Individual Differences Flashcards
ID and biological sex
Mondscien et al 2000 - mothers of girls underestimated motor skills of baby, mothers of boys overestimated - actually no difference.
Sex related expectations may influence behaviour
Alexader and Hines 2002 - male monkeys more likely to play with ‘male’ toys - females more likely to play with soft toys
Inherent sex differences
Sex influences behaviour, brain structure etc. - plays a role in SZ, anorexia, ADHD, autism etc.
Heredity and heritability
Heredity - transmission of traits from parents to offspring (genes)
Heritability - degree of variation in a trait in a population due to genetics
Heritability often measured through twin studies - concordance rates
(However, epigenetics might mean that MZ twins are not the same)
Epigenetics
Heritable changes in gene function
Environmental factors turn genes off or on - affecting production of proteins
Heijmans et al., 2008 - Dutch winter famine - increased prevalence of SZ and CNS problems.
Genetics and mental health
Sometimes a known genetic difference entirely causes disorder e.g. Parkinson’s.
Normally, genetic differences increase probability of getting disorder - e.g. schizophrenia
Candidate gene approach - look for genetic differences between sufferers and other family members.
Defining typicality and atypicality
Normal behaviour: statistically frequent (95%) - positive to society - socially normal - expected
Abnormal behaviour - infrequent, negative bias - socially deviant, leads to distress
Definitions change with social norms.
Definitions of abnormality
Statistically infrequent - this has problems e.g. high IQ is not bad.
Socially deviant behaviour - can make others uncomfortable - issues like personal space
Unexpected / inappropriate behaviour - reactions to events e.g. PTSD.
Personal distress - OCD, phobias
Measuring normality - coloured marbles
Startup et al., 2008 - asked participants to notice pattern in picking marbles from a jar that was either 20 or 80% blue/red.
Participants with delusions are more likely to jump to conclusions.
Categories and dimensions
Most psychological test scores within a range - dimensional - where to place limits?
Most disorders classified by category (DSM5/ICD-11) - BUT is a person with 71 IQ more normal than one with 69.
ICD and DSM are 70% similar.
What is a mental health disorder
Syndrome characterised by disturbance in cognition, emotions or behaviour - reflects dysfunction in internal processes.
Associated with significant distress in social activities.
Socially deviant behaviours are not mental disorders unless deviance comes from a dysfunction.
(all controversial)
Social anxiety/phobia
Fear of situations in which person is exposed to possible scrutiny and embarrassment
Generally learned behaviour - directly or vicariously.
60% sufferers remember first time - 90% mocked at school
Effects - can affect everyday activity - blushing, sweating, nausea - avoidance behaviours - recurrent thoughts.
Aetiology - conflict between internal representations of self and negative external indicators (psychodynamic)
Evolutionary predisposition (biological)
Phobias
Exaggerated fear - phobic stimulus causes exaggerated personal distress.
Aetiology - preparedness hypothesis (Seligman) - evolutionary bias to fearful stimuli
Maintained by cognitions - more alert to stimuli
Acquired through previous experience (Little Albert)
Could be genetic - reasonable concordance for animal-related phobias.
Treatment - exposure therapy - systematic desensitisation and flooding - done in person or virtual reality - CBT.
OCD
2-3% population - more female.
Intrusive thoughts accompanied by compulsive behaviours.
Compulsions are an attempt to neutralise thoughts.
Caused by classical condition
