Key Studies Psychopathology Flashcards
Definitions of abnormality - statistical infrequency
Defining abnormality in terms of statistics. Behaviour rarely seen is a statistical infrequency.
E.G. IQ and Intellectual disability disorder: IQ below 70 is statistically abnormal.
Real life application - useful part of clinical assessment to compare with norms.
Unusual characteristics can also be positive - IQ above 130 are just as unusual as those below 70.
Definitions of abnormality - deviation from social norms
Abnormality is based on societal expectations of behaviour. Social norms may be different for each generation and culture.
E.G. Antisocial personality disorder: impulsive, aggressive, irresponsible, failure to conform to normative behaviour.
Not a sole explanation - shouldn’t be used by itself.
Cultural relativism - social norms vary from cultures and generations.
Definitions of abnormality - failure to function adequately
Inability to cope with everyday life - not being able to maintain jobs, relationships.
Rosenhan and Seligman - signs of failure to cope…
- no longer conform to interpersonal rules
- experience personal distress
- irrational / dangerous behaviour
Recognises patients perspective
Subjective judgement - may say they are distressed but are not suffering.
Definitions of abnormality - deviation from ideal mental health
Places emphasis on what makes someone normal and psychologically abnormal. Jahoda: criteria for mental health: - no symptoms/ distress - ability to self-actualise - ability to cope with stress - self esteem is good, lack guilt
Comprehensive, covers a broad range of criteria
May be culturally relative - self-actualisation may be seen as self-indulgent.
Unrealistically high standard for mental health, but makes it clear where people can improve.
Phobias
Behavioural - panic, avoidance
Emotional - anxiety and fear, responses are unreasonable
Cognitive - selective attention to phobic stimulus, irrational beliefs
Depression
Behavioural - activity levels (reduced energy, lethargic)
Emotional - lowered mood, anger (self-harming behaviour)
Cognitive - poor concentration, absolutist thinking
OCD
Behavioural - compulsions, avoidance
Emotional - anxiety and distress, guilt and disgust
Cognitive - obsessive thoughts, insight into excessive anxiety
Behavioural approach to phobias - Two Process Model: Mowrer
Acquisition by classical conditioning - UCS triggers fear response (UCR), NS is associated with UCS, NS becomes a CS, produces fear (e.g. Little Albert)
Maintenance by operant conditioning (negative reinforcement) - phobic avoids phobic stimulus to escape anxiety. Reduction of fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and the phobia is maintained.
Behavioural approach to phobias evaluation
Important implications for therapy
Incomplete explanation - biological preparedness we are innately prepared to fear some things more than others - we easily acquire phobias of things that were a danger in our evolutionary past.
Treatment for phobias
Systematic desensitisation: formation of anxiety hierarchy, relaxation, exposure.
Flooding.
Treatment for phobias evaluation
SD: Effective and long-lasting, suitable for a diverse range of patients, tends to be acceptable to patients (low refusal rates)
Flooding: Less effective for some types of phobias (social phobias), traumatic for patients (often unwilling to see it through to the end).
Cognitive approach to depression - Beck
Faulty information processing.
Negative schema
Negative triad
Practical application in therapy - negative triad identified and challenged in therapy = successful.
Good supporting evidence - Grazioli and Terry: women identified as vulnerable before birth were more likely to suffer post-natal depression - cognition causes depression.
Cognitive approach to depression - Ellis
ABC model:
Activating event - irrational thoughts during negative events
Beliefs - irrational beliefs: ‘musterbation’ = we must always succeed, ‘utopianism = ‘the world us always be fair
Consequences - emotional and behavioural
Partial explanation of depression - only applies to some types.
Cognitions may not cause all aspects of depression - emotions, e.g. distress and anxiety = physical energy to emerge some time after the causal event.
Treatment for depression
Cognitive behaviour therapy - Beck
Patient and therapist work together, involves challenging negative thoughts related to negative triad, encouraged to test the reality of irrational beliefs, set ‘homework’ to prove patient’s beliefs incorrect.
Treatment for depression
Rational emotive behaviour therapy - Ellis
D = dispute irrational beliefs
E = effect
