Flashcards on Psychology: Well-being, Stress, and Disorders
Psychology: Well-being, Stress, & Disorders - Comprehensive Guide
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Mental Disorders
42 cards
Card 1
Question: What is a psychological disorder?
Answer: A collection of symptoms that disrupt thinking, emotions, or behavior and cause distress or suffering.
Card 2
Question: What does it mean for symptoms of a psychological disorder to be dysfunctional or maladaptive?
Answer: It means they interfere with a person's ability to perform normal daily activities.
Card 3
Question: Give an example of behavior that is not a psychological disorder and explain why.
Answer: Wanting a clean house every weekend is not a disorder unless it interferes with functioning or causes significant distress.
Card 4
Question: Give an example of behavior that might signal a psychological disorder.
Answer: Daily cleaning rituals that interfere with work or leisure time and cause significant distress could be a disorder.
Card 5
Question: What role does distress play in psychological disorders?
Answer: Psychological disorders often lead to emotional or mental distress for the affected individual.
Card 6
Question: What is the relationship between normal emotions and a psychological disorder?
Answer: Normal emotions (e.g., occasional sadness) become a problem when they persist and lead to dysfunction in daily life.
Card 7
Question: How can excessive energy signal a disorder instead of a positive state?
Answer: If energy leads to irresponsible behavior (e.g., sleeplessness, risky driving, excessive spending), it could be mania associated with a disorder.
Card 8
Question: What are social norms in relation to psychological disorders?
Answer: Social norms define what is acceptable behavior within a culture and influence what is considered a 'significant disturbance'.
Card 9
Question: How can a change in social norms affect the categorization of psychological disorders?
Answer: As society evolves, what is considered a disorder also changes — for example, the removal of homosexuality from the list of disorders in 1973.
Card 10
Question: Why isn't the definition of a psychological disorder entirely objective?
Answer: Because the assessment depends partly on societal beliefs and cultural norms.