Lecture 25: Scientific definition, scientific classification, DSM-5: part 1

Question 1

why do you need to know DSM-4 system of classification

Answer 1

so that you don’t misdiagnose patient

- need to classify from scientific research

Question 2

what do scientific definitions define?

Answer 2

it answers: what-it-is-to-be that kind / type of thing

• what is it, what kind of thing is it?
• what kind of / type of disorder is it?

Question 3

so that scientific definition= x

x could be…

Answer 3

• a kind of substance
• process
• behaviour
• cognition (like remembering)
• emotion (like fear)
• type of effect (like confirmation bias)
• psychological disorder

Question 4

what about operational definitions?

Answer 4

not scientific definition

Question 5

so what is scientific definition?

Answer 5

• what it is in virtue of that makes kind x, x and not kind y
• kind has features– kind can’t be the kind that it is, without these features
• the stuff that makes up the kind= necessary (something you must must have)
• involves genus-species distinction

Question 6

genus?

Answer 6

more inclusive, more general

Question 7

species?

Answer 7

more specific

Question 8

what kind of thing is water?

Answer 8

• genus= substance
• water= monothetic kind of substance
• essential features of water= 1 oxygen atom + 2 hydrogen atoms= thats its structure
• so, if you remove 1= not water anymore
• both are necessary
• what about calcium in water?= you can remove calcium and still have water
• so calcium= accompanying feature, its not essential

Question 9

every sample of water

Answer 9

= has unique feature (necessary)

Question 10

• if you have 1 unique set of features in water=

Answer 10

monothetic kind

Question 11

Y–> polythetic kind

- ex of polythetic kind

Answer 11

vulnerability= because it doesn’t refer to a real kind

Question 12

what does polythetic kind mean

Answer 12

= no unique features

• when we try to conceptualise vulnerability= can’t= not genuine psychological state
• theres no 1 feature that happens in every case= because its polythetic– no concrete thing or things that make up vulnerability

Question 13

how can you use monothetic kind?

Answer 13

ex. because water is a genuine kind= it can be used in theories + models to explain and predict various phenomena
- can advance our scientific knowledge= can figure out other stuff too, like calcium

Question 14

why can’t polythetic kind be scientific?

Answer 14

because it doesn’t translate into a genuine kind= its misleading

Question 15

is Dissociate identity disorder monothetic or p?

Answer 15

monothetic, because it has 2 essential conditions
1. bla bla
2. blabla
= these are essential defining conditions of DID–> each condition is essential
- you have to have both= DID
- every case of DID is same= has these 2 features

Question 16

when you diagnose someone…

Answer 16

you don’t care about scientific stuff

Question 17

most diagnostic criteria is: M or P?

Answer 17

polythetic

- diagnostic criteria= doesn’t define disorder

Question 18

Y may consist of: A or B or C or D, or it may not=

Answer 18

so thats the diagnostic criteria

Question 19

Y is Y1 or Y2 or Y3 or Y4– which is=

Answer 19

disjunctive predicate– this doesn’t refer to a genuine kind

Question 20

purpose of science, diagnostic is…

Answer 20

not helpful at all

Question 21

polythetic is good for…

Answer 21

clinical– when diagnosing someone

Question 22

monothetic defines….

Answer 22

the disorder, not polythetic