PSY 217 EXAM 1 STUDY GUIDE
child psychopathology - Answer -the scientific study of abnormal behavior/mental
illness in children and adolescents
Whitney & Peterson (2018) - Purpose - Answer -answering questions about the
prevalence of mental health disorders in children across different parts of the U.S.
Whitney & Peterson (2018) - Method - Answer -surveyed parents of children between
the ages of 0-17
Whitney & Peterson (2018) - Findings - Answer -- national average prevalence of
mental health disorders is 16.5% but only about half get treatment
- In SC: 20 - 27.2% with a disorder, 46.7 - 53.1% not receiving care
- worst mental health outcomes for children in Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and
Utah
developmental psychopathology - Answer -disorder as an adaptation with multiple
causes; change is the only constant; heavily contextual; continuous approach
medical model - Answer -disorder as a disease with a discrete cause that can be cured;
disorder as stable deficit; less contextual; categorical approach
syphilis - Answer -physical and mental ailments, used to support the medical model
key questions of developmental psychopathology - Answer -1. What is "normal"
development?
2. Why do some people develop along a "normal" course while others do not?
3. How do within-person (intrapersonal) factors interact with context and culture to
influence development?
7 key principles - Answer -- continuities & discontinuities
- typical & atypical
- multiple levels of analysis
- psychobiology & context
- reciprocity & transaction
- risk & protection
- equifinality & multifinality
heterotypic continuity - Answer -type of continuous development that looks different
over time (ex: aggression)
discontinuous development - Answer -quantitative or qualitative "jumps" in growth (key
junctures)
, multifinality - Answer -one event/experience can lead to multiple outcomes
equifinality - Answer -multiple events/experiences can lead to the same outcome
ways to define atypical behavior - Answer -- statistical: rare is abnormal
- deviance: different is abnormal
- distress: unpleasant is abnormal
- dysfunction: impairing is abnormal
- danger: harmful is abnormal
what developmental psychopathology adds to definitions of atypical behavior - Answer
-function of a behavior (is it serving a purpose) and fit between behavior and context
(would it be appropriate in a different environment)
how the DSM-5 defines mental illness - Answer -- syndrome of behavior, cognition,
and/or emotional regulation
- clinically significant
- dysfunction in mental processes; usually associated with distress or disability
CANNOT be:
- normative (culturally defined) response
- socially deviant behavior without primary dysfunction
purpose of classification - Answer -communication, research, and treatment (insurance)
characteristics of good classification systems - Answer -generality, practicality,
objectivity, reliability, validity
prototypal classification - Answer -thorough description of a syndrome (prototype),
patients rated on match to prototype
dimensional classification - Answer -spectra or dimensions; patients rated on
placement along spectrum (degree to which symptoms are present based on the
specific symptoms a patient describes)
categorical classification - Answer -discrete categories; presence/absence of symptom
or disorder
DSM-5-TR - Answer -leading classification system in the U.S. (mental only); list of ~158
diagnosable mental health conditions, structured developmentally with similar disorders
closer to one another
ICD-11 - Answer -leading classification system in most other countries, also used by
medical doctors (mental & physical)
child psychopathology - Answer -the scientific study of abnormal behavior/mental
illness in children and adolescents
Whitney & Peterson (2018) - Purpose - Answer -answering questions about the
prevalence of mental health disorders in children across different parts of the U.S.
Whitney & Peterson (2018) - Method - Answer -surveyed parents of children between
the ages of 0-17
Whitney & Peterson (2018) - Findings - Answer -- national average prevalence of
mental health disorders is 16.5% but only about half get treatment
- In SC: 20 - 27.2% with a disorder, 46.7 - 53.1% not receiving care
- worst mental health outcomes for children in Alabama, Mississippi, Oklahoma, and
Utah
developmental psychopathology - Answer -disorder as an adaptation with multiple
causes; change is the only constant; heavily contextual; continuous approach
medical model - Answer -disorder as a disease with a discrete cause that can be cured;
disorder as stable deficit; less contextual; categorical approach
syphilis - Answer -physical and mental ailments, used to support the medical model
key questions of developmental psychopathology - Answer -1. What is "normal"
development?
2. Why do some people develop along a "normal" course while others do not?
3. How do within-person (intrapersonal) factors interact with context and culture to
influence development?
7 key principles - Answer -- continuities & discontinuities
- typical & atypical
- multiple levels of analysis
- psychobiology & context
- reciprocity & transaction
- risk & protection
- equifinality & multifinality
heterotypic continuity - Answer -type of continuous development that looks different
over time (ex: aggression)
discontinuous development - Answer -quantitative or qualitative "jumps" in growth (key
junctures)
, multifinality - Answer -one event/experience can lead to multiple outcomes
equifinality - Answer -multiple events/experiences can lead to the same outcome
ways to define atypical behavior - Answer -- statistical: rare is abnormal
- deviance: different is abnormal
- distress: unpleasant is abnormal
- dysfunction: impairing is abnormal
- danger: harmful is abnormal
what developmental psychopathology adds to definitions of atypical behavior - Answer
-function of a behavior (is it serving a purpose) and fit between behavior and context
(would it be appropriate in a different environment)
how the DSM-5 defines mental illness - Answer -- syndrome of behavior, cognition,
and/or emotional regulation
- clinically significant
- dysfunction in mental processes; usually associated with distress or disability
CANNOT be:
- normative (culturally defined) response
- socially deviant behavior without primary dysfunction
purpose of classification - Answer -communication, research, and treatment (insurance)
characteristics of good classification systems - Answer -generality, practicality,
objectivity, reliability, validity
prototypal classification - Answer -thorough description of a syndrome (prototype),
patients rated on match to prototype
dimensional classification - Answer -spectra or dimensions; patients rated on
placement along spectrum (degree to which symptoms are present based on the
specific symptoms a patient describes)
categorical classification - Answer -discrete categories; presence/absence of symptom
or disorder
DSM-5-TR - Answer -leading classification system in the U.S. (mental only); list of ~158
diagnosable mental health conditions, structured developmentally with similar disorders
closer to one another
ICD-11 - Answer -leading classification system in most other countries, also used by
medical doctors (mental & physical)
