Individual Differences - Biological Approach to Abnormality Flashcards

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1
Q

What does the Biological Approach suggest?

A

Abnormal behaviour is caused by biological factors affecting the structure and functioning of the brain.

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2
Q

What does the approach assume?

A

All psychological problems have a physical cause. Therefore behaviours like addition and depression are seen as diseases.

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3
Q

What are the four possible biological causes of mental illness?

A

Infection, Biochemistry, Brain Damage and Genetics.

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4
Q

What does Infection mean?

A

Bacteria and viruses can cause psychological problems.

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5
Q

What is general paresis?

A

Rare neuro-psychiatric disorder affecting brain and CNS, caused by syphilis infection.

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6
Q

What is the link between Schizophrenia and the flu virus?

A

Studies discovered children born to mothers who suffered from flue, viruses and other infections during pregnancy have a 14% increased risk of Schizophrenia.

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7
Q

What does Biochemistry mean?

A

Millions of cells in brain communicate to each other with neurotransmitters. If too many or too little of them, may lead to abnormal behaviour.

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8
Q

Schizophrenia is linked to an excess of which neurotransmitter?

A

Dopamine.

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9
Q

How do drugs used to treat Schizophrenia work?

A

Antipsychotic medications = block dopamine transmission, improves symptoms of schizophrenia.

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10
Q

Lack of which neurotransmitter has been linked to depression?

A

Serotonin.

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11
Q

How do antidepressant reduce the symptoms of depression?

A

Antidepressants = increase levels of serotonin, which improve mood and emotion.

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12
Q

What does Brain Damage mean?

A

Some psychological problems result directly from damage to brain, caused by injury, tumours and strokes.

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13
Q

What happened to Phineas Gage?

A

Had accident, caused iron rod to penetrate left frontal lobe, and resulted in massive personality change. Went from model worker to unreliable and swore a lot.

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14
Q

What happened to Clive Wearing?

A

Contracted herpes, attacked hippocampus and part of frontal lobe. Resulted in short term amnesia.

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15
Q

What does Genetics mean?

A

Genes play a part in psychological characteristics as well as physical ones, some mental disorders may be inherited.

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16
Q

What does genetic research attempt to establish?

A

Whether there’s a relationship between genetics and mental health.

17
Q

What types of siblings do psychologists like to study?

A

Identical (Monozygotic) twins – same genetic material.

18
Q

What did Carey and Gottesman (1981) discover?

A

87% concordance in OCD for MZ twins, 47% concordance for DZ (Dizygotic) twins.

19
Q

Evaluate the Biological Approach to Abnormality.

A
  1. Lots of evidence that abnormal behaviour is associated with biological problems.
  2. Not clear whether biological problems are CAUSE or EFFECT of psychological disorder.
  3. Approach is REDUCTIONIST, cannot be full explanation of abnormal behaviour.
  4. Approach led to development of drugs, effective at reducing symptoms of disorders.
  5. When drugs are discontinued, symptoms often return, do not CURE illness.
  6. Approach doesn’t blame people for psychological problems.
  7. Society stigmatises and isolates the mentally ill.