Explaining OCD - AO3 Flashcards
1
Q
What is a strength of genetic explanations of OCD?
A
- P: Strength = evidence for the genetic explanation of OCD
- E: Nestadt et al. (2010): reviewed twin studies and found that 68% of identical twins (MZ) shared OCD as oppossed to 31% of non identical (DZ) twins
- E: Marini and Stebnicki (2012): found that a person with a family member with OCD is around four times as likely to develop it as someone without.
- L: This means that people who are gentically similar are more likely to share OCD, supporting a role for genetic vulnerability
2
Q
What is a limitation of genetic explanations for OCD?
A
- P: Limitation = the existence of environmental risk factors
- E: Genetic variation affects vulnerability to OCD, but there are also environmental risk factors that trigger or increase the risk of OCD
- E: Cromer et al. (2007): found in one sample over half of people with OCD experienced a traumatic event. OCD severity correlated positvely with number of traumas
- L: This means that genetic vulnerability only provided a partial explanation for OCD
3
Q
What is a strength of the neural model of OCD explanations?
A
- P: Supporting evidence
- E: Antidepressants that work on serotonin reduce OCD symptoms. This suggests that serotonin may be invlolved in OCD
- E: Also OCD, symptoms form part of conditions that are known to be biological in origin e.g Parkinson’s disease (Nestadt et al. 2010)
- L: This means that biological factors (e.g serotonin and processes underlying Parkinson’s disease) are likely to be involved in OCD
4
Q
What is a limitation of neural explanations of explaining OCD?
A
- P: Limitation = neural model is there no unique neural system
- E: Many people with OCD also experience depression. This depression probably involves disruption to the action of serotonin
- E: It could simply be that serotonin activity is disrupted in many people with OCD because they are depressed as well
- L: This means that serotonin may not be relevant to OCD symptom
