Chapter 14: PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS
Testing your knowledge of idioms and other
vocabulary
How familiar are you with American idioms? Match each item in column A with the
appropriate meaning given in column B. If you are unsure, look at the sentence context
given below. Answers are given on page 86.
COLUMN A
COLUMN B
a. to give rise to
b. culture-bound
c. mixed feelings
d. to get a word in edgewise
1. to be the cause of
2. decreased; made dull or flat
3. highly desirous of; eager to
4. to take part in a conversation which other
people monopolize
5. to contribute to; to be a part of
6. dishonest
7. to understand, be in agreement with
8. customs, beliefs, and ideas limited to a
specific group or culture
9. opinions that are not decisive, both good and
bad together
10. general category that takes a variety of
things into consideration
e. intent on
f. to get in tune with
g. blunted
h. catchall
i. to play a role in
j. crooked
Sentence context
a. Pinel's medical model eventually gave rise to the modern specialty of psychiatry. (p.
478)
b. It (DSM-IV) does provide a culture-specific section and a glossary of culture-bound
syndromes. But some say the classification of most disorders still reflects a Western
European and American perspective. (p.482)
c. Although her husband had verbally and physically abused her for years, she had had
mixed feelings about staying in the marriage. (p. 488)
d. Speech is also rapid ("pressured speech"), and it is difficult to get a word in
edgewise. (p. 489)
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e. Suicidal people are fully intent on dying. (p. 491)
f. If it is just one person speaking, that's not so bad, but if others join in then I can't pick
it up at all. I just can't get in tune with the conversation. (p. 495)
g. The senses of people with schizophrenia may be either enhanced (as in the case with
Mrs. T) or blunted. (p. 495)
h. Furthermore, undifferentiated type is a catchall for cases that are difficult to diagnose.
(p. 496)
i. According to the diathesis-stress model of schizophrenia, stress plays an essential
role in triggering schizophrenic episodes in people with an inherited predisposition
(or diathesis) toward the disease. (p. 498)
j. Although serial killers are often seen as classic examples of antisocial personality
disorder, many sociopaths harm people in less dramatic ways – for example, as
ruthless businesspeople and “crooked” politicians. (p. 503)
Reviewing your knowledge of English grammar
In the last chapter, we began to take a look at certain verbs that, when followed by
complements, are always followed by a gerund form. There are also certain classes of
these verbs that are always followed by the infinitive form. These verbs can be also
classified into several categories, such as:

CHOICE OR INTENTION (propose, decide, expect, intend, mean, wish,
prefer, etc.)
While it is tempting to want to place people in tidy, discrete categories,
abnormal behavior exists along a continuum.
Now, not only could you be possessed, you could also choose to consort with
the devil.
Just as physicians need to differentiate between cancer and heart disease,
psychiatrists must make a distinction between anxiety attacks and feelings of
paranoia.

REQUEST AND RESPONSE (offer, promise, threaten, vow, etc.)
Does a compulsively neat student who types all of his lecture notes and
refuses to write in any textbook qualify for a psychiatric examination?
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When asked to think about their lives, respondents in need of mental health
services all named one or more of the same 12 symptoms.
The subjective discomfort standard allows people to define for themselves
what they accept as normal or abnormal.

MENTAL ACTIVITY (learn, know how, forget, remember, etc.)
People learn to express their problems in ways acceptable to others in the
same culture.
All neurotic conditions were believed to reflect underlying problems with
repressed anxiety.
Read the paragraph below and decide if the verbs in parentheses should appear in the
infinitive or in the gerund form. Insert the appropriate form of the verb in the space given.
When you are finished, you may check your answers in the answer key.
By publishing the DSM-I in 1952, the American Psychiatric Association hoped
__________ (categorize) abnormal behavior. Designed as a tool to help
practitioners __________ (diagnose) mental disorders, the APA expected
__________ (alleviate) many problems that had in the past caused individuals
__________ (be) misdiagnosed and imprisoned in mental institutions. The APA
considered __________ (explain) the causes of the disorders, but then proposed
__________ (limit) the entries to descriptions only. The APA has offered
__________ (revise) the manual four times. Each revision intends __________
(reflect) changes in the way abnormal behaviors are viewed within our social
context. The third edition was published in 1987, and the APA plans __________
(release) the fourth edition in 1994.
Finding key information
Writing in English is characterized by linear thought patterns; that is, generally there is a
statement in the introduction directly stating what will be discussed and then the following
paragraphs fulfill that promise. Also, in extended writing, authors sometimes insert linking
sentences or paragraphs, to remind the reader of what has been discussed and what is yet to
come. These linking sentences or paragraphs are very useful, as they allow readers to set up their
notes and outlines clearly, and confirm that indeed they have been able to pull out the key
information from the text. It is a good idea to map out the information set up in these linking, or
transition sentences or paragraphs, in order to follow the authors' argument more smoothly. Look
at the example below, based on the material under the heading "Why do cultures develop such as
unique, culture-bound disorders?" beginning on page 477.
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abnormal behavior exemplified
by windigo psychosis: cultural
relativity

LINK: Some researchers question the famine explanation for windigo psychosis and even the
idea of culture-bound disorders. However, there is little doubt that some mental disorders are at
least somewhat culture-bound.

Nishimoto: several culturegeneral and culture specific
symptoms useful in diagnosing
mental health difficulties
Practice making a linking map of your own, using the information presented in the “Phobias”
section on pages 485. Be sure to locate the complete linking sentences. When you have finished,
compare your responses with the answers provided in the answer key.

LINK:

Examining structural clues
Often, writers want to remind the reader of important information they have presented at an
earlier point in the text. They use specific referent cues or triggers to spark the reader's memory.
Sometimes, the authors are very specific and repeat the information fully; other times, they make
just passing reference to the information. To see how these triggers are used, study the sentences
below:
As the introductory cases show, abnormal behavior varies from person to person and in
its severity.
As mentioned earlier, students who begin studying abnormal behavior sometimes have
unnecessary worries about their own mental health.
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The learning perspective on anxiety disorders suggests that phobias and other reactions
are the result of classical and operant conditioning (see chapter 5).
At the beginning of this chapter, we discussed how some researchers believe that
certain mental disorders may be culturally universal, and schizophrenia is a prime
example.
Recall that some cases of severe depression are linked to biochemical imbalances. Some
researchers suggest that covariance between hormones and serotonin may explain
gender difference in depression.
As we discussed, some theories suggest that stress may trigger the onset of
schizophrenia.
Find five more referent cues from this chapter and write them in the spaces below. Study these
sentences. What information are the authors reminding you of? Are they specific or is it just a
passing reference?
1.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
2.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
3.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
4.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
Answer key
Testing your knowledge of idioms and other vocabulary
a. 1;
b. 8;
c. 9;
d. 4;
e. 3;
f. 7;
g. 2;
h. 10;
i. 5;
j. 6;
Reviewing your knowledge of English grammar
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By publishing the DSM-I in 1952, the American Psychiatric Association hoped to
categorize abnormal behavior. Designed as a tool to help practitioners diagnose mental
disorders, the APA expected to alleviate many problems that had in the past caused
individuals to be misdiagnosed and imprisoned in mental institutions. The APA
considered explaining the causes of the disorders, but then proposed to limit the entries to
descriptions only. The APA has offered to revise the manual four times. Each revision
intends to reflect changes in the way abnormal behaviors are viewed within our social
context. The third edition was published in 1987, and the APA plans to release the fourth
edition in 1994.
Finding key information
simple phobias: a specific
stimulus elicits a strong fear
response. e.g. fear of spiders,
blood, enclosed places.

LINK: In addition to Maria's agoraphobia and specific phobias, such as fears of knives,
rats, or spiders, there is another category of phobias known as social phobias.

social phobias: fear of being
evaluated by others or being
publicly embarrassed, so
pervasive that normal life
becomes impossible
Examining structural clues
Answers will vary.
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