What was historically believed to cause disordered behavior?
A spiritual cause.
What four influences does the bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective include?
Biological, psychological, social, and spiritual influences.
Which perspective includes instinctual influences on disordered behavior?
The biological perspective.
How can conditioning affect a normal fear of black widow spiders?
It can transform it into an overblown fear of spiders or related places.
What effect does completely avoiding places with spiders have on avoidance behavior?
It reinforces avoidance behavior and can worsen the condition.
What defines a phobia in relation to normal fear?
A phobia is an irrational fear that develops from an overblown normal fear.
What physiological changes occur during a fight-or-flight response?
Heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure increase.
What can compensation through lowered heart rate and blood pressure cause during fight-or-flight?
It can cause fainting.
How can emotional responses affect physiological reactions to spiders?
They can intensify physiological reactions.
What behavior is typical in agoraphobia?
Usually staying home or inside due to fear of unfamiliar places.
What fear does agoraphobia involve?
Fear of the unknown.
What feelings may arise if friends minimize a person's fear?
Guilt, confusion, self-doubt, and emotional upset.
How do past events influence a person's emotional response?
They can influence the intensity of the response.
Which developmental period especially affects response intensity to past events?
Early developmental years.
What is a diathesis in psychological disorders?
A predisposition for a particular disorder.
What equation does the diathesis-stress model propose?
Diathesis plus stress equals disorder.
Which disorders are linked to family and genetic vulnerability?
Depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, Crohn’s disease, and alcoholism.
What effect does reducing stress have on genetic vulnerability?
It lessens the intensity of its impact on health and disorders.
What is a neurotransmitter?
A biochemical element that chemically communicates between neurons.
Which five neurotransmitters are emphasized in disorders?
Glutamate, GABA, serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine.
What effect does glutamate have on neurons?
It excites other neurons, leading to action and behavior.
What symptoms are linked to low glutamate levels?
Insomnia, poor concentration, mental exhaustion, and low energy.
How does GABA affect neuronal activity?
It reduces activity between neurons and has a calming effect.
What behaviors are associated with very low serotonin?
Impulsivity, overreactions, aggression, suicide, overeating, and excessive sexual behavior.
What bodily functions involve norepinephrine?
Heart rate, respiration, and blood pressure.
What behaviors involve dopamine and what disorder is linked to excess dopamine?
Dopamine is involved in exploratory and pleasure-seeking behaviors; excess is linked to schizophrenia.
What is the purpose of an agonist drug?
To increase the activity of a neurotransmitter.
What effect does an antagonist drug have on neurotransmitter activity?
It decreases or blocks the impact of a neurotransmitter.
What is learned helplessness?
Believing nothing can improve a situation, leading to despair and negative thinking.
What does Albert Bandura's Social Learning Theory emphasize?
Observational learning or modeling influences behavior.
What unhealthy behaviors can people learn?
Despair, rage, suspicion, paranoia, and factitious disorder symptoms.
Name one factor contributing to mental illness related to childhood.
Severe childhood psychological trauma.
What family-related factor contributes to mental illness?
Dysfunctional family life.
What personal experience can contribute to mental illness?
Early loss of a parent.
Name one factor that may affect mental illness related to social change.
Changing jobs or schools.
What substance-related factor may affect mental illness?
Substance abuse by the person or their parents.
What is equifinality in behavior or disorders?
A behavior or disorder may have several different causes.
Which domain explains behavior through inherited potential?
Biology explains behavior through inherited potential.
How does the behavior domain explain behavior or disorders?
Through fight-or-flight responses and conditioning.
What do emotion and cognition domains explain in behavior?
Emotional reactions and thinking.
How do social factors contribute to behavior or disorders?
Through others’ reactions, treatment, and support.
Test your knowledge with 22 questions on Etiology of Mental Disorders.
1. Which combination of influences is included in the bio-psycho-social-spiritual perspective on mental disorders?
2. What cause was historically associated with disordered behavior before broader modern frameworks organized its possible influences?
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