Download Describe dissociative disorders in general several

Describe dissociative disorders in general and several specific disorders of this kind
by way of illustration. Contrast dissociative disorders with somatoform disorders,
briefly explaining two such disorders. (one or two paragraphs) How was factor
analysis used to create Hans Eysenck's trait theory of personality? (two to five
sentences) Briefly, in terms of human behavior, how would you define or explain
latent learning? (Two to five sentences)
Dissociative disorders are psychological phenomena in which there is a breakdown in an
individual’s memory, awareness, identity, or perception. Such disorders are thought to result
from the experience of extremely stressful, traumatic events or situations that a person
psychologically escapes (dissociates) from as a defense mechanism. Depersonalization
disorder is a type of dissociative disorder in which an individual feels detached from his or
her normal perceptions of reality—as if the person is in a dream state. Persons affected by
this disorder may experience feelings of being outside their body, may feel that the everyday
environment is unfamiliar, or feel that they are losing control of their movements or actions.
Dissociative identity disorder or multiple personality disorder is famous type of dissociative
disorder in which a person evidences one or more identities that surface on a recurring basis.
Due to its bizarre nature, both professionals and laymen have frequently questioned the
validity of this disorder. It has been dramatized in books and movies such as The There
Faces of Eve and Sybil. Dissociative identity disorder is usually associated with severe
physical or emotional childhood abuse. A very rare form of dissociation, dissociative fugue,
involves persons unexpectedly leaving and turning up in a different place, confused or
oblivious as to how they got there and who they are. Such dissociation can be brief or can
last for several months. Persons suffering from this disorder may even assume a new identity.
Dissociative amnesia occurs when someone blocks out personal information, usually related
to traumatic or stressful events. Such amnesia is purely psychological, as opposed to
someone forgetting information after a blow to the head. Dissociative amnesia varies as to
what or how much information is forgotten, and how long the information is forgotten.
Somatoform disorders are psychosomatic in nature—they present physical symptoms with
no apparent medical cause. Conversion disorder is one type of somatoform disorder in
which the individual experiences blindness, paralysis, or convulsions in the absence of any
discernible medical causes. Another type of this condition is pain disorder, where the
sufferer experiences chronic pain for months or even years. Again, there is no apparent
medical basis for the symptoms. Like dissociative disorders, somatoform disorders are
attributed to an involuntary reaction to stressful or traumatic experiences. In this type of
disorder, stress and trauma that is too painful to be processed psychologically is manifested
physically—the individual copes with the physical distress rather than the psychological
pain.
Hans Eysenck used the statistical process of factor analysis to identify and measure individual
personality characteristics that were used to define an individual’s overall personality type.
Eysenck based his theory on three universal trait continuums he believed compromised
personality—Introversion/Extraversion, Neuroticism/Emotional Stability, and Psychoticism.
He believed that measuring persons’ habits and patterns of behavior and ranking individuals
accordingly within these trait categories could define personalities. Eysenck translated the trait
rankings into personality types proposed by Hypocrites—Choleric type, Melancholic type,
Sanguine type, and Phlegmatic type. For example, an individual categorized as having a Sanguine
(light-hearted, fun-loving, compassionate, impulsive) type personality would rank low in
neuroticism, high in extroversion, and low in psychoticism.
Latent learning is learning that is not expressed as behavior until sometime later when needed.
For example, a child might learn the technique for loosening/tightening a screw by watching a
parent do it, but not actually apply this learning until he needs to remove a cover and replace a
battery in one of his toys.