Thinking About Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behavior 2e

Thinking About Psychology:

The Science of Mind and Behavior 2e

Charles T. Blair-BroekerRandal M. Ernst

Variations in Individual and Group Behavior Domain

Psychological Disorders Chapter

Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and

Personality Disorders

Module 31

Clarify

• Dissociation is not the same as psychosis. Dissociation involves breaking away from the sense of self, either by losing memory and identity or by adding personalities. Psychosis involves a break with reality, believing things that are untrue, or having hallunciations about things that aren’t there.

Dissociative Disorders

Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality Disorders


• Disorders in which the sense of self has become separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, or feelings

Types of Dissociative Disorders

• Three main types:– Dissociative Amnesia– Dissociative Fugue– Dissociative Identity Disorder


Dissociative Disorders:

Dissociative Amnesia


Dissociative Amnesia

• A dissociative disorder characterized by loss of memory in reaction to a traumatic event

• Example: soldiers in combat– Young man in a boat wreck; only survivor;

traumatic and so losses memory of incident.


Dissociative Fugue(fUge)


Dissociative Fugue

• A dissociative disorder characterized by loss of identity and travel to a new location– From the same root word as fugitive.

• The person may develop a new identity and begin a new life.– Can last a few hours, months or even years.– Unconscious response to stress (as with other

dissociative disorders)


Dissociative Identity Disorder



• Rare and controversial dissociative disorder in which an individual experiences two or more distinct and alternating personalities

• Formerly called multiple personalities– Before the 1970s fewer than 100 cases had ever

been reported.– In the 1980s alone, reports of more than 20,000

diagnosed cases appeared, almost all of them in North America

Controversy

• Psychologists debate whether is really exists. Are today’s clinicians simply more knowledgeable and willing to make a diagnosis? Are there better diagnostic rules (thus reducing the number of cases that were misdiagnosed as other things, like schizophrenia)?

• Skeptics believe the power of suggestion has been at work. Clinicians (who have read about the disorder) may be unintentionally suggesting multiple personalities to their clients.

Dissociative Identity Disorder• Personalities can be different ages, sex,

and self perception of characteristics• Three Faces of Eve• Sybil


• Insert “Multiple Personality Disorder” Video #31 from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology.

• Instructions for importing the video file can be found in the ‘Readme’ file on the CD-ROM.

• This same clip is on the Brain Series.• Oprah - Jani


• Many videos on Learner, all three sites.

• Oprah: Art Therapy and Dissociative Identify Disorder; Kim Noble;

Schizophrenia Disorders


Schizophrenia

• Group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and actions

• Is not one disorder but a family of disorders• Is not “split personality”• Occurs in about 1% of the population

Schizophrenia

• Play “Schizophrenia: Symptoms” (5:39) Module #26 from The Brain: Teaching Modules (2nd edition).

Schizophrenia Disorders:

Symptoms of Schizophrenia


Symptoms of Schizophrenia• Symptoms of schizophrenia include:

– Delusions (false beliefs)– Hallucinations (false perceptions)– Inappropriate emotions or behaviors– Perhaps the most frightening & most misunderstood

psychological disorder.– “Schiz” means split, but not slit from personality; it’s a

split from reality– Affects 1% of the world’s population; typically develops

in late adolescence or early adulthood and strikes men at a slightly greater rate than women.

Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Delusions

• False beliefs that are symptoms of schizophrenia and other serious psychological disorders

• Four major types of delusions:– Grandeur – Persecution – Sin or guilt – Influence

Delusions of Grandeur

• False beliefs that a person is more important than they really are

• Patients may believe they are a famous person (e.g. Napoleon)

Delusions of Persecution

• False beliefs that people are out to get the person

• Believe they are being followed, the phone is wiretapped, etc.

Delusions of Sin or Guilt

• False beliefs that the person is responsible for some misfortune– Plane crash because you didn’t brush your

teeth

Delusions of Influence

• False beliefs of being controlled by outside forces– “the devil made me do it”

Hallucinations

• False perceptions that are symptoms of schizophrenia or other serious psychological disorders

• Types of hallucinations:– Auditory (hearing voices)– Visual (seeing things)– Tactile (feeling skin sensations)

• Can also have distorted smell and taste

Inappropriate Emotions/Behaviors

• Flat affect – showing little or no emotional response

• Word salad – nonsense talk• Waxy flexibility – the person’s arms and

legs will remain in place after being moved there

• Inappropriate actions – speaking too loudly or engaging in odd mannerisms

Schizophrenia Disorders:Types of

Schizophrenia


Types of Schizophrenia

Paranoid Schizophrenia

• Characterized by delusions, especially grandeur and persecution. Auditory and other hallucinations support the delusions.

A Beautiful Mind

Catatonic Schizophrenia

• Characterized by variations in voluntary movement

• Catatonic excitement – rapid movements with delusions and hallucinations

• Catatonic stupor – little or no activity, movement, or speech (waxy flexibility)

Disorganized Schizophrenia

• Characterized by bizarre behavior, delusions, and hallucinations.

• Very disturbed thought and language (word salad)

Undifferentiated Schizophrenia

• Symptoms that don’t clearly fit into one of the other types of schizophrenia but still show clear symptoms of schizophrenia

Schizophrenia in the Real World

• Play “Cop Psychiatrists” (10:30) Segment #32 from Scientific American Frontiers: Video Collection for Introductory Psychology (2nd edition).

Schizophrenia Disorders:

Causes


Schizophrenia

• Play “Schizophrenia: Etiology” (14:45) Module #27 from The Brain: Teaching Modules (2nd edition).

Biological Factors - Genetics

• Schizophrenia tends to run in families.• Genetics appears to produce a

predisposition (increased likelihood) to develop schizophrenia.

Genain Quadruplets

Genetics and Schizophrenia

Biological Factors – Brain Structure

• Brain structure of those with schizophrenia is different than the normal brain

• Those with schizophrenia have smaller amounts of brain tissue and larger fluid filled spaces.

• The thalamus is smaller in those with schizophrenia.

Biological Factors – Brain Function

• The brain of those with schizophrenia operates differently than the normal brain.

• The frontal lobes show less activity.• Those with schizophrenia have a larger

number of receptor sites for the neurotransmitter dopamine.

Biological Factors – Brain Function

Schizophrenia

• Insert “The Schizophrenic Brain” Video #29 from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology.


Biological Factors – Prenatal Viruses

• A viral infection during the middle of pregnancy may increase schizophrenia risk.

Psychological Factors

• Two main areas:– Stress– Disturbed family

– It’s unclear whether these are causes or consequences of schizophrenia.




• Psychological disorders characterized by rigid and lasting behavior patterns that disrupt social functioning

• Divided into three clusters:– Related to anxiety– With odd and eccentric behaviors– With dramatic or impulsive behaviors

Difficult to Diagnose

• Behaviors are rigid (not flexible) and enduring.

• Where should the line be drawn between eccentric, anxious, and odd & having a personality disorder?

• How might treatment for a personality disorder be difficult?


Personality Disorders Related to Anxiety


Avoidant Personality Disorder

• So sensitive about being rejected that personal relationships become difficult

Dependent Personality Disorder

• Behave in clingy, submissive ways and displays a strong need to have others take care of them

Personality Disorders with Odd or Eccentric

Behaviors


Paranoid Personality Disorder

• Shows deep distrust of other people, which gets in the way of personal relationships

Schizoid Personality Disorder

• Is detached from social relationships• Are true hermits, preferring life alone

and avoiding intimate interactions at all costs

Personality Disorders with Dramatic or

Impulsive Behaviors


Borderline Personality Disorder

• Exhibit instability of emotions, self-image, behavior, and relationships

Antisocial Personality Disorder

• Personality disorder in which the person shows a lack of conscience for wrongdoing

• Shows no respects for the rights others• Usually male; can be very charming• Also known as psychopathic or

sociopathic personality disorder– Think Silence of the Lamb

The Antisocial Personality Disorder

• Insert “The Mind of the Psychopath” Video #30 from Worth’s Digital Media Archive for Psychology.


• This video clip is also part of The Mind series segment.

The Mind of the Psychopath

• Play “The Mind of the Psychopath” (18:39) Segment #35 from The Mind: Psychology Teaching Modules (2nd edition).

• Parts of this video clip are included in the Worth Digital Media Archive CD-ROM.

The End

Thinking About Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behavior 2e

Documents

dissociative disordersmodule

dissociative amnesiamodule

dissociative fuguefugemodule

new identity

loss of identity

personality disordersmodule

loss of memory

sense of self