Dysfunctional Behaviour - Explanations Of Dysfunctional Behaviour

Question 1

What was the aim of Watson and Raynor’s study?

Answer 1

• to see if it is possible to induce a fear of a previously unfeared object, through classical conditioning.
• to see if the fear will be transmitted to other, similar objects
• to see what effect time will have on the fear response
  to see if it is possible to remove the fear response in the laboratory

Question 2

What was the methodology of Watson and Raynor’s study?

Answer 2

A case study undertaken on one child: ‘Little Albert’, in controlled laboratory conditions.

Question 3

Who were the participants in Watson and Raynor’s study?

Answer 3

Little Albert, a child of a wet nurse and so lived in a hospital environment. He showed no fearful reactions before the study but responded violently when a suspended steel bar was hit by a hammer when he was 8 months old.

Question 4

What was the design in Watson and Raynor’s study?

Answer 4

A single-subject design. The behaviours measured were Alberts reactions to various stimuli before and after the conditioning.

Question 5

What was the procedure in Watson and Raynor’s study?

Answer 5

When Albert was 11 months old the experiments started. Over 5 sessions Albert was presented things such as a rat or a dog or a rabbit and a suspended steel bar was struck when he touched the animal in order to condition a fear response. Later he was presented the objects by themselves to see if he still showed a fear response.

Question 6

What were the conclusions of Watson and Raynor’s study?

Answer 6

Session 2 showed that it was possible to condition fear through classical conditioning as the conditioning of a fear response was evident.
Sessions 3 and 4 showed that transference of the fear had been made to similar objects
Session 5 showed that time had not removed the fear response
Albert was taken out of the hospital on the day of session 5 so the aim of finding new ways of removing a phobia in the laboratory was not tested.

Question 7

What was the biological study in explanations of dysfunctional behaviour?

Answer 7

Gottesman and Shields

Question 8

What was the aim of Gottesman and Shields’ study?

Answer 8

To review research on genetic transmission of schizophrenia

Question 9

What was the method of Gottesman and Shields’ study?

Answer 9

A review of adoption and twin studies into schizophrenia between 1967 and 1976. Three adoption studies and five twin studies.

Question 10

Who were the participants in Gottesman and Shields’ study?

Answer 10

711 participants in the adoption studies. In the twin studies a total of 210 identical twin pairs and 319 non-identical twin pairs were studied.

Question 11

What was the procedure of Gottesman and Shields’ study?

Answer 11

The incidence of schizophrenia in adopted children and identical twins was extrapolated from the research. This was done by comparing biological parents and sibling and adoptive parents and siblings in the adoption studies. In the twin studies the concordance rates (how often both twins were diagnosed with schizophrenia) for identical and non-identical twins was compared.

Question 12

What were the findings of Gottesman and Shields’ study?

Answer 12

The adoption studies found an increased incidence of schizophrenia in adopted children with a schizophrenic biological parent, whereas normal children fostered to schizophrenic parents and adoptive parents of schizophrenic children showed little evidence of schizophrenia. The twin studies found a higher concordance rate for schizophrenia in identical twins than non-identical twins.

Question 13

What were the conclusions in Gottesman and Shields’ study?

Answer 13

There is obviously a significant genetic input into the onset of schizophrenia, but with concordance rates less than 100% there must be some interaction with the environment. There is also some confusion as to whether one or many genes are responsible for predisposing a person to schizophrenia.

Question 14

What was the cognitive study in explanations of dysfunctional behaviour?

Answer 14

Beck

Question 15

What was the aim of Beck’s study?

Answer 15

To compare the effectiveness of cognitive therapy and drug therapy.

Question 16

What was the method of Beck’s study?

Answer 16

Controlled experiment with participant allocated to one of two conditions.

Question 17

Who were the participants in Beck’s study?

Answer 17

44 patients diagnosed with moderate to severe depression attending psychiatric outpatients’ clinics.

Question 18

What was the design of Beck’s study?

Answer 18

Independent design with random allocation to cognitive or drug therapy conditions.

Question 19

What was the procedure of Beck’s study?

Answer 19

Patients assessed with three self reports before treatment using Beck Depression Inventory, Hamilton Rating Scale and Rasking Scale. For 12 weeks, patients had either a 1-hour cognitive therapy session twice a week or 100 imipramine capsules, prescribed by visiting the doctor for 20 minuets once a week. The cognitive therapy sessions were prescribed and controlled, and therapists were observed to ensure reliability.

Question 20

What were the findings of Beck’s study?

Answer 20

Both groups showed significant decrease in depression symptoms on all three rating scales. The cognitive treatment group showed significantly greater improvements on self reports and observer based ratings, 80% compared to 20% of those with drug therapy. The dropout rate was 5% in the cognitive therapy group and 32% in the drug treatment group.

Question 21

What were the conclusions of Beck’s study?

Answer 21

Cognitive therapy leads to better treatment of depression, shown by fewer symptoms reported and observed, and also better adherence to treatment.

Question 22

What was the behavioural study in explanations of dysfunctional behaviour?

Answer 22

Watson and Raynor