Abnormality Flashcards
What are the three definitions of Abnormality?
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from social norms
Deviation from ideal mental health
Deviation from social norms
Explicit: Laws against murder/theft
Implicit: invading personal space, saying thank you
what are social norms?
A set if rules for behaviour based on a set if moral and conventional standards within society.
Evaluating Deviation from social norms
- Cultural problems: culturally relative things can be normal in one country and ambrosial in another, therefore it is difficult to generalise.
- Relative to context and degree: There is no clear in between what is abnormal and what is harmless eccentricity.
Failure to function adequately
Abnormality can be judged in terms of not being able to cope. E.g. feeling depressed does not become a problem until it interferes with their ability to cope with day-to-day living.
Evaluating Failure to function adequately
- Adaptive or maladaptive? Some behaviour s that appear dysfunctional may actually be adaptive for the individual.
- Cultural relativism
Deviation from ideal mental health
Jahoda six characteristics
Self attitudes, Integration, Accurate perception of reality, personal growth, Autonomy, Adaption to environment.
Evaluation of deviation from ideal mental health
+ very detailed and through
- Cultural relativism: some Eastern cultures do not recognise autonomy and self actualisation e.g. in China, the wellbeing of the group is more important.
- very few people would match all 6 criteria
The biological approach
Mental disorders are caused by abnormal physiological processes.
Genetics
Brain injury
Infection: Brown et al
Neurotransmitters: imbalance of hormones & neurotransmitters, e.g. too much cortisol= depression
What is the Diathesis-dtress model?
The vulnerability for a disorder is inherited but it is only triggered if the individual is exposed to environmental stress.
Biological Approach Evaluation
- Cause or effect?
- Inconclusive evidence- If genetic factors alone contributed to mental disorders, concordance rates between identical twins would be 100% but is only about 50%
- humane or inhumane?- Szasz
Psychodynamic approach
Human behaviour is explained by conflict of the mind
Early experiences cause mental disorders
Psychodynamic approach evaluation
Abstract concepts: Difficult to demonstrate though research. Conflicts between these aspects occur on an unconscious level and so there is no way to prove it.
Psychosexual stages of development
Old age pensioners like gin
Oral, Anal, Phallic, Latency, Genital
Behavioural Approach
Abnormal behaviours are learned, for e.g. when maladaptive behaviour leads to desired increased attention psychological disorder might develop (operant conditioning)
Others rewarded for behaviour (social learning theory)
Learning environment- agoraphobia
Behavioural approach evaluation
+ Explains phobias
- Doesn’t explain Schizophrenia
- Ignores biological influence
Cognitive approach
Abnormality is caused by faulty thinking- Irrational, maladaptive thoughts.
Ellis: ABC model
Cognitive approach evaluation
+ Explains individual differences
- Blames the patient
- It is not clear whether maladaptive thoughts cause mental disorders or mental disorders lead to faulty thinking.
Biological treatments
Drugs:
Anti- anxiety (Bzs)
Anti-psychotics (Chlorpromazine for Schiz)
Anti-Depressant (SSRIs for depression)
ECT- electro convulsive therapy (shock to brain)
Biological treatments evaluation
Drugs: - Real drug greater improvement but placebos also showed improvement. -Treats symptoms not cause - can become addicted \+ easy to take
Cognitive behavioural therapy
Aims to challenge maladaptive thinking and turn to rational thinking.
Therapist & client discuss problems
Logical disputing: Question thoughts
Reality testing
Cognitive behavioural therapy evaluation
- Fails to address irrational environments
- Cannot be applied to schizs
+ not limited to mental illnesses- can help those suffering from examination anxiety.
Psychodynamic treatments
Psychoanalysis
Free association
Dream analysis: Manifest, latent
Psychodynamic treatments evaluation
+ Effective: 80% benefitted compared to 60% form other therapies
+ The longer the treatment, the better the outcome
-False memories
