Thinking About Psychology:
The Science of Mind and
Behavior 2e
Charles T. Blair-Broeker
Randal M. Ernst
Variations in Individual and
Group Behavior Domain
Psychological Disorders
Chapter
Module 31
Dissociative,
Schizophrenia, and
Personality Disorders
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.
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
Dissociative
Disorders
Dissociative 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
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
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.
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
Dissociative
Disorders:
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)
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
Dissociative
Disorders:
Dissociative Identity
Disorder
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
Dissociative Identity Disorder
• 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
Dissociative Identity Disorder
• Many videos on Learner, all three sites.
• Oprah: Art Therapy and Dissociative
Identify Disorder; Kim Noble;
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
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).
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
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
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
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).
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
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.
• Instructions for importing the video file
can be found in the ‘Readme’ file on the
CD-ROM.
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.
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
Personality Disorders
Personality Disorders
• 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
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
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
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
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
Module 31: Dissociative, Schizophrenia, and Personality
Disorders
Personality Disorders
with Dramatic or
Impulsive Behaviors
Borderline Personality Disorder
• Exhibit instability of emotions, selfimage, 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.
• Instructions for importing the video file
can be found in the ‘Readme’ file on the
CD-ROM.
• 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 CDROM.
The End