Abnormal Psychology Flashcards
What are the empirical methods of Psychological ‘Abnormality’ / Mental Disorders?
- Description
– classification
– diagnosis - Causation (bio-psycho-social)
— biological
— psychological
— social - Treatment
— effectiveness
What are the 3 Ds of defining ‘abnormality’? What are the problems associated with each of these characteristics?
Deviant (rare / unusual / unexpected)
- e.g. fetishism
Distress (to person or others)
- e.g. depression, anxiety
Dysfunctional (maladaptive, interfering with life goals)
- e.g. ADHD
Note: none of these characteristics are necessary of sufficient to determine whether a certain behaviour, feeling or thinking style is abnormal.
What is/not abnormal?
—Not necessarily physical illness
—Abnormality + normality on a continuum
—Abnormality reflect cultural values and social norms
DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)
What are the approaches to ‘abnormality’? The cause/treatment of those?
Supernatural – not compatible with empiracle methods
– cause: spirits, stars, moon, past lives
—treatment: exorcism, prayer
Biological
– cause: internal physical problems
—treatment: bleeding, diet, celibacy, rest, medication
Psychological –
– cause: beliefs, perceptions, values, goals, motivations,
—treatment: ‘talking therapy’; psychotherapy
Sociocultural
– cause: poverty, prejudice, cultural norms
—treatment: social work to fix social ills
What are the assumptions of the biological / medical model in regards to psychological disorders?
— diagnosed similar to physical illness
— can be explained in terms of biological disease process
— treatments target biological deficiencies
What are criticisms and limitations of the biological model?
— extreme reductionism (explaining just using neural/molecular level)
— over extrapolation from animal research
— assuming causation from treatment efficacy
— bio model may not be applicable (categorical) to conceptualising and diagnosis of mental illness (continuum)
What are the 4 psychological models / approaches to treatment?
— Psychoanalytic
— Humanistic
— Behavioural
— Cognitive-Behavioural
What is Freud’s Topography of Mind?
The mind compared to an iceberg. The conscious mind above the surface, the preconscious just beneath the surface, and the unconscious deep below. The iceberg is made up of the id, ego, and the superego.
Explain Freud’s structure of personality: Id
Id (Das Es or ’the it’)
- ‘instinctual self’(innate)
- driven by ‘pleasure principle’, libido = energy
- seeks immediate gratification of basic needs / instincts
- in constant conflict with superego
Explain Freud’s structure of personality: Ego
Ego (Das Ich or ‘the I’)
- development of ‘conscious self’ (~age 2)
- rational, organised, obeys ‘reality principle’
- balances conflicting demands between id & superego
Explain Freud’s structure of personality: Superego
Superego (Über-Ich or ‘above I’)
- ‘moral self’ (~age 5-6)
- develops through socialization: right and wrong
- in constant conflict with id
What are Freud’s psychosexual stages of development?
— Oral [when the ego develops] – forceful feeding, deprivation, early weaning; oral activities (e.g. smoking), dependency, aggression.
— Anal – toilet training: too harsh, too lax; obssessiveness, tidiness, meanness; untidiness, generosity.
— Phallic [when the superego develops] – abnormal family set-up leading to unusual relationship with father/mother; vanity, self-obssession, sexual anxiety, inadequacy, inferiority, envy.
— Latent (little or no sexual motivation present)
— Genital
Some people get stuck at certain stages as an adult / fixation
How do defense mechanisms develop?
— Unresolved conflicts (ego unable to resolve conflict between id and superego) —> anxiety, shame, guilt, embarrassment, etc
— To avoid the pain of unresolved conflict, ego develops defense mechanisms, works by:
i) distorting id impulses into acceptable forms
ii) repressing id impulses into unconscious
E.g. Dislike dad:
- Id - wants to get rid of dad
- Superego - getting rid of/hurting/killing is wrong
- Ego - develops defence mechanisms (e.g. repression)
What are the defense mechanisms?
— Repression — Denial — Projection — Displacement — Regression — Sublimation
Define repression.
Repression is an unconscious mechanism employed by the ego to keep disturbing or threatening thoughts from becoming conscious.
Define denial.
Denial involves blocking external events from awareness. If some situation is just too much to handle, the person just refuses to experience it.
Define projection.
This involves individuals attributing their own unacceptable thoughts, feelings and motives to another person.
Define displacement.
Satisfying an impulse (e.g. aggression) with a substitute object.
Define regression.
This is a movement back in psychological time when one is faced with stress.
Define sublimation.
Satsifying an impulse with a substitute object in a socially acceptable way.
What is maladjustment in the psychoanalytic model?
When defense mechanisms are excessively and / or rigidly applied —> symptoms (suffering).
Repression of unresolved conflict.
What is diagnosis like in the psychoanalytic model?
Symptoms themselves are not central in diagnosis (in contrast to medical model).
— People with same underlying conflicts can manifest different symptoms.
— People with same symptoms can have different underlying conflicts, defenses, etc.
What is the goal of treatment in the psychoanalytic model?
Through insight into unconscious processes;
To develop awareness of the unresolved conflict and of the defense mechanism(s) used.
What is the significance of the psychoanalytic model?
- Revolutionised concept of mental illness
- Popularised concept of neurosis
- Made no clear dividing line between normal and abnormal
- Strong influence on early development of the DSM
What are some criticisms / limitations of psychoanalytic model?
- Lacks empirical evidence
- Not open to empirical evaluation => concepts difficult to measure
- Unfalsifiable
What is the humanistic model?
- 1960-70s response to negativity of psychoanalytical model
- Begins with psychological health
- Self-actualisation (Maslow)
- Fully functioning human (Rogers)
What is maladjustment in the humanistic model?
When self-actualisation is thwarted – environment imposes conditions of worth; own exp, emotions, needs are blocked;
What is treatment like in the humanistic model?
Involves empathy and unconditional positive regard.
What is a criticism of humanistic model?
Difficult to research – when is self-actualisation achieved.
What is the behavioural model?
Unlike unfalsifiable psychoanalytics, behaviour is observable and measurable. Suggests both normal / abnormal behaviour and adjustment / maladjustment from your learning associations. Treated by learned associations too.
What are some criticisms / limitations of the behavioural model?
— Overemphasis on behavioural aspects.
— It excludes cognitive elements.
(Bandura (1974): observational/vicarious learning/modeling – showed learning without own experience – reintroduced the importance of cognition)
What is the cognitive-behavioural model?
Current dominant model. To do with what we think influences how we feel and what we do.
