Evaluation Flashcards
What is the scientific evaluation point?
Has clear variables that can be measured, tracked and examined.
This enables psychologists to conduct scientific research studying these variables.
What is the determinist evaluation point?
If we know what “predetermines” our behaviour, we are more likely to be able to treat people with abnormal behaviour.
Psychologists seek to understand the functioning of neurotransmitters so they can predict the effects of neurotransmitters on normal and abnormal behaviour.
What are the successful applications - drug therapy key points?
The approach has led to many forms of treatment for mental disorder, such as drug therapy.
Drug therapy is a popular form of treatment because it’s easy and enables many people with mental disorders to live a relatively normal life outside mental hospitals.
However, drug therapy produces mixed results because drugs affect people differently.
What did Cherek et al (2002) find?
Showed that males with conduct disorder and criminal behaviour had reduced levels of aggression and impulsivity after a 21-day course of an SSRI antidepressant compared to a control group taking placebos.
How can the approach be seen as reductionist?
Reduces complex behaviours to a set of simple explanations.
Reductionism is a part of understanding how systems work, but in the process, we may lose a real understanding of thing we’re investigating.
What did R.D Laing (1965) claim?
Such an approach ignores the experience of distress that goes along with any mental illness and is therefore an incomplete explanation.
What is the Nature VS Nurture evaluation point?
Mental illness has multiple causes, yet the approach focuses on just biology, tending to ignore life experiences and psychological factor such as how people think and feel.
What is the individual differences evaluation point?
The approach is nomothetic.
It looks to make generalisations about people and find similarities.
The approach tends to ignore differences between individuals.
