Foundations: Medical model/ Normal VS Pathology

Question 1

what is a misconception about personality and the medical model?

Answer 1

PD are NOT Discrete medical diseases, causal assumption is different.
Impossible to HAVE a PD, instead its a combination of a persons characteristics that interact that contribute to an adaptation or an illness.

Question 2

describe causality for Axis I versus Axis II disorders

Answer 2

Axis I: causality is localizable; distinction between the disease and the symptoms
Axis II: causality is everywhere (4 diff domains; NO distinction between disease and symptoms, which is why its resistant to psychotherapy

Question 3

Normality

Answer 3

Social basis; conforming to the behaviours and customs typical for their reference group/ culture
standards that are culturally derived

Question 4

Pathology

Answer 4

uncommon behaviours; engaging in behaviours uncommon/ alien for their reference group/ culture

Question 5

describe how the categorical system applies to normality and pathology

Answer 5

the desire to categories are uniquely social.
No objective way to differentiate normality and pathology. All the categories and distinctions are social constructs (value-laden and circular)

Question 6

In PD, how does normality (health) fade into pathology along the continuum? This can happen with traits in two ways.

Answer 6

1. A single trait can become more intense in their expression (assertive becomes aggressive)
2. the number of maladaptive traits attributed to the individual may increase.

Question 7

what are three pathological characteristics that best characterize personality disorders?

Answer 7

1. PD lack resilience under conditions of stress; less of an ability to cope makes bad situations worse
2. PD are adaptively inflexible; rigid and limited strategies in situations prevents learning new strategies.
3. because of PD, fail to change, pathological functioning repeats in a cycle