Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
Outline the biological factors contributing to the aetiology of MDD.
Prompt: Two biological explanations for the aetiology of MDD are the serotonin and cortisol hypotheses.
Discuss how Caspi et al (2003) explains biological factors in the aetiology of MDD.
Prompt: to find evidence for a Gene-Environment Interaction (GxE) between the 5-HTT gene and environmental stressors, for the development of depression.
Discuss how Videbech and Ravnkide (2004) explains the biological factors in the aetiology of MDD.
Prompt: to investigate the differences in hippocampal grey matter volume between healthy individuals and individuals with MDD.
Evaluate whether biological explanations fully explain the aetiology of MDD.
Reliable biological evidence: Neumeister (2002).
Reliance on correlation.
Unexplained individual and cultural differences: Chiao and Blazinsky (2009) and Dobbs (2010).
Reductionist in isolation (neural networks, DMN, reduced limbic system neurogenesis, cognitive and sociocultural).
Limited understanding of biological explanations.
Discuss ethical issues in research into the biological aetiology of MDD.
Caspi et al (2003): consent and confidentiality
Videbech and Ravnkide (2004): confidentiality
Evaluate the methods used to research the biological aetiology of MDD.
Caspi et al (2003): quasi-experiment, clinical diagnosis
Videbech and Ravnkide (2004): meta-analysis, MRI
Outline cognitive factors contributing to the aetiology of MDD.
Prompt: Beck and Greenland’s Cognitive Triad (1984) and Ellis’ theory of Faulty Cognitions (1962) propose cognitive factors in the aetiology of depression.
Discuss how Alloy et al (1990) explains cognitive factors in the aetiology of MDD.
- Theory: Cognitive psychologists propose that negative thinking leads to depression, and that depression exacerbates negative cognitions. This is known as domino causality. However, this suffers from bidirectional ambiguity since it is not clear whether negative cognitions worsens depression or depression worsens negative cognitions.
- Aim: To investigate the role of negative cognitions in the onset and relapse of depression.
- Procedure: Researchers recruited college freshmen with no diagnosed disorders and no symptoms of depression before the beginning of the study. Half of the participants had a history of clinical depressions whereas the other half did not. Researchers identified participants as high-risk or low-risk for depression based on the results of a cognitive style test. Researchers carried out follow-up assessments every 6 weeks for 2.5 years and every 4 months for 3 years. Researchers used questionnaires and structured interviews to identify the participants’ stressful life events, cognitive style and symptoms of depression. Additionally, participants were asked to listen to a set of adjectives and think about whether they accurately described themselves. They were then asked to recall the words from the list.
- Findings: Researchers found that the group with a prior history of depression was more likely to experience a relapse than the group with no prior history was likely to experience onset. A larger proportion of participants with a high-risk cognitive style developed depression and showed symptoms of minor depression than did low-risk cognitive style participants regardless of whether or not they had a prior history of depression. They also had a higher rate of suicidality (28% > 12.6%). In the recall test, high-risk cognitive style participants had a better recall and faster processing of negative words than positive words.
- Conclusions: Negative cognitions play a role in both the onset and relapse of depression. A prior history of depression also increases the risk of relapse, implying the existence of negative cognitions.
- Link: Alloy et al (1990) demonstrates the mutually reinforcing bidirectional relationship between depression and negative cognitions. The participants’ responses to the cognitive style test and adjective recall test revealed that those whose cognitive style made them at a higher risk of depression likely experienced more negative cognitions. Since they placed more emphasis and attention on negative adjectives during the tests, they were also more likely to experience irrational thinking (eg. personalization) and dysfunctional beliefs (eg. negative self-evaluation schemas) about components of their cognitive triad which resulted in a larger proportion of them developing depression-related symptoms. Similarly, participants with a prior history of depression were also more likely to have negative cognitions and having a distorted perspective on life events, making them more vulnerable to relapsing. This study therefore demonstrates the domino causality between negative cognitions and depression.
Discuss how McLaughlin and Nolen-Hoeksema (2011) explains cognitive factors in the aetiology of MDD.
Prompt: to investigate the relationship between rumination and depression.
Discuss how Olson and Kwon (2008) explains cognitive factors in the aetiology of depression.
Prompt: to investigate the relationship between rumination and self-oriented perfectionist style thinking and depression.
Evaluate whether cognitive factors fully explain the aetiology of MDD.
Explains some individual differences.
Reductionist in isolation (DMN hyperactivity and rumination).
Construct validity.
Reliance on correlation.
Discuss ethical issues in research into the cognitive factors contributing to the aetiology of MDD.
McLaughlin and Nolen-Hoeksema (2011): consent from adolescents
Olson and Kwon (2008): confidentiality
Evaluate the methods used to research cognitive factors contributing to the aetiology of MDD.
McLaughlin and Nolen-Hoeksema (2011): questionnaire, clinical diagnosis
Olson and Kwon (2008): survey, longitudinal correlational analysis
Outline sociocultural factors contributing to the aetiology of MDD.
Prompt: Vulnerability factors (Brown and Harris, 1978) which increase stress are related to the development of MDD.
Discuss how Blackmore et al (2007) explains the sociocultural factors in the aetiology of MDD.
Prompt: to investigate the relationship between workplace stress and incidence of depressive disorders.
