Dissociative Disorders Psychological Disorders
Disorder / Symptoms / Possible Causes / Other InformationDissociative Identity Disorder (DID) / When two of more distinct personalities are present within the same person.
Amnesia is involved when alternate personalities take over.
Will often experience “missing time” / Physical or sexual abuse when very young
Psychoanalysts: believe dissociative disorders can be explained as repressions of anxiety and/or trauma, caused by such disturbances as beatings, rejection from parents, or sexual abuse. Also, may be defenses against the anxiety caused by the eruption of unacceptable impulses.
Learning/Behavioral theorists: behaviors reinforced by anxiety reduction / AKA Multiple Personality Disorder
Extremely Rare
Each alternate personality has its own memories, behaviors, relationships, and may have different prescriptions, allergies, and other physical symptoms.
Many professionals are still skeptical of DID.
In particular, many social learning theorists believe that these individuals are role playing.
It is very rare outside the U.S.
Dissociative Amnesia / Loss of memory for a traumatic event or period of time that is too painful for an individual to remember.
The person holds steadfast that he/she has no memory of the event and becomes upset when others try to stimulate recall.
In time, parts of the memory may begin to reappear. / Psychoanalysts: believe dissociative disorders can be explained as repressions of anxiety and/or trauma, caused by such disturbances as beatings, rejection from parents, or sexual abuse. Also, may be defenses against the anxiety caused by the eruption of unacceptable impulses.
Learning/Behavioral theorists: behaviors reinforced by anxiety reduction
Dissociative Fugue / Memory loss for anything having to do with personal memory.
It is accompanied by flight from the person’s home, after which the person establishes a new identity.
All skills and basic knowledge remain intact. / The cause of the fugue is often abundant stress or an immediate danger of some news coming out that would improve embarrassing to the individual.
Psychoanalysts: believe dissociative disorders can be explained as repressions of anxiety and/or trauma, caused by such disturbances as beatings, rejection from parents, or sexual abuse. Also, may be defenses against the anxiety caused by the eruption of unacceptable impulses.
Learning/Behavioral theorists: behaviors reinforced by anxiety reduction
Everything in teal/blue is information (mostly direct quotes) from: Maitland, L. & Hannah, P. (2008). Five Steps to a 5—AP Psychology. San Francisco: McGraw Hill.
Everything in pink is information (mostly direct quotes) from: Weseley, A. & McEntarffer, R. (2007). AP Psychology. New York: Barron’s.
Everything in yellow is information (mostly direct quotes) from: Myers, D. G. (2007). Psychology: Eighth Edition in Modules. New York: Worth Publishers.