Paper 1 Evaluation- Psychopathology

Question 1

Deviation from social norms

Answer 1

Considers desirability
Social norms change as time changes- may lack temporal validity
Abuses of human rights to be different
Cultural relativism

Question 2

Statistical infrequency

Answer 2

Useful in clinical assessments
Culturally relativism
Frequently rare desirable characteristics
No benefit of being labelled when they are living a happy and fulfilled life

Question 3

Failure to function adequately

Answer 3

Acknowledges that the experience of the patient is important
Hard to assess if someone is distressed
Cultural relativism- some women not expected to work
Psychopaths can appear normal- Harold Shipman

Question 4

Deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 4

Most of us are abnormal according to the criteria
Difficult to measure criteria
Most of the criteria is culturally bound to Western European and North American cultures
Perceptions of reality change over time

Question 5

Phobias and the behaviourist approach to explaining them

Answer 5

Develop phobias without having and experience
Little Albert study (by Watson and Rayner [1920])
Avoidance behaviour can be motivated by the positive feelings of safety
Important implications for therapies- once avoidance is prevented the behaviour ceases to be reinforced

Question 6

Flooding

Answer 6

Effective- highly effective and cheaper than alternatives
Effectiveness- less effective for more complex phobias, may be based on cognitive aspects
Effectiveness- the phobias may be replaced by another phobia once treated- symptom substitution- because the cause is unconscious
Appropriateness- highly traumatic, and if patients withdraws half way through it can make the phobia worse

Question 7

Systematic desensitisation

Answer 7

Effectiveness- the phobias may be replaced by another phobia once treated- symptom substitution- because the cause is unconscious
Effectiveness- research showed a group that did the theory were less fearful than control group at 3 months after and 33 months- suggests effects are long lasting
Appropriateness- patients prefer it- less traumatic
Appropriateness- can be more suitable for patients e.g. those with learning disabilities

Question 8

Treating OCD- drug therapies

Answer 8

Not a long lasting cure
Research is biased
70% of patients taking SSRIs symptoms decline
Side effects (blurred vision, nausea, headaches, loss of sex drive)

Question 9

Depression

Answer 9

Real world application- Led to CBT
Weakness- idea cognitions cause emotions, however some emotions cause cognitions
Weakness- cannot explain all characteristics- some deeply angry and hallucinations
Weakness- Ellis- not all depression caused by activating event
Supporting evidence- Beck- women judged to have high cognitive vulnerability more likely to have postnatal depression

Question 10

Treating depression

Answer 10

Future focus can be frustrating
Effective- 81% of patients significantly improved
May not be motivated to take part
May over look circumstances