In psychology, nativism is a theory that says that most basic skills are hard-wired in the brain at birth. This theory is the opposite of the theory called the blank slate, or "tabula rasa". Blank slate theories said that humans have almost no skills or abilities at birth: they learn these skills over the course of their life. People who believe in nativism (within certain limits) include Jerry Fodor, Noam Chomsky and Steven Pinker. These psychologists believe that humans are born with a set of abilities that help them learn other skills, such as speech.
Some mammals do seem to inherit emotional reactions. Monkeys fearing snakes is an example. Most of the behaviour of insects, reptiles and birds is inherited in some detail. Mammals, however, show a greater ability for learning than other kinds of animals.
Charles Darwin, in "The expression of emotions in man and animals" (1872), showed that the way most emotions were shown was common between human cultures. He said this was inherited and had been the result of evolution. Behaviorism says that man's behaviour is affected by its results (operant conditioning). Behaviourists denied the importance of inherited behaviours, instincts, or an inherited tendency to behave. People who believe in evolutionary psychology think this is wrong. They think human behaviour has deep roots in our evolutionary past.
Syphon
The word syphon (, also spelled siphon) can refer to any device that conducts the flow of liquids through tubes. Used in the right way, the word refers to a tube in an upside-down U shape. The tube makes liquid flow up hill. It flows higher than the source of the liquid, to come out at a level lower than the surface of the source. The movement is done without pumps. It is powered by the fall of the liquid as it flows down the tube under the pull of gravity.
The syphon must touch the liquid in the (upper) reservoir (the source, where the liquid comes from) in order for it to work. This allows atmospheric pressure to push the liquid up the tube. The top of the tube is where the lowest pressure is, so the liquid will move towards that area in the same way as a barometer. The top of a syphon is the same as the height of a barometer, because they work in the same way. The lower pressure is caused by the liquid falling on the downhill side. A syphon can raise water to a height of 25 feet above the source elevation. New discoveries in Syphon Pump Metering allows for dispensing liquid above the source. United States Patent #5,358,000 was the first to teach this method.
A siphon can be used for irrigation purposes.
When both ends of a syphon are at atmospheric pressure (equal pressure), liquid flows from high to low. However, if the lower end is pressurised, liquid can flow from low to high. Most syphons have water as a fluid. Other fluids, such as mercury, or organic liquids or even gasses like carbon dioxide can also be syphoned.
DSM IV
The DSM-IV is the fourth version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). The DSM is a manual written by the American Psychiatric Association (APA). They are numbered using Roman numerals: DSM-I, DSM-II, DSM-III, DSM-IV, but the latest edition adopted Arabic numerals allowing subsequent editions to be numbered, 5.1, 5.2 and so on. After the DSM-IV was published, some changes (or revisions) were made to the descriptions in the manual. Because of this, the most recent version of the DSM-IV is officially called the DSM-IV-TR (the TR stands for "Text Revision").
The DSM lists every condition that is officially called a mental illness by the APA. The DSM organizes these conditions into different categories. Each condition is given a code, made up of numbers or a combination of numbers and letters. Along with the condition's name and code, the DSM also gives other information, like:
The conditions that are listed in the DSM have changed over time. In each new version of the DSM, the APA adds conditions that it has accepted as mental illnesses since the last version was published. It may also take out conditions that are no longer thought of as mental illnesses. (For example, homosexuality was listed as a mental illness in the earlier DSMs, but was then taken out.) The APA may also change the way it describes certain conditions.
When a person gets a DSM diagnosis, there are five different "axes", or categories of information that need to be included.
Axis I: This is where most mental health conditions are listed. Both the name of the condition and its assigned code need to be listed. For example, types of ADHD, depression, anxiety disorders would be listed here. A person can have just one Axis I diagnosis, or more than one.
Axis II: If the person has mental retardation (intellectual disability, autism) or a personality disorder, it is listed here.
Axis III: If the person has medical conditions, they are listed here.
Axis IV: This axis records whether the person has certain kinds of "psychosocial stressors." There are few set categories of psychosocial stressors: Primary support problems (for example, family conflict); social environment problems (for example, the person has poor social skills and few friends); economic problems (like poverty or job loss); housing problems (like poor housing or homelessness); educational problems (like school failure); problems with access to healthcare services; and "other" stressors.
Axis V: For this axis, a mental health professional will pick a number that sums up how much the person is affected by his mental health problems, and how well he is functioning in his life. The professional uses a scale called the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF), which explains what different numbers mean. A person's score is called his "GAF score."
There are a few benefits to the DSM's multi-axial system. The five axes sum up all of the information that is most important to mental health professionals when they are treating a person. They give a snapshot of the most important things that affect a person's mental health. A full DSM diagnosis is also like a common language to mental health professionals. Even if there are different professionals, who come from different specialties or even speak different languages, they will all understand the DSM diagnosis.
The conditions in the DSM are organized into categories. These categories are:
(1) "Disorders Usually Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, and Adolescence". For example: types of ADHD; mental retardation; autism spectrum disorders; and Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD).
(2) "Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic, and Other Cognitive Disorders." These disorders cause problems with thinking and memory.
(3) "Mental Disorders Due to a General Medical Condition Not Otherwise Classified." These are disorders which are caused by a medical problem.
(4) "Substance-Related Disorders." These are conditions which have to do with use, abuse, or addiction to illegal drugs, alcohol, or other substances (like caffeine and nicotine). This category also includes conditions caused by withdrawal from these substances.
(5) "Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders." These include all of the different types of schizophrenia, and other disorders that cause psychosis (being out of touch with reality).
(6) "Mood Disorders". These include the different kinds of bipolar disorder and depression.
(7) "Anxiety Disorders." For example: Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD); Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD); Generalized Anxiety Disorder.