Historical development of abnormality and mental health disorder

Question 1

Mental health

Answer 1

A state of well-being in which every individual realises his or her own potential, can cope with normal stresses of life.

Question 2

psychometric approach

Answer 2

psychological measurements taken are abnormal when they deviate from the average

Question 3

difference approach

Answer 3

behaviour which is out of character for an individual

Question 4

cultural realivism

Answer 4

classification of deviance depends on your social group and culture.
Religious behaviours, belief in aliens, body piercings and tattoos

Question 5

Mental health disorder/illness

Answer 5

“psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected”

Question 6

three dominant traditions

Answer 6

• supernatural
• biological
• psychological

Question 7

Supernatural tradition

Answer 7

• battle between good and evil
• unexplainable and irritational behaviour perceived as evil
  Treatments included exorcism to rid the body of supernatural spirits

Question 8

supernatural beliefs today

Answer 8

Belief that unusual behaviour caused by spirit possession.

Effect of moon and starts on physiological functioning. “it must have been the full moon”

Question 9

the biological perspective

Answer 9

• hippocrates

- psychological disorders can be treated just like any other disease

Question 10

Galen

Answer 10

• humoral theory of disorders

- normal brain function is related to four bodily fluids (blood, black bile, yellow bile, phlegm)

Question 11

melancholer

Answer 11

too much black bile was thought to cause depression

Question 12

plato

Answer 12

• believed that the causes of maladaptive behaviour were due to social and cultural influences
• believed in using reason to dominate over maladaptive responses

Question 13

moral therapy

Answer 13

• 19th century
• treating patients normally in a setting encouraging social interaction
• reduced restraint

Question 14

psychoanalytic theory

Answer 14

• Sigmund Freud
• role of unconscious processes in determining behaviour
• therapeutic value of recalling emotional trauma ‘catharsis’
• relationship between emotions and earlier events ‘insight’

Question 15

humanist theory

Answer 15

psychological perspective focused on the individual inherent drive toward personal development and self-actualisation

Question 16

self-actualisation

Answer 16

process of striving to achieve high potential against difficult life experiences

Question 17

maslow

Answer 17

postulated a hierarchy of needs guiding people’s behaviour, starting from basic survival needs (safety, eating and sleeping) and ending with self-actualization needs.

Question 18

alder

Answer 18

believed that human nature reaches its fullest potential when we contribute to the welfare of other individuals and to society

Question 19

behaviourism

Answer 19

• brought a more scientific approach to psychological aspects of psychopathology though observation of behaviours

Question 20

pavlov and classical conditioning

Answer 20

neutral stimulus is paired with response until it elicits a response. Conditioning is the way we learn new information.