Ch 2 Flashcards
Biological model
View abnormal behaviour as an illness due to malfunctioning parts of the organism (neurological and bodily functions)
→ neurotransmitter imbalances (over/under production or over/under reuptake)
→ hormone imbalances (abnormal endocrine activity)
→ neuron death (neurons cannot carry out their functions
→ atypical formation or preservation of brain circuits (flawed interconnectivity results in neuron/synaptic destruction)
Sources of biological abnormalities
- Genes control the characteristics and traits a person inherits; suggests that inheritance can play a part in certain mental disorders
- evolutionary theorists believe that the genes that helped ancestors survive and reproduce might leave individuals prone to fear reactions, anxiety disorders, or related psychological patterns
Biological treatments
- Psychotropic medications
- brain stimulation: interventions that directly or indirectly stimulate the brain in order to improve psychological functioning
- electroconvulsive therapy: a brain seizure is triggered by an electric current that passes through electrodes attached to the patient’s forehead
- psychosurgery (refined form: deep brain stimulation— inserting electrodes into dysfunctional part of the brain)
Psychodynamic model
The view that a person’s behaviour is determined largely by underlying psychological forces that are unconscious to the individual; internal forces interact and abnormal symptoms are a result of conflicts between these forces
→ The Id: the psychological force that produces instinctual needs, drives, and impulses (operates with the pleasure principle)
→ The Ego: goal is to keep impulses of The Id under control by delaying gratification/imparting self-control (operates with the reality principle); uses defence mechanisms to control impulses and avoid anxiety
→ The Superego: controls The Id’s impulses by accounting for the values and ideals of society (operates with the morality principle)
→ developmental stages: improper maturity of the id, ego, and superego lead to fixation at an early stage of development
Psychodynamic therapies
- Free association: patient describes any thought, feeling, or image that comes to mind even if it seems unimportant
- therapist interpretation: interpretations of resistance (unconscious refusal to participate fully in therapy), transference (patient redirects feelings associated with important people towards the therapist), and dreams
- catharsis: reliving past repressed feelings in order to settle internal conflicts and overcome problems
- working through: examining the same issues repeatedly with greater clarity
Cognitive-behavioural model
Interested in the interplay between behaviours and thoughts, as well as how this interplay impacts feelings/emotions
→ employ techniques like exposure therapy— fearful people are repeatedly exposed to the objects or situations they dread
→ cognitive-behavioural therapy attempts to identify and change illogical thought patterns/behaviours by reinforcing new ones
Behavioural dimension
- Experiences and patterns are learned, therefore they can become unlearned
→ classical conditioning
→ modelling
→ operant conditioning
Cognitive dimension
Individuals may interpret their own thoughts, leading to poor decisions, maladaptive responses and painful emotions (perceptions, thoughts, conclusions/assumptionsabout the thoughts)
Humanistic-existential model
The view that problems arise when people engage in self-deception and avoid the responsibility implied by their personal freedom
→ treatment focuses on addressing existential angst and the search for meaning (goal is to generate personal growth/learning)
Humanistic dimension
- People are driven to self-actualize; attempt to help clients accept themselves and act more freely
- humans yearn for positive regard (love and acceptance)
→ those who receive unconditional positive regard are more likely to self-actualize
→ those who receive conditions of worth become dysfunctional - client-centered therapy: clinicians convey acceptance, empathy, and genuineness
- gestalt therapy: use role-playing and self-discovery to more clients toward self-acceptance
Existential dimension
- Dysfunction is caused by people hiding from life’s responsibilities and failing to recognize that they have freedom to give their lives meaning (life is inherently meaningless)
- existential therapy: encourages clients to accept responsibility for their lives (give life more meaning and value)
Sociocultural model
Recognizing the impacts of social groups, social norms, and cultural/political institutions on our bodies, minds, and lives
→ some forces act directly (family, relationships, institutions)
→ some forces are indirect (culture, media)
Multicultural dimension
Abnormality is contextual, they depend on the norms of the culture or social group
→ people have multiple layers of identity that can fluctuate as we learn and develop
→ must be culturally-sensitive when treating clients (intersectionality)
Family-social dimension
- Maintaining family harmony or conforming with demands/norms may cause people to adopt abnormal behaviour
→ disengagement: strict boundaries within the family can discourage seeking help and impair cooperation
→ enmeshment (co-dependency): few boundaries results in failure to develop self-sufficiency - Treatments:
→ couple’s therapy
→ group therapy: brings people with similar issues together
→ community treatment
→ family therapy
Developmental psychopathology
Uses a developmental framework to understand how variables and principles from other models may collectively account for human functioning
→ Equifinality: a number of different developmental pathways can lead to the same disorder
→ multifinality: people with similar developmental histories may have different clinical outcomes and reactions
