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A Level Psychology AQA > Chapter 5- Psychopathology > Flashcards

Chapter 5- Psychopathology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is Statistical Infrequency as a definition of abnormality?

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2
Q

What is Deviation from Social Norms as a definition of abnormality?

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3
Q

What is Failure to Function as a definition of abnormality?

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4
Q

What is Deviation from ideal mental health as a definition of abnormality?

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5
Q

Evaluate Statistical Infrequency as a definition of abnormality..?

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Positives:

  • Real World Application: used in clinical practise (formal diagnosis + assessment of severity of symptoms). E.g. IQ and BDI (Beck’s Depression Inventory). Shows value of statistical infrequency criterion in diagnostic processes.

Negatives:

  • Infrequent characteristics can be positive as well as negative. E.g. having an IQ above 130 is ‘genius’ level and statistically infrequent. But this doesn’t make a person ‘abnormal’, therefore, although S.I. is part of diagnostic processes, it is never sufficient as a sole tool for defining abnormality.
  • Social Stigma- negatively impacts someone e.g. low IQ as they will be labelled for the rest of their lives.
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6
Q

Evaluate Deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality..?

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Strength:

  • Real World Application- used in clinical practise. Symptoms that deviate from social norms are often indicators of abnormality, such as Antisocial Personality Disorder, and Schizoptypal Personality Disorder. Shows value in psychiatry.

Weakness:

  • Variability of social norms between cultures- one thing regarded as abnormal in western society (e.g. hearing voices) may be seen as normal in other cultures. Difficult to judge deviation from social norms across different situations + cultures.
  • Unfair labelling + leaving them open to human rights abuses, destroy livelihood- can be used to control people e.g. nymphomania. BUT on the other hand it is useful for diagnosing conditions.
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7
Q

Evaluate Failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality..?

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Strength:

  • F.T.F.A represents sensible threshold for people who need help. This criterion means treatment + services can be targeted to those who need them most.

Weakness:

  • F.T.F.A makes it easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal. Hard to say someone is failing to function if they chose to deviate from social norm. E.g. not having a job can be seen as Failing to Function, but people who choose to live without one may be inaccurately be called abnormal. Their freedom of choice might be restricted.
  • It may be normal to fail to function once in a while, e.g. during abuse and bereavement. So is it really abnormal during distressing circumstances or is it actually normal?
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8
Q

Evaluate Deviation from ideal mental health as a definition of abnormality..?

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Positive:

  • Jahoda made ‘ideal mental health’ really comprehensive range of criteria for distinguishing mental health from illness. Criteria can be used meaningfully with healthcare professionals who have different theoretical views. (Medically trained look for symptoms, humanistic trained looks at self-actualisation). Therefore. Jahoda’s concept allows for a stringent check against a detailed criterion to help diagnose potential psychological problems.

Negative:

  • Culture Bound- some elements of Jahoda’s criterion is not applicable to ALL cultures. Jahoda’s concepts follow western society expectations. Differences both within and outside of culture, e.g. idea of self-actualisation can be seen as both beneficial to mental health but also self-indulgent. Therefore, difficult to apply concept of I.M.H from one culture to another, difficult to make comparisons cross-culturally.
  • Extremely high standards (unrealistic)- impossible to achieve all criteria at same time/ for long durations = disheartening to see impossible standards. BUT it is good for someone looking for a correct ideal mental health criteria that is beneficial.
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9
Q

What are the 3 types of Phobias?

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  1. Specific Phobia- phobia of object/situation
  2. Social Phobia- phobia of social situation
  3. Agoraphobia- phobia of being outside/public place.
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10
Q

Name some examples of Phobias

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Anything that u google and is correct. But here are some suggestions….:

  • Arachnophobia- fear of spiders
  • Nosophobia- fear of developing disease
  • Hemophobia- fear of blood
  • Necrophobia- fear of death/dead things
  • Gynophobia- fear of women
  • Trypophobia- fear of closely packed holes.
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11
Q

What are the Behavioural Clinical Characteristics of Phobias

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12
Q

What are the Emotional Clinical Characteristics of Phobias

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13
Q

What are the Cognitive Clinical Characteristics of Phobias

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14
Q

What is OCD and give three examples of OCD:

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15
Q

What are the Behavioural Clinical Characteristics of OCD?

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16
Q

What are the Emotional Clinical Characteristics of OCD?

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17
Q

What are the Cognitive Clinical Characteristics of OCD?

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18
Q

What is Depression and give some examples of Depression Disorders:

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19
Q

What are the Behavioural Clinical Characteristics of Depression?

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20
Q

What are the Emotional Clinical Characteristics of Depression?

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21
Q

What are the Cognitive Clinical Characteristics of Depression?

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22
Q

Describe the Behavioural Approach to explain Phobias:

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“2-process model” used to explain Phobias- proposed by Mowrer (1960)
- Phobia is first acquired by Classical Conditioning (CC) and then phobias continue due to Operant Conditioning (OC).

Step 1: C.C. (Pavlov first proposed):
Object of NO fear (NS) associated with object with fear response (UCS).

Step 2: O.C. (Skinner first proposed):
Responses to CC often short-lived.
BUT phobias are long-lasting.
Mowrer says that there is an O.C. element to phobias.
Theory of **O.C. says that behaviour is either +/- reinforced/punished. **
+/- reinforcement of behaviour increases frequency of it.
Mowrer says when phobia is avoided, fear is successfully escaped, type of negative reinforcement.
Reduction in fear reinforces avoidance behaviour and phobia is maintained.

23
Q

What are strengths of the 2-process model of explaining phobias?

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  • Real World Application- ‘exposure therapies’ (systematic desensitisation)
    idea that phobias are maintained by avoidance of phobic stimulus explains why phobic people benefit from being exposed to phobic stimulus.
    1. Avoidance Behaviour is prevented
    2. Ceases to reinforce by experience of anxiety reduction
    3. Avoidance declines (….cured phobia)
    Therefore, the 2-process-model very valuable in improving people’s health/lifestyle.
  • There is evidence for link between bad experience+phobia
    ‘Little Albert’ study by Watson and Rayner (made non-phobic baby become phobic of white furry objects due to CC (sees rat and hears loud noise))
    is evidence that scary event with stimulus can lead to phobic response of that stimulus.
    Ad De Jongh et al (2006) found 73% of people with fear of dental treatment had previous traumatic experience with dentistry- compared to a control group with little dental anxiety, oly 21% had experienced traumatic event.
    This confirms association between stimulus and UCR leads to development of phobia.
24
Q

What are weakness of the 2-process model to explain phobias?

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  • Not all phobias appear after a bad experience
    DiNardo et al (1988) found that 50% of healthy non-phobic individuals had anxious encounter with dogs - didn’t lead to dog phobia.
    e.g. snake phobias are common in places where people haven’t encountered at all snakes.
    THEREFORE, association between phobias and traumatic events isnt as strong as behavioural theorists suggest. Incomplete explanation.
  • 2-process model doesnt account for cognitive aspect of phobias. Model is only geared towards avoidance behaviour- whereas phobias are more than avoidance responses, they are irrational cognitions too.
    Therefore, incomplete explanation- other factors.
  • Biological Preparedness, alternate approach
    innate predisposition to acquire certain fears that has been passed through evolution. are phobias of e.g. snakes, irrational or are we evolved to be cautious.
25
Q

Explain Systematic Desensitisation (SD) as a behavioural approach to treating phobias?

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SD:
Uses CC to develop new response to phobic stimulus (relax in presence of stimulus). = counterconditioining
1.** Anxiety hierarchy: client+therapist put together list of situations related to phobic stimulus that provoke anxiety in order (least2most)
2.Relaxation** : therapist teaches client to deeply relax, as it is impossible to be afraid and relaxed simultaneously (one emotion inhibits the other) = reciprocal inhibition techniques include: breathing exercises, meditation or drugs like Valium
3. Exposure : client exposed to phobic stimulus across several sessions, maintaining relaxed state. Exposure begins at bottom of anxiety hierarchy and moves up if client remains relaxed. Treatment successful when client remains relaxed under high anxiety conditions.

techniques of exposure:
visualisation (in vitro desensitisation)
actual exposure (in vivo desensitisation)
virtual reality
modelling
role play

26
Q

Explain Flooding as a behavioural approach to treating phobias?

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27
Q

Evaluate Systematic Desensitisation as a behavioural appraoch to treating phobias:

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28
Q

Evaluate Flooding as a behavioural approach to treating phobias:

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29
Q

Describe ‘Becks Negative Triad’ as a cognitive approach to explaining depression:

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30
Q

Describe ‘Ellis’s ABC model’ as a cognitive approach to explaining depression:

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31
Q

Evaluate Becks Negative Triad as a cognitive approach to explaining depression:

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32
Q

Evaluate Ellis’s ABC model as a cognitive approach to explaining depression:

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33
Q

What is CBT?

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Cognitive Behaviour Therapy: 2 components to it
1. Cognitive Element: CBT begins with assessment where client and psychologist clarify problems and identify goals and plans.
2. Behaviour Element: CBT involves working to change negative + irrational thoughts.

34
Q

Describe Becks’s Cognitive Therapy as an approach to treating depression.

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  • Identify Negative Triad (look at Becks theory)
  • Challenge these automatic thoughts, (central component of CBT)
  • Test reality of negative beliefs
  • Client records pleasant experiences (client-as-scientist approach)
  • In future sessions, if client experiences negative thoughts, therapist uses this evidence to refute client’s thoughts.
35
Q

Describe Ellis’s REBT as an approach to treating depression.

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REBT stands for Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy.
This therapy uses the updated Ellis ABCDE model, with:
A - activating event
B - beliefs
C - consequences
D - dispute
E- effect

REBT aim is to identify and dispute irrational thoughts, invoking vigorous arguement. Break the link between negative life events and depression.
Empirical Arguement - disputing if actual evidence to support negative belief.
Logical Arguement - disputing whether negative thought logically follows from facts.

36
Q

In the cognitive approach to treating depression, what is Behavioural Activation?

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Depressed individuals oftne isolate to avoid negative situations, worsening their symptoms.
Behavioural Activation helps them to gradually decrease avoidance and isolation, increase engagement in mood lifting activities.

37
Q

What are strengths of CBT as a cognitive approach to treating depression.

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Strength of CBT : evidence supporting effectiveness of treating depression.
March et al. (2007) compared CBT to antidepressant drugs and combination of both treatments when treating 327 depressed adolescents. After 36 weeks,** 81% of the CBT group, 81% of the antidepressants group and 86% of the CBT plus antidepressants group** significantly improved. So CBT was just as effective when used on its own and more so when used alongside antidepressants. Also cost-effective- only 6-12 sessions needed.
This means that CBT is widely seen as the first choice of treatment in public healthcare, NHS

Although the conventional wisdom has been that CBT is unsuitable for very depressed people and for clients with learning disabilities, there is now some more recent evidence that challenges this. A review by Lewis&Lewis (2016) concluded that CBT was as effective as antidepressant drugs and behavioural therapies for severe depression. Another review by Taylor et al. (2008) concluded that, when used appropriately, CBT is effective for people with learning disabilities.
This means that CBT may be suitable for a wider range of people than was once thought.

38
Q

What are weaknesses of CBT as cognitive approach to treating depression?

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Weakness of CBT: lack of effectiveness for clients with learning disabilities.
In some cases depression can be so severe that clients cannot motivate themselves to engage with the cognitive work of CBT. They may not even be able to pay attention to what is happening in a session. It also seems likely that the hard cognitive work involved in CBT makes it unsuitable for treating depression in clients with learning disabilities. Sturmey (2005) suggests that, in general, any form of psychotherapy (i.e. any ‘talking’ therapy) is not suitable for people with learning difficulties, and this includes CBT.
This suggests that CBT may only be appropriate for a specific range of people - not inclusive enough!

A further limitation of CBT for the treatment of depression is its high relapse rates.
Although CBT is quite effective in tackling the symptoms of depression, there are some concerns over how long the benefits last. Relatively few early studies of CBT for depression looked at long-term effectiveness. Some more recent studies suggest that long-term outcomes are not as good as had been assumed. For example in one study, Shehzad Ali et al. (2017) assessed depression in 439 clients every month for 12 months following a course of CBT. 42% of the clients relapsed into depression within six months of ending treatment and 53% relapsed within a year.
This means that CBT may need to be repeated periodically- not as cost -effective as thought?
Costing NHS over longer period of time?
Not a cure!!

39
Q

Describe the Genetic Explanation in the biological approach to explaining OCD:

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  • There are candidate genes, that create vulnerability for OCD- the gene 5HT1-D beta is usually faulty in OCD patients, and it is responsible for transport of serotonin across synapses.
  • OCR = Polygenic, as a combination of genetic variations increase vulnerability collectively. Taylor (2013) analysed studies and found that 230 genes involved in OCD, and they are associated with mechanism of dopamine and serotonin (both NT contribute towards mood)
  • OCR is also aetiologically heterogenous, meaning one combination of genes cause OCD in one person, whilst a different combination causes OCD in another person.
  • Evidence for this in twin studies, using concordance rates. Identical twin = MZ (monozygotic), Non identical twin = DZ (dizygotic). If concordance rate MZ>DZ, shows genetic link to OCD. However it could also be environment.
40
Q

Evaluate the Genetic explanation in the biological approach to explaining OCD:

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41
Q

Describe the Neural Abnormalities explanation in the biological approach to explaining OCD

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42
Q

Evaluate the Neural Abnormalities explanation in the biological approach to explaining OCD

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43
Q

What are SSRis and how do they work. Use a diagram:

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44
Q

What is Prozac?

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45
Q

What are some alternatives to SSRis?

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46
Q

Evaluate SSRis as a biological approach to treating OCD:

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A Level Psychology AQA (11 decks)

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