Disorders
• Gene Finding


  Identifying the gene that influences the behavior
• Family Studies

  Examination of behavioral patterns or emotional traits within the family context
• Clinical Assessment


  Systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible psychological disorder
• Epigenetics


  Factors other than inherited DNA sequence that alter the phenotypic expression of genes
• Twin Studies


  Conducted usually on identical twins to understand the impact of genetic makeup on behavior
• Psychopathology


  Scientific study of mental disorders
• Psychological Disorder


  Psychological dysfunction within an individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected
• Genetic contributions


  • Genes, Chromosomes, Phenotypes, Genotypes, Endophenotypes
• Adoption Studies


  Identification of adoptees with particular behavioral patterns or psychological disorders and locating first-degree relatives raised in different family settings
• One-Dimensional Approach


  • Looking for a single cause
• Criteria for determining Abnormal Behavior

  • Norm-violation, Statistical rarity, Personal Discomfort, Deviation, Maladaptiveness
• Molecular Genetics


  Biological analysis of individual DNA samples to understand the biological processes genes affect to produce symptoms of the disorder
• Diagnosis


  Process of determining whether the particular problem afflicting the individual meets all criteria for a psychological disorder
• People with more severe stressful life events and a short allele of the 5-HTT gene are at greater risk of developing depression
• Biological and Neurological Bases
• Advanced Genetic Epidemiology


  Studies the factors that influence the disorder
• Abnormal Psychology


  Branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotions, and thought which may or may not indicate an underlying condition
• Cerebellum controls motor coordination abnormalities associated with autism
• Agonist, Antagonist, Inverse Agonists, Reuptake, Neurotransmitter


  1. Agonist effectively increases the activity of the neurotransmitters (Excitatory)

  2. Antagonist decreases or blocks neurotransmitter (Inhibitory)

  3. Inverse Agonists produce effects opposite to those produced by the neurotransmitters

  4. Reuptake neurotransmitter is released, quickly broken down and brought back to the synaptic cleft

  5. Neurotransmitter chemical messengers of the body
• Brain Stem is the lower and more ancient part of the brain essential for autonomic functioning such as breathing, heartbeat, etc.
• Neuroscience


  Study of the nervous system, especially the brain to understand behavior, emotions, and cognitive processes
• Thalamus and Hypothalamus are involved in regulating behavior, emotions, and hormones
• HPA Axis includes Hypothalamus, Pituitary Gland, Adrenal Cortex
• Basal Ganglia at the base of the forebrain includes caudate nucleus and is related to Parkinson’s Disease
• Autonomic Nervous System regulates the cardiovascular system and endocrine system with Sympathetic and Parasympathetic divisions
• Permissive Hypothesis
• Hindbrain contains the medulla, pons, and cerebellum; regulates many autonomic activities such as breathing, heartbeat, and digestion
• Neurotransmitters

  • Dopamine
  • Schizophrenia
  • Parkinson’s
  • Acetylcholine
  • Alzheimer’s
  • Norepinephrine
  • Mania
  • Depression
  • GABA
  • Relaxation
  • Anxiety/OCD
  • Serotonin
  • Eating Disorders
  • Epinephrine
  • Stress
  • Sleep Disorders
  • Fatigue
  • Glutamate
  • Psychosis
  • Neuron Death
  • Huntington’s Disease
  • Endorphin
• Neurotransmitters

  • Glutamate (E) [memory]
  • GABA (I) [calming]
  • Serotonin (I) [mood]
  • Dopamine [pleasure]
  • Epinephrine [fight-or-flight]
  • Norepinephrine [concentration]
  • Endorphins [euphoria]
  • Acetylcholine (E) [learning]
• Cerebral Cortex provides distinctly human qualities, allowing us to plan, reason, and create
• Midbrain coordinates movements with sensory input and contains parts of the reticular activating system contributing to sleep, arousal, and tension
• Limbic System located around the edge of the center of the brain includes Hippocampus, Cingulate Gyrus, Septum, and Amygdala
• Endocrine System glands produce hormones released into the bloodstream including Pituitary, Thyroid, Parathyroid, Adrenal, Pineal, Pancreas, Testes, and Ovaries