AP Psychology Flashcards: Selection of Categories of Psychological Disorders
Written by AP Content Team, Verified for 2026 AP Exams, Last updated: May 2026
Review key ideas with interactive flashcards. This set includes 36 cards to help you master important concepts.
What are Cluster B personality disorders?
A cluster of personality disorders (antisocial, histrionic, narcissistic, borderline) described as dramatic, emotional, or erratic.
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What are Cluster B personality disorders?
A cluster of personality disorders (antisocial, histrionic, narcissistic, borderline) described as dramatic, emotional, or erratic.
What are depressive disorders?
Disorders, such as major depressive disorder, that are characterized by a sad, empty, or irritable mood.
What are negative symptoms in schizophrenic spectrum disorders?
Negative symptoms present as the lack of a typical behavior, such as a flat affect.
What is the primary cause of trauma and stressor-related disorders?
The primary cause involves the experience of trauma or stress.
What is social anxiety disorder?
An anxiety disorder that involves the intense fear of being judged or watched by others.
What are dissociative disorders?
Disorders, such as dissociative amnesia and DID, characterized by dissociations from consciousness, memory, or identity.
What is a specific phobia?
A type of anxiety disorder that involves fear or anxiety toward a specific object or situation.
What are bipolar disorders?
Disorders characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression.
What is panic disorder?
An anxiety disorder that involves unanticipated panic attacks.
What are the possible causes of personality disorders?
Possible causes focus on biological, genetic, social, cultural, behavioral, or cognitive sources.
What are the possible causes of neurodevelopmental disorders?
Possible causes of neurodevelopmental disorders may be environmental, physiological, or genetic.
A person experiences disorganized speech and believes they are a historical figure. What category of symptoms are they exhibiting?
They are exhibiting positive symptoms, such as disorganized thinking (speech) and delusions (false beliefs).
What are trauma and stressor-related disorders?
Disorders, such as PTSD, that are characterized by exposure to a traumatic event and subsequent distress.
What is catatonia?
Catatonia is a manifestation of disorganized motor behavior, a symptom of schizophrenic spectrum disorders.
What are personality disorders?
Enduring, pervasive, and inflexible patterns of experience and behavior that are deviant from one's culture.
What is the key difference between depressive disorders and bipolar disorders?
Bipolar disorders are characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression, whereas depressive disorders are primarily characterized by a sad, empty, or irritable mood without mania.
What are the possible causes of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?
Possible causes of OCD involve learned associations, maladaptive thinking, and biological or genetic sources.
What are neurodevelopmental disorders?
Disorders such as ADHD and autism spectrum disorder that have their onset during the developmental period.
What core feature links both Dissociative Disorders and Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders?
The experience of trauma or stress is identified as a possible cause for both categories of disorders.
What are anxiety disorders?
Disorders characterized by excessive fear and/or anxiety.
What are the possible causes of depressive disorders?
Possible causes of depressive disorders focus on biological, genetic, social, cultural, behavioral, or cognitive sources.
An individual shows a pervasive and inflexible pattern of being dramatic and emotional, which deviates from cultural norms. What category of disorder might this indicate?
This may indicate a Cluster B personality disorder, which is characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic patterns of behavior.
What is agoraphobia?
An anxiety disorder involving intense fear of specific social situations like open spaces or crowds.
What is generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
An anxiety disorder that involves prolonged, nonspecific anxiety or fear.
What are hallucinations?
Hallucinations are false perceptions and are considered a positive symptom of schizophrenia.
What are obsessive-compulsive and related disorders?
Disorders, such as OCD and hoarding, that are characterized by obsessions and compulsions.
What are Cluster C personality disorders?
A cluster of personality disorders (avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive) described as anxious or fearful.
What are the possible causes of feeding and eating disorders?
Possible causes focus on biological, genetic, social, cultural, behavioral, or cognitive sources.
What are feeding and eating disorders?
Disorders, such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, characterized by altered food consumption that impairs health.
What are the possible causes of anxiety disorders?
Possible causes focus on learned associations, maladaptive thinking, and biological or genetic sources.
What is a possible biological cause of schizophrenia?
Possible causes suggest a genetic or biological link, such as the dopamine hypothesis.
What are the possible causes of bipolar disorders?
Possible causes of bipolar disorders focus on biological, genetic, social, cultural, behavioral, or cognitive sources.
What are schizophrenic spectrum disorders?
Disorders characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, disorganized motor behavior, and/or negative symptoms.
What is a primary cause of dissociative disorders?
Possible causes of dissociative disorders involve the experience of trauma or stress.
What are delusions?
Delusions are false beliefs and are considered a positive symptom of schizophrenia.
What are Cluster A personality disorders?
A cluster of personality disorders (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal) described as odd or eccentric.