COGNITIVE AND PSYCHOLOGICAL EXPLANATIONS FOR OCD

Question 1

Summarise the behavioural explanation of OCD?

Answer 1

• Compulsive behaviours can be explained through the principles of operant conditioning.
• Compulsions may reinforced by positive or negative reinforcement.
• Engaging in compulsions (hardwashing) may alleviate obsessions (over germs)

Question 2

How can negative reinforcement reinforce compulsions?

Answer 2

• Negative reinforcement: strengthening a behaviour by removing/ avoiding an unpleasant stimulus.
• The compulsion (such as handwashing) becomes the negative reinforcer as it has relieves something unpleasant (the worrying, obsessive thoughts). The relief from anxiety reinforces the behaviour (making its rep more likely)

Example: Obsessions-) Must check the door as someone will break in. Anxiety builds. Compulsion–) checking the door repeatedly. Anxiety decreases, resulting in relief,

Question 3

How can positive reinforment reinforce compulsions?

Answer 3

• Positive reinforcement: rewarding a behaviour to encourage its repetition.
• The compulsion (handwashing) is positively reinforced because it brings relief or a sense of control. This relief acts as a reward so they’re more likely to repeat the handwashing, next time they feel anxious.

Obsession ‘my hands are dirty’-) anxiety-) compulsion ‘washing hands’, relief (reward)

Question 4

Name 1 strength and weakness of behavioural explanation for OCD?

Answer 4

• Good explanatory power: The compulsions can either be negatively or positively reinforced. Provides a logical consistent explanation to why compulsions become habitual/ persistent even when the sufferers recognise the irrationality.
• Reductionism: Ignores biological, cognitive factors thus fails to provide a complete picture of OCD (lacks holism)

Question 5

Summarise the cognitive explanation for OCD?

Answer 5

• Obsessive-compulsive thinking results from faulty dysfunctional thinking patterns (catasophising) (Rachman 1977)
• These dysfunctional thoughts can worsen under stress.

• Obsessions are the outcomes of erroneous thinking (such as hands are covered in harmful germs)

Question 6

What are some examples dysfunctional thought patterns?

Answer 6

1. Catastrophising
2. Though-action fusion
3. Magical thinking

Question 7

What is catastrophising?

Answer 7

Imagining the worst possible outcome from a minor situation (If I don’t wash my hands, I’ll get seriously ill).

Question 8

What is magical thinking?

Answer 8

The belief that performing certain rituals or actions can control or prevent an event from happening, even though there’s no logical connection.

Question 9

Name 1 strength and 1 weakness of the cognitive explanations?

Answer 9

• Strength: Real world application: This explanation has been very useful in developing treatments such as CBT or CBT techniques (cognitive restructuring, response prevention).
• Weaknesses: Reductionism Overlooks research demontrating that OCD is linked to serotonin imbalances, genetics, or brain structure abnormalities. Many people with OCD benefit from SSRIs, which work biologically— not cognitively.

Question 10

Thought-action fusion?

Answer 10

• Believing that having a harmful thought is just as bad as acting on it.
• For example, thinking that having a violent or harmful thought about someone means they are capable of actually committing harm.