Abnormalities Flashcards
Define Failure to Function Adequately.
Not being able to function in an everyday sense; failing to fulfil ones expected roles; behaving bizarrely/unexpectedly given the situation; of the accompanied by distress.
Define Deviation from Ideal Mental Health.
Views mental health in the same way as physical health; in the same way that physical ill-health is the absence of disease or injury, mental ill health is the absence of psychological wellbeing. They fail to meet the 6 criteria:
- Positive attitudes towards themselves
- Self actualisation of ones future
- Resistance to stress
- Personal autonomy
- Accurate perception of reality
- Adapting and mastering the environment
What are the 2 limitations of the definition of deviation from social norms?
Social norms change over time.
Social norms are culturally relative
What are the 5 types of abnormal therapies?
- Cognitive behavioural therapy
- Systematic desensitisation
- Psychoanalysis
- Drug therapy
- Electro-convulsive therapy
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What does the Cognitive approach to abnormalities believe?
They are caused by faulty thinking
Its internal, irrational, to do with perception and schemas.
What does the Behaviourist approach to abnormality believe?
It’s due to faulty learning, all behaviour is learned through classical and operant conditioning.
It’s due to the environment, so it’s external
What does the biological approach to abnormalities believe?
It’s due to faulty genes, chemical imbalance or structural damage in the brain. So they are therefore mentally ill, it could be down to infection, neuroanatomy, its internal.
What does the psychodynamic approach to abnormalities believe?
It is unresolved conflict in the unconscious mind.
Freud believed the mind was an iceberg (we could only see a part of it). Its internal and happens during early childhood.
It’s made up of:
I.D- reckless aspect, pleasure seeking
Ego- rational part
Superego- moral conscience
Define Deviation from Social Norms.
Social norms are the explicit and implicit rules that a society has about what are acceptable behaviours, values and beliefs. People who deviate from these norms are regarded as deviant or abnormal. Deviation from social norms can be used to identify mental problems.
What are the strengths and limitations of the Psychodynamic approach?
STRENGTH:
No control so it’s not the persons fault
It’s only asks one question
LIMITATIONS:
Cannot prevent/cure behaviour-deterministic
Ignores other factors like brain chemistry
Almost impossible to operationalised
What are the strengths and limitations of the behaviourist approach?
STRENGTH: No control over behaviour Person won't be blamed, receive sympathy which may aid recovery No stigma Only one question asked
LIMITATIONS:
Cannot prevent/cure behaviour
Ignoring the fact there may be another factor
What are the strength and limitations of the cognitive approach?
STRENGTH:
Control-person can help themselves
No stigma more likely to seek help
Only asks one question
LIMITATIONS:
Control- lead to pressure on person as its their fault
Can’t be treated the same a physical illness
Ignores other factors- environment
Difficult to operationalise thoughts
What are the strengths and limitations of the biological approach?
STRENGTHS:
They have no control over abnormalities, won’t be blamed so will receive sympathy which will aid their recovery
Can be treated the same as physical injury through drugs
Drugs do help
Easy to test
LIMITATIONS:
Cannot cure their behaviour on their own
Stigma attached so they may be reluctant to seek help
Ignores other factors of the mind
Drugs are symptoms not cause-control over the peroson
What are the strengths and limitations of systematic desensitisation?
STRENGTHS:
Works 60-90% of the time
Real life application- long term patient can do it in real life
We know how/why it works
LIMITATIONS:
Only works on phobias
Inconvenient for patient
What are the strengths and limitations of cognitive behavioural therapy?
STRENGTHS:
Find the problems threats cause rather than symptoms, long term rather than temporary
LIMITATIONS: Puts responsibility on the person What if irrational thoughts are true? What comes first emotion or cognition? Difficult to know if it's effective
