Psychodynamic Flashcards
Statistical deviation
When an individual has a less common characteristic e.g. high IQ
Deviation from social norms
Behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour
Failure to function adequately
When someone is unable to cope with everyday demands
Strengths of statistical deviation
Objective
Useful part of clinical evaluation-real life application
Overall view
Weaknesses of statistical deviation
Infrequent doesn’t mean abnormal
Stigma of a label
Can’t be used in isolation
Failure to function adequately
Rosenhan& seligman
Suffering Danger to self Doesn't conform Unpredictable Irrational Causes observer discomfort Violates moral/social standards
Strengths of failure to function
Assess degree of abnormality
Observable behaviour
Personal perspective
Weaknesses of failure to function
Subjective
Abnormality not always dysfunctional
Distress to others
Deviation from mental health
When someone doesn’t meet a set of criteria for good mental health
Deviation from ideal mental health
Jahoda
Positive attitude towards self Self-actualisation Autonomy-independence/self-reliance Resistance to stress Environmental mastery-adapt to new situations Accurate perception of reality
Strengths of deviation from ideal mental health
Holistic
Targets dysfunctional areas
Comprehensive
Weaknesses of deviation from ideal mental health
Over demanding criteria
Subjective
Lacks historical validity
Behavioural characteristics of phobias
Panic
Avoidance
Endurance
Emotional characteristics of phobias
Anxiety
Unreasonable responses
Cognitive characteristics of phobias
Selective attention
Irrational beliefs
Cognitive distortions
Behavioural characteristics of depression
Activity levels
Distribution to sleep and eating
Aggression and self-harm
Emotional characteristics of depression
Lowered mood
Anger
Lowered self-esteem
Cognitive characteristics of depression
Poor concentration
Dwelling on the negative
Absolutist thinking
Behavioural characteristics of OCD
Compulsions
Avoidance
Emotional characteristics of OCD
Anxiety
Depression
Guilt and disgust
Cognitive characteristics of OCD
Obsessive thoughts
Strategies to deal with obsessions
Aware of the irrational behaviour
Behavioural explanation of phobias
The two process model
Treating phobias
Systematic desensitisation
Hierarchy
Relaxation
Exposure
Strengths of systematic desensitisation
Self administered
Low refusal rates
More ethical- suits more diverse range of patients
Weaknesses of systematic desensitisation
May not treat evolutionary components-ohman et al
Time consuming
Treating phobias
Flooding
Exposing the patient to the phobic stimuli without a hierarchy
Through extinction
Strengths of flooding
Cost effective
Less time consuming
Treats the phobia
Weaknesses of flooding
Unethical
Doesn’t work for all phobias
Not suitable for all patients
Two process model
How are phobias acquired
Classical conditioning
Two process model
Maintaining phobias
Operant conditioning
Strengths of the two process model
Practical application to therapy
Therapies effective so they treat the cause of the problem
Can be combined with biological explanation-genetic validity
Cognitive expositions of depression
Becks negative triad
Ellis’s abc model
Cognitive explanation of depression
Becks- negative triad
Acquire a negative schema in childhood
Negative view of self
Negative view of future
Negative view of world
Strengths of Becks negative triad
Supportive evidence- Clark and Beck
Practical application- CBT
Acknowledge previous experience and genetics
Weaknesses of Becks negative triad
Only explain anxiety not anger
Struggles to explain bipolar
Not everyone shows negative bias
Research into negative triad
Clark and Beck
Reviewed research
Solid support for cognitive vulnerability factors
These cognitions can be seen before depression develops
Cognitive explanation to depression
Ellis ABC
A- activating event, situations which trigger irrational thoughts
b-beliefs, irrational beliefs
C-consequences, emotional/behavioural as a result of A and B
Strengths of Ellis ABC
Successful therapy CBT
Empowering for patient to know they can change
Supportive evidence-Lipsky et al
Supportive research
Lipsky et al
By challenging irrational negative thoughts a person and reduce their depression
Weaknesses of Ellis ABC
Explains anxiety not anger
Doesn’t consider environment
Doesn’t consider biology
Treating depression- negative triad
CBT
Thoughts-feeling-behaviour
Challenge thought to change behaviour
Identify irrational thought patterns to adapt them
Treating depression- ABC model
REBT
Rational emotional behaviour therapy Irrational thoughts can cause negative self-statements and cause emotional stress and behaviour 15 fortnightly sessions Clients become more realistic and extreme perceptions are reduced Education phase Behavioural activation Pleasant event scheduling Increase activity in social activity Taught to identify faulty thoughts
Strengths of the CBT
Ellis-90% success
Less time consuming
Effective for moderate to severe depression
Weaknesses of CBT
Might not work in severe cases
Success due to client-therapist relationship
Doesn’t deal with underlying issue only perceptions
Drug treatments of depression
MAOI
Tricyclics
SSRI
Drug treatments for depression MAOI
Chemicals which stop the activity of the monoamine oxidase enzyme family
Drug treatment for depression
Tricyclics
Increased levels of norepinephrine and serotonin to restore balance
Drug treatments for depression
SSRI
Increased serotonin levels in the brain by stopping the reuptake
Genetic explanation for OCD
COMT gene
Involved in the process of regulating the production of dopamine
More common in patients with OCD
Genetic explanation of OCD
SERT gene
Responsible for the transport of serotonin
The higher levels means less serotonin
Genetic explanation of OCD
Diathesis-stress
People who don’t have the SERT or COMT gene therefore other factors
Strengths of genetic explanation of OCD
Supportive research-Carey and Gottesman
Reductionist
Practical applications
Weaknesses of the genetic explanation of OCD
Links between nature and nurture
Too reductionist
Supportive research for genetic explanation of OCD
Carey and Gottesman
Identical twin studies showed concordance rates of 87% for OCD whereas this was 47% for fraternal twins
Suggests that genetic factors are moderately important
Strengths of the neural explanation of OCD
Supportive evidence-work of antidepressants
Practical applications
Weaknesses of neural explanation of OCD
Can’t establish cause of effects
Reductionist
Doesn’t truly explain
Treatments for OCD
Drug therapy alters chemical balance in your brain
Increases serotonin (SSRI)
SSRI prevent reuptake of serotonin in the synaptic cleft
Advantages of drug therapy for OCD
Supportive research of SSRI- Thoren at al
Antidepressants that don’t effect serotonin levels are ineffective in treating OCD
explaining phobias
two process model
acquisition done by classical conditioning learning to associate something with a fear something (little albert)
maintenance done by operant conditioning(negative reinforcement avoid phobic stimulus)
case of little albert
Watson and Rayner
phobias
us-noise ur-cry ns-rat cs-rat cr-cry
strengths of behaviourist approach to phobias
practical application-systematic desensitisation
use with biological(diathesis stress model)
effective treatments
weaknesses of behaviourist approach to phobias
not all phobias are caused by traumatic event (bounton)
reductionist-ignores irrational thinking
avoidance due to safety
weakness of behaviourist approach to phobias
bounton
model neglects the influence of evolutionary history, whereby avoidance responses are learned more rapidly if it resembles an animals natural defensive behaviour so its actually biological preparedness.
treating phobias
systematic desensitisation
hierarchy
patient/therapist arrange a list of situation which cause anxiety from lowest to highest
treating phobias
systematic desensitisation
relaxation
therapist teaches relaxation techniques
e.g. breathing and imagery techniques
treating phobias
systematic desensitisation
exposure
exposed to phobic stimulus in relaxed environment working up the hierarchy
weakness of systematic desensitisation
ohman et al
may not be as effective in treating phobias with underlying evolutionary component
treating phobias
flooding
immediate exposure to the phobic stimulus
strength of flooding
more economical
effective
weaknesses of flooding
unethical
high dropout rates
not effective for all phobias
cognitive explanation of depression
becks negative triad
ellis ABC model
cognitive explanation of depression
becks negative triad
negative view of self
negative view of world
negative view of future
negative triad
cognitive distortions
arbitrary inference
conclusions drawn where there is no evidence
negative triad
cognitive distortions
selective abstraction
conclusions drawn from part of the situation
negative triad
cognitive distortions
overgeneralisation
sweeping conclusions
negative triad
cognitive distortions
magnification and minimisation
exaggerates in evaluation of performance
strengths of becks negative triad
grazoli and terry
clark and beck
practical application
grazoli and terry
supportive research for negative triad
assessed 65 pregnant women before and after birth on cognitive vulnerability/depression. those with high vulnerability more likely to suffer PND
clark and beck
supportive research for negative triad
cognitions can be seen before depression
strengths of deviation from social norms
Distinguishes between normal/abnormal
situational norms
practical application- APD
weaknesses of deviation from social norms
subjective
change over time
ethnocentric bias is diagnosis
weaknesses of the 2 process model
behaviour explanation of phobias
doesn’t explain evolutionary phobias
unreliable-not all phobias follow a trauma
biological reductionist- ignores cognitive elements-irrational thinking
treating phobias
systematic desensitisation
Hierarchy
patient and therapist design a list of phobic stimuli that produces anxiety, this is then put in order from least to worst
treating phobias
systematic desensitisation
Relaxation
patient is taught relaxation techniques such as breathing or meditation to be relaxed as possible
treating phobias
systematic desensitisation
Exposure
patient is exposed to phobic stimuli in a relaxed state, they work up the hierarchy when patient can stay relaxed in less anxiety stage
biological explanation for OCD
candidate gene
create vulnerability for OCD
involved in regulating the development in the serotonin system
biological explanation of OCD
polygenic
Taylor
not caused by 1 single gene
up to 230 genes are involved
neural explanation of OCD
serotonin
low levels of serotonin can effect mood and other mental processes
OCD-reduction in the serotonin system
neural explanation of OCD
brain structure
abnormal functioning in the lateral frontal lobes (impaired decision making)
parahippocampul gyrus-associated with processing unpleasant emotions(functions abnormally in people with OCD)
