Biological Approach To Explaining OCD Flashcards
What are the two biological explanations for OCD?
- The genetic explanation.
- The neural explanation.
What is the genetic explanation of OCD?
That OCD is genetically inherited and runs in families.
What model is associated with the genetic explanation?
The diathesis-stress model.
What does the diathesis-stress model state?
That certain genes leave some people more likely to suffer a mental disorder- some environmental stress is needed to ‘trigger’ the condition.
What are the genes that create the vulnerability for OCD?
Candidate genes.
OCD seems to be polygenic like many conditions, what does this mean?
It is not caused by a single gene, there are several genes involved.
What does a neural explanation focus on?
The affect of different levels of key neurotransmitters (chemical messengers) as well as structures on the brain.
What is the neural explanation of OCD?
It concerns the role of serotonin: if a person has low serotonin transmission then a person’s mood and other mental processes are affected - can also inhibit task repetition as a lack of mechanism.
What is associated with impaired decision-making (in some cases of OCD)?
The abnormal functioning of the lateral frontal lobes which are responsible for thinking and decision-making.
What area of the brain is associated with processing unpleasant emotions and functions abnormally in OCD?
The parahippocampal gyrus.
What are the 6 evaluation points for the biological explanation of OCD?
\+ scientific. \+ Nestadt et al (2010): twin studies. \+ practical applications. - biologically reductionist/ + D-S model. \+ biologically determinist.
