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PSY240 > Chapter 2: Theoretical Perspectives on Abnormal Behaviour > Flashcards

Chapter 2: Theoretical Perspectives on Abnormal Behaviour Flashcards

1
Q

What are examples of the biological, social, and psychological approaches to abnormality?

A

BIOLOGICAL
- underlying biological factor (e.g. genetic vulnerability to depression inherited from parents, acquired head trauma)

PSYCHOLOGICAL
- irrational beliefs, unconscious conflicts, childhood trauma

SOCIAL
- relationships with classmates, poverty, family dynamics

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2
Q

What are biological, social, and psychological examples of VULNERABILITIES in the stress-diathesis model?

A

BIOLOGICAL
- genes, disordered biochemistry, brain abnormalities

SOCIAL
- maladaptive upbringing, chronic stress

PSYCHOLOGICAL
- unconscious conflicts, poor skills, maladaptive cognitions

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3
Q

What are biological, social, and psychological examples of TRIGGERS in the stress-diathesis model?

A

BIOLOGICAL
- onset of disease, exposure to toxins

SOCIAL
- traumatic event, major losss

PSYCHOLOGICAL
- perceived loss of control, violation of trust

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4
Q

What are three different theories for development of mental disorder that fall under the biological approach to abnormality?

A

STRUCTURAL
- disorder results from damage to structural integrity of the brain (either from trauma or deterioration/atrophy)

BIOCHEMICAL
- problems/imbalances with neurotransmitters or of the endocrine system

GENETIC
- malformation or transmission of specific gene or genes but most often via polygenic transsmission

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5
Q

Who is Phineas Gage and what theory supports the onset of his mental disorder?

A
  • Phineas Gage was a construction worker who got a post driven into his skull and suffered damage to the cerebral cortex i.e. the higher thinky part of the brain
  • more specifically the frontal cortex which affected his personality in a major way
  • lost inhibitions, control of his emotions, and modulation of his social behaviour
  • his injury supports structural theories of mental disorder
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6
Q

What is the hypothalamus?

A
  • region of brain responsible for regulatory behaviours (i.e. eating, drinking, sex) and certain aspects of emotion
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7
Q

What is the limbic system?

A
  • set of brain structures located on both sides of thalamus
  • closely linked to hypothalamic functions
  • important for experience and expression of certain emotions, especially rage
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8
Q

What is neurotransmission?

A
  • release of neurotransmitters and the transmission of electrical impulses from one neuron to another
  • brain’s means of communication
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9
Q

What is a synapse?

A
  • gap between two neurons
  • point of communication;
    neurotransmitter released into synapse and binds to receptor of receiving neuron
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10
Q

What determines whether a receiving neuron fires when neurotransmitters are released into the synapse?

A
  • nature of neurotransmitter
  • available amount of neurotransmitter
  • length of time neurotransmitter sits in sunapse
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11
Q

What affects the amount of neurotransmitter left in the synapse?

A
  • reuptake
    i. e. how much and how quickly it is taken up by the sending neuron
  • degradation
    i. e. how quickly the neurotransmitter is broken down by certain enzymes
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12
Q

What are biologically-based drug therapies designed to do?

A
  • affect amount of neurotransmitter available by influencing the processes of reuptake, degradation, and the quality and availability of neurotransmitter-receptor sites
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13
Q

What are the four common neurotransmitters?

A
  • Serotonin (5-HT)
  • Norepinephrine (aka Noradrenaline)
  • Dopamine
  • Gamma-aminpbutyric acid (GABA)
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14
Q

What is the function of serotonin and which disorders is it generally associated with?

A
  • major role in regulation of emotions

- implicated in depression, anxiety, and stress-related disorders

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15
Q

What is the function of norepinephrine and which disorders is it generally associated with?

A
  • too much can be overstimulating
  • too little leads to depression
  • implicated in mood disorders
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16
Q

What is the function of dopamine and which disorders is it generally associated with?

A
  • important for functioning of muscle symptoms
  • important for affecting reward systems in the brain
  • implicated in psychosis and Parkinson’s disease
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17
Q

What is the function of GABA and which disorders is it generally associated with?

A
  • typically has an inhibitory, tranquilizing effect

- implicated in anxiety disorders

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18
Q

What is the endocrine system?

A
  • glandular system producing hormones
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19
Q

What is the function of hormones?

A
  • carry messages through blood to affect mood, energy levels, and stress levels
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20
Q

Where is the pituitary gland?

A
  • just below hypothalamus at the point of connection between nervous and endocrine systems
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21
Q

What is an example of a disorder transmitted directly by a gene/genes?

A
  • Trisomy 21, or Down Syndrome when a third chromosome attaches itself to the 21st pair
22
Q

What is important to note in the relationship between polygenic transmission and disorders?

A
  • polygenic transmission does not cause the disorder directly but causes the predisposition
23
Q

How are adoption studies conducted?

A
  • identifies probands (person with disorder) who were adopted shortly after birth and then look for rates of disorder in biological relatives and adoptive relatives
  • often used in conjunction with twin studies (identical and fraternal twins raised together or apart)
24
Q

What are three approaches to gene studies in abnormality?

A
  • linkage analysis
  • association studies
  • epigenetics
25
Q

What have been the results of twin and adoption studies?

A
  • genetics serve as strong predictor for various disorders and personality styles
  • genetic links for more mundane or specific behaviours
    e. g. identical twins reared apart with shared value systems, shared idiosyncrasies
26
Q

What is the linkage analysis approach to gene study?

A
  • examine inheritance patterns in DNA segments lying close to each other on a chromosome
27
Q

What is the association studies approach to gene study?

A
  • examine genetic markers across large numbers of people with a disorder as compared to large numbers of people who do not
  • e.g. is a certain marker overrepresented in those who have the disorder?
28
Q

What is the epigenetics approach to gene study?

A
  • moves beyond traditional studies that focus on separating genes from environments
  • examine the inherited and acquired mechanisms that regulate gene functioning
  • study of phenotype (the expression of our genetic make-up) as opposed to our genotype (our actual genetic make-up)
  • role of hormones and psychosocial factors
29
Q

What is the upside of biological theories of abnormality?

A
  • rapidly increasing our understanding and, in turn, our ability to more successfully treat disorders
  • has done much to remove the stigma and blame associated with psychological disorders
30
Q

What is the downside of biological theories of abnormality?

A
  • tend to be reductionist and tempt us to disregard important environmental and social factors
31
Q

What do psychodynamic theories propose about the cause of abnormality?

A
  • unconscious conflicts between primitive desires and constraints on those desires give rise to mental illness
32
Q

What do cognitive theories propose about the cause of abnormality?

A
  • people’s way of interpreting situations, their assumptions about the world, and self-concepts can cause negative feelings/behaviours
33
Q

What do humanist/existential theories propose about the cause of abnormality?

A
  • disorders arise when conforming to demands of others instead of pursuing own values & potentials
  • causes existential anxiety
34
Q

What is objective relations theory?

A
  • early in life we create representations of ourselves
35
Q

What are criticisms of psychoanalysis theories?

A
  • did not consider female development;
    “male as prototype” approach and emphasis on sexual drives
  • unfalsifiable (that is to say not amenable to scientific testing)
  • Freud considered personality to be fixed in childhood and did not consider further development
36
Q

How was classical conditioning used to explain abnormality?

A
  • maladaptive learning by associating previously neutral stimuli with unconditioned stimulus and response pairings
  • particularly useful in explaining acquired fears
37
Q

What is operant conditioning?

A
  • shaping behaviours by rewarding those that are desired and punishing those that are undesired
  • reinforcement schedules, extinction, etc.
38
Q

What is observational learning/modelling?

A
  • copying/modelling behaviours of others because they are important to us or because we have seen them be rewarded or punished
39
Q

What are the advantages and disadvantages of behavioural theories of abnormality?

A

PRO
+ amenable to scientific testing

CONS
- findings can be limited when extrapolated to real-life environments

40
Q

How do cognitive theorists suggest mental disorders be treated?

A
  • thoughts and beliefs shape our experience
  • dysfunctional or irrational thoughts and beliefs underscore abnormality
  • replace thoughts with functional, realistic thoughts
41
Q

What are some examples of cognition patterns that underlie dysfunction?

A
  • casual attributions e.g., “It’s all my fault” even when it isn’t
  • control theory e.g., “Bad things keep happening to me and I have no control”
  • dysfunctional assumptions e.g., “It is necessary that I be liked all of the time”
42
Q

What was Rogers’s humanist theory?

A
  • humans strive to fulfill their potential and to self-actualize
  • develops client-centered therapy
43
Q

What was Maslow’s humanist theory?

A
  • people have a hierarchy of needs

- each need must be fulfilled in order

44
Q

What is the disadvantage of humanist theories?

A
  • unfalsifiable (not possible to test scientifically)
45
Q

What are the three theories of social and interpersonal approaches to abnormality?

A
  • Interpersonal
  • Family Systems
  • Social Structural
46
Q

What do interpersonal theories propose about the cause of abnormality?

A
  • mental disorders are a result of long-standing patterns of negative relationships that have roots in early caregivers
47
Q

What do family systems theories propose about the cause of abnormality?

A
  • families create and maintain mental disorders in individual family members to maintain homeostasis
48
Q

What do social structural theories propose about the cause of abnormality?

A
  • societies create mental disorders in individuals by putting them under unbearable stress and by sanctioning abnormal behaviour
49
Q

What was Jerry Wiggins’s contribution to interpersonal theory?

A
  • interpersonal circumplex model of personality

> interpersonal styles are related to interpersonal conflicts

50
Q

What was John Bolby’s contribution to interpersonal theory?

A
  • attachment theory: argued quality of attachment to caregivers determines expectations for ourselves and others
51
Q

What is the McMaster model of family functioning?

A
  • assumes all aspects of the family are interrelated and the structure and organization of the family strongly influence individual family members
  • one part cannot be understood in isolation
  • family functioning can be assessed using the McMaster structured interview

PSY240 (16 decks)

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