Myers Ch 15
Disorder
o At times, we all act in ways that resemble a psychological disorder
o A psychological disorder is a clinically significant disturbance
In cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior
o Dysfunctional emotions and behaviors are maladaptive
Affect everyday life
o Psychological disorders change over time
Sometimes physical disorders can affect the brain
Biophysical approach: mind and body are inseparable
o Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Labelling system (DSM-5)
Benefits
Predict disorder’s future course
Suggest appropriate treatment
Prompt research into causes
Drawbacks
Once someone is labelled, we view them differently
Subjective labels
Judgments masquerading as science
Puts us on alert for evidence that confirms a label
o Labels can be self-fulfilling
David Rosenhan Study
8 people went to hospital and complained falsely of hearing
voices
Everything else was the truth
They were all diagnosed with disorders
These disorders found “root causes” and “symptoms”
o Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Symptoms
o Unfocused and agitated feelings
o Uncontrollable shaking
o Sleep deprivation
o Difficulty concentrating
o Fidgeting
Diagnosis
o Person is unexplainably and continually tense and uneasy
o Symptoms persist for 6+ months
Risk factors
o Being a woman
o Being younger than age 50
, Panic Disorder
Symptoms
o Chest pain
o Choking
o Constant worry
o Irregular heartbeat
o Shortness of breath
Diagnosis
o A person experiences panic attacks and fears the
unpredictable onset of the next episode
Sudden episodes of intense dread
Risk factors
o Being a smoker
o Having had a panic attack before
Phobias
Symptoms
o Persistent and irrational avoidance of a trigger
o Phobias that are more common can incapacitate the
person
o Sweating
o trembling
Diagnosis
o Intense and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or
situation
Risk factors
o Being raised by someone with that phobia
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Symptoms
o Obsessive thoughts that will not go away
o Compulsive behaviors that cannot be avoided
o Distress
Diagnosis
o When behaviors and thoughts persistently interfere with
everyday activities
Risk factors
o Late teens to 20s
o Genetic predisposition
Proposed Causes
Conditioning/learning
o Bad events that happen unpredictably and controllably
o Little Albert experiment
o Fear happens when returning to the scene of the event
Associate anxiety with certain cues
Disorder
o At times, we all act in ways that resemble a psychological disorder
o A psychological disorder is a clinically significant disturbance
In cognition, emotional regulation, or behavior
o Dysfunctional emotions and behaviors are maladaptive
Affect everyday life
o Psychological disorders change over time
Sometimes physical disorders can affect the brain
Biophysical approach: mind and body are inseparable
o Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Labelling system (DSM-5)
Benefits
Predict disorder’s future course
Suggest appropriate treatment
Prompt research into causes
Drawbacks
Once someone is labelled, we view them differently
Subjective labels
Judgments masquerading as science
Puts us on alert for evidence that confirms a label
o Labels can be self-fulfilling
David Rosenhan Study
8 people went to hospital and complained falsely of hearing
voices
Everything else was the truth
They were all diagnosed with disorders
These disorders found “root causes” and “symptoms”
o Anxiety
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Symptoms
o Unfocused and agitated feelings
o Uncontrollable shaking
o Sleep deprivation
o Difficulty concentrating
o Fidgeting
Diagnosis
o Person is unexplainably and continually tense and uneasy
o Symptoms persist for 6+ months
Risk factors
o Being a woman
o Being younger than age 50
, Panic Disorder
Symptoms
o Chest pain
o Choking
o Constant worry
o Irregular heartbeat
o Shortness of breath
Diagnosis
o A person experiences panic attacks and fears the
unpredictable onset of the next episode
Sudden episodes of intense dread
Risk factors
o Being a smoker
o Having had a panic attack before
Phobias
Symptoms
o Persistent and irrational avoidance of a trigger
o Phobias that are more common can incapacitate the
person
o Sweating
o trembling
Diagnosis
o Intense and irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or
situation
Risk factors
o Being raised by someone with that phobia
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Symptoms
o Obsessive thoughts that will not go away
o Compulsive behaviors that cannot be avoided
o Distress
Diagnosis
o When behaviors and thoughts persistently interfere with
everyday activities
Risk factors
o Late teens to 20s
o Genetic predisposition
Proposed Causes
Conditioning/learning
o Bad events that happen unpredictably and controllably
o Little Albert experiment
o Fear happens when returning to the scene of the event
Associate anxiety with certain cues
