IMH Topic 3: Alternatives to the medical model

Question 1

3 behaviourist explanations of mental illness

Answer 1

Classical conditioning
Operant conditioning
Social learning theory

All explanations of phobias

Question 2

classical conditioning explanation of phobias

Answer 2

Watson and Raynor case of Little Albert - made phobic of rats
Repeated pairing of a loud noise with a white rat
Was generalised to other white things like rabbits or father Christmas’ beard

Question 3

operant conditioning explanation of phobias

Answer 3

• requires reinforcers to shape behaviour

show some signs of anxiety when they see a large dog
and the comfort/attention from parents is then taken as a reward of this behaviour
next time you see a large dog, you show the feelings of anxiety to gain the reward of comfort again

Question 4

social learning theory explanation of phobias

Answer 4

• observation & limitation of behaviour

if a child sees a significant adult with a phobia they might imitate this behaviour

Question 5

two cognitive explanations of mental illness

Answer 5

aaron beck and the negative cognitive triad

albert ellis and faulty cognitions

Question 6

aaron beck and the negative cognitive triad

Answer 6

cognitive distortions lead to an inaccurate perception of reality that may be highly negative - probably developed in childhood

he suggested that there are 3 main dysfunctional beliefs in people with depression which forms a cognitive triad:

‘I am worthless or flawed.’
‘Everything I do results in failure.’
‘The future is hopeless.’

Question 7

albert ellis and faulty cognitions

Answer 7

proposed that irrational thoughts could cause and sustain mental disorders and believed that faulty cognitions can be summarised within the following 3 points:

‘I must be outstandingly competent, or I am worthless.’
‘Others must treat me considerately, or they are absolutely rotten.’
‘The world should always give me happiness, or I will die.’

highly unrealistic expectations - ppl with this faulty thinking will feel like failures, leading to depression

Question 8

2 founders of humanistic explanation

Answer 8

abraham maslow

carl rogers

Question 9

humanistic : maslows hierarchy of needs

Answer 9

he believed that people are innately motivated to achieve, there are a hierarchy of needs that have to be met to become our best self

• physiological needs (food, drink, water)
• safety needs (protection, law, security)
• love/belonging needs (friends, family)
• esteem needs (accomplishment)
• self actualisation (our best self)

when we move up the levels we can get stuck and never meet our best self, this leads to mental illness

Question 10

humanistic : roger

Answer 10

mental illness due to your perceived self differing from your actual self

view of our self is dependant on conditions of worth that people and society place on us
this can lead to depression as people don’t feel loved unless the conditions are met

Question 11

humanistic treatment

Answer 11

client-centred therapy

therapist has to facilitate the patient to increase self-esteem and adopts a position of support

Question 12

non-biological BEHAVIOURIST treatment

Answer 12

SYSTEMATIC DESENITISATION:

• classical conditioning: remove negative associations and replace with positive ones
• teaching a person to gradually confront their fear.
• carried out in stages through patients built hierarchy
• relaxation is practiced at each step

FLOODING:

• to present the feared object directly
• immediate fear response caused by adrenaline will calm down
• calm feeling can be associated with feared object
• however can cause panic and reinforcement of the phobia rather than extinguish it

Question 13

non-biological COGNITIVE treatment

Answer 13

CBT - COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY:

• tries to create realistic thoughts not change negative ones to positive
• focuses on interpretation/ meaning attached to an event not event itself
• tackles dysfunctional core beliefs: I’m useless/boring/can’t cope/a failure etc
• tackles catastrophic misinterpretation of physical symptoms: Im so anxious, my heart is racing, i am going to have a heart attack)
• structured, time limited, collaborative

RET - RATIONAL EMOTIVE THERAPY: by Ellis
- looking to help understand how irrational/unhelpful beliefs are contributing to their illness
- helps to identify an alternative way of processing a situation which in turn should change their behaviour
A - activating event (the phobic stimulus)
B - beliefs (about stimulus)
C - consequences
D - disputing (questioning beliefs)
E - effects (restructured thoughts)