Philosophical Perspectives Flashcards
What do Clinical Psychologists Study?
- Assessment of normal and abnormal cognitive and behavioural functioning
- Epidemiology of psychopathology
- Impact of interventions and therapies
- Etiology, course and outcome of different forms of psychopathology
What is research?
“A search or investigation directed to the discovery of some fact by careful consideration or study of a subject; a course of critical or scientific inquiry”
4 Basic Steps of Research (Wheel of Science)
1) Form ideas based on theory –> 2) Gather Information (collect data) –> 3) Analyze and Interpret Results –> 4) Compare results to original ideas and other findings
Pure vs. Applied Research
Applied research is research that seeks to answer a question in the real world and to solve a problem. Basic research is research that fills in the knowledge we don’t have; it tries to learn things that aren’t always directly applicable or useful immediately.
Pure (basic) research: addresses the generation and testing of theory.
Applied research: Evaluation/audit/health services research.
What is a theory?
A set of statements that summarizes and organizes existing information about some phenomenon, provides an explanationfor the phenomenon, and serves as a basis for making predictions to be tested empirically.
Parsimonious
When there are competing interpretations, one should adopt the simplest one that can account for the data.
Falsifiable theories
Theories are falsifiable if they can be proven false, or if they have the possibility to be false
Correspondence Theory
Holds that the belief is true if it matches reality
E.g. “If water droplets fall from clouds, its raining”
Coherence Theory
Holds that a belief is true if it is internally consistent or logically non-contradictory
“If weather conditions necessary for rain occur, it’s raining”
Pragmatism Theory
Holds that a belief is true if it is useful or produces practical benefits
“Is the knowledge useful –> if you go outside when it’s raining, you will get wet”
Consensus Theory
Holds that a belief is true if it is shared by a group of people
–> if you all look outside the window, the majority would agree on the weather
Postmodernism/Constructivism
There is an assumption of that one should dispense of objective reality and are more interested in the subjective interpretations of people. There are no true/false stories, only differences.
Induction and its problems
Going from the particular to the general.
Astronomy –> astronomers gaze at the heavens, plot what they see, and then try to apply a general finding of these observations.
Problems:
Theory-dependence of observation: what we observe or how we observe it are explicitly or implicitly based on theory.
No logical basis when used exclusively: Past performance is no guarantee of future results (all theories are temporary, and all statements are probabilistic only)
Deduction
Key figure: Karl Popper.
Going from the general to the particular. Theory –> prediction.
Traditional scientific approach..
Science as a linear process, process is achieved through falsification of incorrect theories.
Thomas Kuhn: Revolutions of science
How does one decide when to adopt a new theory and drop an old one?
He believed that old and new theories are incompatible.
Paradigm
The central body of ideas within which the great majority of scientists is working at any given time.
Normal science
Extends the knowledge that the paradigm describes.
Anomaly
Undermines the existing tradition of scientific practice
Scientific revolution
A shift in professional assumptions
Paradigm shift
A scientific revolution
Pre-paradigmatic: Kuhn
Believed that psychology was considered a pre-paradigmatic science
Intuitive practitioner model
Conducts clinical work on the basis of personal intuition and knowledge from sources other than research. Good interpersonal skills.
Scientist-practioner model
Competent both as a researcher and practitioner. Clinical research and clinical practice together
Applied scientist model
Conducts clinical work as a form of applied research. Doing clinical work within the framework of the scientific method. Only use empirically validated assessment methods.
Evidence-based practitioner model
Systematically searcher the literature to obtain the best evidence on which to base clinical decision
What is psychopathology?
No single definition of psychological normality. Clinicians are interested in feelings, thoughts, and behaviours which are abnormal based on consensus.
A working definition of psychopathology: 3 components
1) Psychological Dysfunction (breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioural functioning)
2) Distress or impairment (difficulty performing appropriate and expected roles)
3) Atypical or Unexpected Cultural Response (reaction outside of the cultural norms)
Categorical Classification Systems
Clusters of symptoms that fit into categories. People can be assigned more than one category. (Minor depression, dysthymic disorder, major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder)
Dimensional Models
Psychopathology is conceptualizes on a continue, from normalcy to pathology (usually use quantitative measures). E.g. Depression scale (total scores range from 0-60)
DSM-5
Official classification of psychopathology. Added about 15 new disorders from DSM-IV
Advantages to DSM
- Facilitates communication
- Reliability of diagnoses
- Vast coverage
Problems or disadvantages to DSM
All or None Diagnoses (e.g. you must have all symptoms or 5 symptoms or more to be diagnosed with a certain psychopathic disorder)
- Heterogeneity in symptom presentation (e.g. Can have 6 or 9 symptoms of either inattention of hyperactivity to be considered for a diagnosis of ADHD –> over diagnoses)
Co-morbidity
When 2 or more psychopathologies exist or can happen to an individual. It is often seen as an error -> wrong assumption
