alternatives to the medical model

Question 1

behaviourist explanation for mental illness

Answer 1

we are all born as a blank slate and we all learn things from the environment including mental illness
operant conditioning - learning via consequence
classical conditioning - learning via association
SLT - learning via vicarious reinforcement

Question 2

behaviourist - how are phobias maintained

Answer 2

via positive and negative reinforcement
positive: attention after a response to a phobic object reinforces a phobia
negative: avoiding a phobic object reduces the fear

Question 3

watson and raynor

Answer 3

little albert would not cry when exposed to the rat, little albert then would cry when he heard a bang, when little albert was exposed to the rat and the bang at the same time he would seem scared of the rat. little albert would still cry even if the rat was presented by itself.

Question 4

strengths of the behaviourist explanation

Answer 4

+ research to support the theory e.g. watson and rayner
+ useful applications, if phobias are learnt we can generate treatment to unlearn them

Question 5

weaknesses of the behaviourist explanation

Answer 5

• reductionist, ignores biologies impact on mental illness
  -deterministic, doesnt acknowledge free will as we have no choice to what we are exposed to and therefore learn

Question 6

cognitive explanation for depression
(ABC model)

Answer 6

depression occurs due to irrational thinking, having multiple core irrational beliefs which they are not consciously aware of. if an individual spends alot of time irrationally thinking it becomes a habit hard to break leading t depression
A= activating event
B= belief
C= consequence

Question 7

becks cognitive triad

Answer 7

having a negative view of self the world and the future

Question 8

negative self schemas and cognitive bias

Answer 8

NSS - framework for what someone thinks of them selves built up from their childhood
cognitive bias - overgeneralising = if something bad happens, everything will be bad
catastrophising = thinking everything is worse than it actually is

Question 9

Kamieniecki et al

Answer 9

patients with panic disorders sometimes mistakenly believe that a panic attack means they may well have a heart attack and die
this is shows cognitive bias, specifically catastrophising

Question 10

strengths of the cognitive explanation

Answer 10

+ evidence to show cognitive bias, Kamieniecki et al
+acknowledges free will, we are able to chose how we think about ourselves
+ useful applications, CBT

Question 11

weaknesses of the cognitive explanation

Answer 11

-reductionist, ignores the role biology
- not falsifiable, we can not directly observe cognitive thinking
- socially sensitive, puts the blame on those with mental illness

Question 12

psychodynamic explanation for mental illness

Answer 12

an imbalance of the psyche and traumatic childhood experiences lead to mental illness
mental illness is a defence mechinism against repressed emotional problems

Question 13

what illnesses would an imbalance of the psyche cause

Answer 13

strong ID, anti-social personality disorder or shcizophrenia
strong superego, anxiety disorders

Question 14

Freud’s case study of Little Hans

Answer 14

little hans feared white horses as they represented his father. little hans feared his father as he was in the oedipus complex and had an unconscious desire for his mother and had a fear his father would castrate him

Question 15

strengths of the psychodynamic explanation for mental illness

Answer 15

+useful, gives us more information regarding psychoanalysis
+ deterministic, it is an unconscious process to repress emotion

Question 16

weaknesses of the psychodynamic explanation for mental illness

Answer 16

• not falsifiable, cant directly observe the unconscious mind
• traumatic to discuss repressed emotions

Question 17

outline 4 of szasz key arguments

Answer 17

1.mental illness is a myth and a medicalised view of abnormal behaviour
2.medical illness has no physical cause and therefore can not be called a disease and cant be treated with drugs
3.individuals should be in control and govern themselves and not be forced into treatment
4. behaviours diagnosed as mental illness is simpily the persons personality

Question 18

strengths of szasz’s ideas

Answer 18

+ rosenhan’s study supports his theory - thats medical professionals could not accurately recognise mental illness
+ more ethical, he doesnt stigmitize people and is in support of drugs with fewer side effects
+ he believes in free will and whether we want to get better with treatment or not

Question 19

weaknesses of szasz’s ideas

Answer 19

• criticises studies which provide evidence for the medical model e.g. gottesman or lazenburg
• people with mental illness may not be in the right state of mind to make decisions regarding their treatment or life.

Question 20

behavioural treatment of phobia

Answer 20

systematic desensitisation - being gradually exposed to the phobia whilst engaging in relaxation techniques
flooding - exposing them to an extreme version of the phobia, evoking a fear response but they will calm down and associate the phobia with the calm
aversion therapy - exposure to phobia whilst being punished, so the phobia is not repeated

Question 21

systematic desensitisation for phobias

Answer 21

1. functional analysis: questioning from the therapist to discover the nature of the anxiety
2. hierarchy of fear: create a list of feared objects ranked from least to most feared.
3. relaxation: patient taught relaxation techniques
4. gradual exposure: client exposed to each stage of the hierarchy starting with the least feared stimuli whilst practicing relaxation techniques. the calm will over take the fear.

Question 22

McGrath

Answer 22

treating a girl with phobias of loud noises using systematic desensitisation
case study a 9 year old girl
she constructed a hierarchy of feared noises and was taught relaxation techniques
at the first session lucy wouldnt let a balloon burst but at the fifth she could pop the balloon herself

Question 23

strengths and weaknesses of systematic desensitisation

Answer 23

+ ends justify the means, temporary exposure to the phobia but it is worth it to unlearn the phobia
+ ethical, patients will consent to systematic desensitisation
- takes alot of time
-protection of participant, causes distress of the patient
- more expensive