Download AbnormalPsychAndSocialStudySheet-2011

AP Psychology Review
Page 1 of 5
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Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology
Key Terms and Concepts
Before taking the test, you need to be able to explain the meaning of each of these terms or concepts.
Use the glossary to look up the definition of terms. You must write an application statement for each of
the bolded vocabulary terms. Do not write a definition!!! Application statements include, using the word
in a sentence, applying the term to psychology, using the word in a story. Bolded words mean that you
should know them or suffer!
actor-observer effect
Alzheimer’s disease
adjustment disorder
anxiety disorder
attribution
antidepressant
attitude
autism spectrum disorders
behavior therapy
bystander effect
unconditional positive
regard
conformity
stereotype
depression
disability
dissociative disorders
social loafing
electroconvulsive therapy
(ECT)
family systems therapy
fundamental attribution error
global assessment of
functioning
hallucination
influence
insanity
M’Naghten rule
neuroleptic (antipsychotic
drugs)
obedience
token economy
person (client) centered
therapy
pharmacological therapy
positive symptoms
biopsychosocial
catharsis
conduct disorder
affective (mood) disorder
attention deficit hyperactivity
disorder (ADHD)
attraction
transcranial magnetic
stimulation (TMS)
bipolar disorder
cognitive-behavioral therapy
confidentiality
congruence
delusion
deviance
discrimination
dissonance
social role
ethnocentrism
systematic desensitization
dementia
diffusion of responsibility
disposition
distress
eclectic
exposure therapy
flooding
general medical condition
group therapy
free association
generalized anxiety
Groupthink
ideal self
informed consent
involuntary commitment
mere exposure effect
neurology
impulse-control disorder
in-group/out-group
lobotomy
negative symptoms
neurotic
obsessive-compulsive
paranoid
personality disorder
Panic disorder
participant modeling
somatoform disorder
phobia
post-traumatic stress
disorder
prisoner’s dilemma
psychosocial stressor
psychotic
resistance
self-serving bias
transference
pluralistic ignorance
prejudice
prevention
psychodynamic
psychotherapy
reframing
seasonal affective disorder
psychoanalysis
psychosurgery
rational-emotive therapy
schizophrenia
sexual disorder
social facilitation
© Copyright 2004 Apex Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of
registered users only. No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the
express written permission of Apex Learning, Inc.
AP Psychology Review
Page 2 of 5
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Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology
Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
You might think, as many novice psychologists do, that it is easy to distinguish between what constitutes
"normal" and "abnormal." Yet the study of how psychopathology is characterized and treated helps one
understand how complicated the issue actually is.
Mental illnesses—sicknesses of the brain and nervous system with symptoms that are primarily
behavioral—are often difficult to tell apart from just plain unconventional behavior.
Historically, labels of mental illness have been misused in most cultures in order to control and ostracize
people who do not behave according to social and political norms.
It was in part due to these earlier abuses that recent efforts made by professionals in the fields of
psychology, medicine, and social services to standardize diagnosis and defend patients' rights arose.
To better understand the need for such standardization, be sure to carefully read the the relevant sections
in your textbook. You should now have an understanding of how the improvements in psychological
science and medical technology, and the more rigorous standards for mental health research have led to
the creation of treatments that are more effective and humane.
Learning Objectives - write down the answers to the following questions.

Explain the purpose of the DSM.

List reasons why deviant behavior may not necessarily be symptomatic of mental illness.

Contrast the Medical and Bio-Psycho-Social perspectives in understanding mental illness.

Outline the categories of mental illness.

Identify the major symptoms that characterize each type of mental illness.

List some recent criticisms of the DSM labeling system.

Explain the possible role of stress in fostering mental illness.
Sample Questions - write down the answers to the following questions.

Describe the five-axis diagnostic system used in the DSM.

List the major common symptoms of psychotic disorders.

Describe what is currently known about the biological basis of major depression.

Explain the significance of the Rosenhan study.
Treatments
In this section we'll briefly overview the development of mental health treatments and learn about the
most current versions of therapy based on the various perspectives and models.
Information on how each treatment mode can be linked to a particular psychological perspective can be
found in your textbook.
© Copyright 2004 Apex Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of
registered users only. No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the
express written permission of Apex Learning, Inc.
AP Psychology Review
Page 3 of 5
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Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology

Biological psychology offers medication and psychosurgery.

Humanistic psychologists do client-centered therapy.

Behavioral psychotherapists use classical conditioning and reinforcements to shape new
behaviors or eliminate old dysfunctional ones.

Psychodynamic psychologists do a modified form of psychoanalysis (as few health plans will pay
for a two year course of therapy, four times a week!)

Rational-emotive and cognitive-behavioral therapists try to change a client's way of thinking about
problems. This is a strategy that leads to behavioral and emotional change.
Most psychotherapists in the current era use an eclectic combination of techniques. For example,
cognitive-behavioral therapy and medication have been used with great success in treating depression.
People seeking relief from psychological difficulties often benefit by working with a psychotherapist
trained in a wide variety of methods, working along with professionals from other disciplines. For a
thorough review of current treatments, be sure to go back over your course materials.
Learning Objectives - write down the answers to the following questions.

List improvements in mental health treatment over the course of the 20th and early 21st century.

Identify the techniques of treatment devised by the various psychological perspectives.

List the major strengths and weaknesses of each method.

Define the term "eclectic" with reference to mental health treatment.

Describe current research on the overall effectiveness of psychotherapy.

Explain how preventative health model views mental illness.

Describe the major ethical tenets to which modern psychotherapists subscribe.
Sample Questions - write down the answers to the following questions.

List the major classes of anti-depressant medications and identify how each class alters the
function of neurotransmitters.

Describe how a humanistic and a cognitive behavioral therapist would work with a 35-year-old
man who has recently experienced a painful divorce.

Discuss the major rules of ethical conduct for psychotherapists as they relate to the abusive
nature of some treatments of previous eras.
Attitudes and Social-Cognitive Theories The wall between our attitudes and our social behavior is thin and permeable. In this section, we'll review
the ways in which attitudes and behavior interact in everyday life.
You'll recall what you've learned about classic studies that demonstrate the powerful influence of the
situation on behavior. For example, the role we play may become indistinguishable from who we are, as
indicated by the outcomes of the Stanford Prison Experiment and Milgram's studies of obedience.
© Copyright 2004 Apex Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of
registered users only. No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the
express written permission of Apex Learning, Inc.
AP Psychology Review
Page 4 of 5
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Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology
We've arrived at the place where the two sides of the person-situation debate clash dramatically. The
studies of role, conformity and obedience provide strong evidence that the predicaments that we find
ourselves in are just as likely to determine our thoughts, feelings and actions as any theoretical traits,
tendencies, or internal dynamics. Here we saw evidence for Mischel's claim that if one wants to predict an
individual's behavior in any moment, it is much more vital to know what the situation is than to have a
personality assessment at hand.
Finally, have another look at the latest research findings on interpersonal attraction in the areas of
friendship and romance.
Learning Objectives - write down the answers to the following questions.

Define the term attribution and give examples.

Define the fundamental attribution error and discuss its significance.

Describe the design of each of the classic social psychology studies and discuss their
implications for understanding human behavior.

Describe the conditions that tend to promote conformity and obedience and those that discourage
it.

Identify the principles that promote attraction and bonding between individuals in pairs and
groups.
Sample Questions - write down the answers to the following questions.

Give an example of committing the fundamental attribution error in thinking about a person who
shows up late for class.

Describe the design and outcome of the Stanford Prison Experiment. Give a real-life example that
illustrates the results of that study.

Describe a typical sequence of events that might lead up to a pair or group of students becoming
good friends.
Groups and Intergroup Relations
Groups can be powerfully effective in shaping constructive or destructive behavior. Stereotypes and
prejudice can lead to frightening aggression. Your textbook outlines the complex influence of social
forces—peers, ethnic groups, and media—on aggressive behavior. Yet if hostile groups are brought
together to work for a common cause, seemingly insurmountable differences can be overcome. Take
another look at the research that demonstrates these principles. Examine how people can be motivated
or de-motivated by the presence of others in a variety of everyday situations and see the problems that
arise in the group decision-making process. Experience again the conflict between cooperation and
competition in the "Prisoner's Dilemma."
By the time you're done, you'll have gained awareness of principles and dynamics that will help you be a
more effective person alone or as a group member.
Learning Objectives - write down the answers to the following questions.

Define and distinguish between stereotyping, prejudice, and discrimination.

Explain the conditions that increase and decrease in-group/out-group dynamics.

Describe the Robbers' Cave study and its implications for understanding group behavior.
© Copyright 2004 Apex Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of
registered users only. No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the
express written permission of Apex Learning, Inc.
AP Psychology Review
Page 5 of 5
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Abnormal Psychology and Social Psychology

Define social loafing, social facilitation, and bystander effects.

Describe how groupthink occurs in decision-making processes.

Discuss the implications of the Prisoner's Dilemma in understanding processes of competition
and cooperation.

Describe the social conditions that tend to promote positive individual behavior and those
conditions that tend to foster negative individual behavior.
Sample Questions - write down the answers to the following questions.

Give an example of your stereotype of a nurse versus the reality of a real-life nurse and describe
how they might be the different from each other.

Describe the conditions that promote social loafing.

List ways to prevent groupthink.
© Copyright 2004 Apex Learning, Inc. All rights reserved. This material is intended for the exclusive use of
registered users only. No portion of these materials may be reproduced or redistributed in any form without the
express written permission of Apex Learning, Inc.