2020 Flashcards
Briefly evaluate the deviation from the ideal mental health definition of abnormality.
[4 marks]
Marie Jahoda (1958) suggested there are 6 characteristics an individual should display if they have an idea of mental health, these are: Positive attitudes towards one’s self, Self actualisation, Autonomy, Integration, Accurate perception, Environment mastery.
It’s when they don’t meet the criteria for ideal mental health.
- The criteria for ideal mental is unrealistic as most people are abnormal, for example many people have low self esteem.
- The definition of ideal mental health has western individualist bias, collectivist cultures would see autonomy on the criteria to be undesirable.
Outline two cognitive characteristics of obsessive-compulsive disorder.
[4 marks]
They have obsessive which involves thoughts persistent and intrusive thoughts . Cognitive coping strategies help manage anxiety.
People with OCD experience catastrophic thoughts about the worst case scenarios. They tend to be hypervigilant. They maintain constant alertness and keep their attention focused on potential hazards.
Max has a phobia of box the sea. On a family holiday as a child, he was carried away by the
tide and had to be rescued by a lifeguard. Now he has a family of his own, Max refuses to
go on beach holidays.
1 6 Discuss the two-process model of phobias. Refer to Max’s phobia of the sea in your
answer.
[16 marks]
Mowrer’s (1960) two process model proposes that Max’s phobia of the sea was acquired by classical conditioning (learning through association) and maintained by operant conditioning (learning through consequence). Through classical conditioning, Max associated the fear response to the unconditioned stimulus of being carried away by the tide with the neutral stimulus of the sea. The sea then becomes a conditioned stimulus to Max, which produces the same fear response. This phobia is maintained by operant conditioning, specifically negative reinforcement. By avoiding beach holidays, Max removes the unpleasant consequence of fear. This reinforces and increases the likelihood that Max will repeat this avoidance behaviour, maintaining the phobia.
However, the two-process model is limited by being too simplistic. Although Max’s phobia appears to have been directly caused by a negative experience with the sea, some phobias do not follow trauma. These types of phobias may be better explained by Seligman’s (1971) biological preparedness - an innate predisposition to quickly acquire certain fears in order to aid survival. Alternatively, Max’s sea phobia may have been caused by biological preparedness because the sea poses threats such as drowning and dangerous animals. In the past, this phobia would have increased the likelihood of Max’s survival. Therefore, the two-process model is an incomplete explanation for phobias because it overlooks evolutionary factors which can otherwise explain why more people have phobias of snakes and heights which are, in this age, less dangerous than guns and cars.
Additionally, the two-process model is also limited by being reductionist, as it ignores cognitive factors. The model cannot explain more complex phobias such as agoraphobia because, in this case, the avoidance behaviour is motivated more by associating the home with safety, rather than fear with open/public spaces. Those with agoraphobia are therefore able to leave home with a trusted person whom they associate with safety (Buck, 2010). Alternatively, Max’s phobia may be caused by** irrational beliefs about the sea,** such as believing that he will die if he steps into the sea, or that his family will drown if they go to the beach. Therefore, the two-process model is reductionist as it overlooks both cognitive and evolutionary factors of phobias. This suggests that, although the treatments based on the two-process model are somewhat effective, they may not target all aspects of phobias, limiting the validity of the model.
Figure 1 shows the left hemisphere of the human brain. Five areas of the brain are labelled
A, B, C, D and E.
Which area is responsible for processing sensations such as pain and pressure? - C
Which area processes information such as colour and shape? - D
Which area processes information such as pitch and volume? - E
Which area is responsible for voluntary movements? - B
Explain the difference between infradian rhythms and ultradian rhythms.
[2 marks]
Infradian rhythms have a duration of over 24 hours whereas ultradian rhythms are cycles that last less than 24 hours.
A survey of hospital patients has found that a new drug, Zapurpain, is as effective as other
pain medication.
Explain one limitation of asking hospital patients to self-report the effectiveness of
Zapurpain.
[2 marks]
Pain is subjective, a participant who has a higher pain tolerance may report Zapurpain to be more effective for example.
In social desirability bias, patients may feel obliged to say the drug is effective at reducing their pain.
Zapurpain acts like an inhibitory neurotransmitter at the synapse.
Explain how Zapurpain might affect the process of synaptic transmission through inhibition.
[4 marks]
Zapurpain mimics the effect of inhibitory neurotransmitters, stimulation of postsynaptic receptors by an inhibitory neurotransmitter results in inhibition (hyperpolarisation) of the postsynaptic membrane
- when an inhibitory neurotransmitter binds to the post-synaptic receptors it makes the post-synaptic cell less likely to fire (IPSP)
- Summation – if inhibitory inputs are higher than excitatory they can cancel out excitation and inhibit an action potential occurring/Zapurpain would decrease the overall activity
- Zapurpain would make the** post-synaptic cell less likely to fire**
- reducing brain activity may lead to reduced pain.
Explain one difference and one similarity between Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) and Event-Related Potentials (ERPs) as ways of studying the brain.
[4 marks
Difference - fMRI have poor temporal resolution whereas ERPs have good temporal resolution.
Similarities - fMRIs and ERPs are both non-invasive and do not use radiation. They are both risk-free.
Outline and evaluate split-brain research
There is supporting evidence that strengthens the lateralisation theory and helps us conclude that the left hemisphere is dominant in terms of speech and language and the right hemisphere is dominant in terms of visual motor tasks. In Sperry’s split-brain research, The left hand was much better at drawing images than the right hand, even though all of the patients tested were right-handed. This shows that the right hemisphere is dominant for drawing skills. The extensive supporting evidence adds credibility to the lateralisation theory, which furthers our understanding of the brain.
Sperry points out that his studies demonstrate that there is lateralisation of function. However, not all psychologists agree. For example, some psychologists argue that the two hemispheres do not function in isolation but form a** highly integrated system**. They argue that most everyday tasks involve a mixture of left and right skills. (e.g in listening to speech we analyse both the words and the pattern of intonation) thus, rather than doing their own thing? The 2 hemispheres work together. There is also some evidence of gender differences whereby **women show less lateralisation than men. So the left-right specialisation is more prevalent in men than women.
**
The laterisation theory has ignored individual differences that come with age. Szaflarsji et al 2006 found that language becomes more lateralised to the left hemisphere with increasing age in children and adolescents, but after the age of 25, lateralisation decreases with each decade of life. The nomothetic approach creates general laws taking into account that only a sample of 11 people was used, if a greater sample were used, this may result in unique results. This discredits the theory of lateralisation as further research needs to be conducted so we can identify these individual differences. It’s more scientific to take an idiographic approach
In which section(s) of a scientific report would you expect to find reference to the results/findings of the investigation? Shade one circle only. [1 mark]
A The abstract and the results sections only
B The abstract, the discussion and the results sections only
C The results and the discussion sections only
D The results section only
B The abstract, the discussion and the results sections only
Which of the following correlation co-efficients best describes the data represented in
Figure 2?
Shade one circle only.
[1 mark]
A –0.80
B –0.25
C +0.25
D +0.80
A –0.80
Identify the type of graph shown in Figure 2 and explain why this is an appropriate graph to use for the data collected. [3 marks]
The scattergraph displays relationships between co-variables. For eg, academic performance and recreational screen time
Explain why it would not be appropriate for the researchers to conclude that increased
recreational screen time reduces academic performance.
[2 marks]
Correlations don’t show cause and effect (correlations don’t mean causation).
There might have been other factors influencing the results e.g individual differences.
What is meant by the term meta-analysis? [2 marks]
meta-analysis is the process where researchers collect and collate a wide range of previously
conducted research on a specific area
* collated research is reviewed together
* combined data/effect size is often statistically tested to provide an overall conclusion.
Complete Table 1 by ticking the statement that best describes the population and the
sample in the psychologist’s experiment.
Place one tick in each column.
[2 marks]
All the year 5 pupils in the county - population
All the 58 year 5 pupils with parental consent in the selected 3 schools. - sample
