Key Terms
Psychopathology
The study of psychological disorders — their symptoms, causes, and treatment.
Two conditions must both be met
1. Internal mechanism failure: a psychological process (cognition, learning, perception) breaks down and cannot perform
Example
Fear of spiders that causes someone to quit their job is both dysfunctional (broken fear-response calibration) and harmf
Edition Published by
American Psychiatric Association (APA) Published: 2013 Total disorders: 237
WHY IT MATTERS
Diagnosis requires a shared language. Without a classification system, clinicians cannot communicate, research cannot be
Comorbidity
Two disorders occurring simultaneously in the same person.
SUPERNATURAL
Disorders caused by possession, divine punishment, or spiritual forces. Historically dominant for centuries.
BIOLOGICAL
Disorders result from faulty genes, chemical imbalances, brain abnormalities. Supported by advances in neuroimaging and
PSYCHOLOGICAL
Emphasizes learning, stress, cognitive patterns, and environment. Not exclusive to biology.
Core idea
Disorder develops when two factors combine — a predisposition (diathesis) plus a triggering stressor.
Fear
Immediate, reactive response to a present threat Anxiety: apprehension about a potential future threat
Anxiety disorders
Characterized by excessive, persistent fear and anxiety that impairs functioning. Most frequently occurring class of men
Safety behaviors
Actions taken to reduce anxiety in social situations — avoiding eye contact, rehearsing sentences, sitting in the back o
Risk factor
Behavioral inhibition — an inherited, consistent tendency to show fear around unfamiliar people or situations. Associate
Panic attack
An abrupt episode of extreme fear peaking within 10 minutes; symptoms include racing heart, sweating, trembling, dizzine