Psychological Explanation Flashcards
What is the underlying principle of the behavioural explanation?
That OCD is learnt through classical and operation conditioning
What is the underlying principle of classical conditioning?
Learning through associations
What is the underlying principle of operant conditioning?
Learning through consequences
Provide an example of someone learning OCD through classical conditioning
A person whose OCD symptoms are to do with germs may have developed after touching someone thin unpleasant i.e touching a door handle smeared with something brown. The brown produces anxiety that is then associated with door handles
Write a classical conditioning diagram below involving door handles and a brown substance
Brown substance (Unconditioned stimulus) ➡️ anxiety (unconditioned response) Brown substance + door handle (ucs + neutral stimulus) ➡️ anxiety (unconditioned response) Door handle (conditioned stimulus) ➡️ anxiety (conditioned response)
How is OCD learned through operant conditioning?
The person adopts rituals which reduce anxiety. The behaviour is reinforced by the reduction of anxiety and are then repeated
How must you explain classical conditioning in an exam?
You must write it out. Don’t draw the diagram.
Provide an example of operant conditioning involving hand washing
A person believes washing their hands after touching a door handle prevents them from catching germs so they wash their hands afterwards which reduces anxiety. This behaviour is then repeated because they believe hand washing prevents them from catching germs. They then never touch a door handle without washing their hands afterwards and never learn to touch q handle and now pick up germs
What is Mowrer’s two process model?
That fear of a specific stimuli is attained through classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning.
How can you use Mowrer’s two process model?
As ao1 or ao2
What studies support the behavioural explanation?
Skinner
Einstein and Menzie
What did Skinner devise?
The superstition hypothesis
What is the superstition hypothesis?
Where bodily actions become associated with reinforced through classical conditioning and thus are repeated
What were Einstein and Menzie’s findings?
He found a correlation between magical thinking and OCD symptoms in 60 OCD patients using the magical ideation scale.
What do Einstein and Menzie’s findings suggest?
There is a link between superstition and OCD, in line with Skinners superstition hypothesis
What is the problem with the behavioural explanation?
Behaviourism explains compulsive behaviour characteristics of OCD but it does not explain obsessions and intrusive thoughts, weakening the explanation
How is the behavioural approach as a whole weakened?
It does not explain obsessions and intrusive thoughts
What are the explanations within the psychological approach?
Behavioural
Psychodynamic
What is the underlying principle of the psychodynamic approach?
That adult personality is heavily influenced by childhood experiences involving conflicts and fixations
How can you use the psychodynamic approach?
As ao1 or ao2 - going to use it as ao2
How do you introduce Freud when you use his theory as ao2?
However, other psychologists argue OCD develops as a result of early traumatic experiences and is not learned through conditioning processes
What theory is used in the psychodynamic explanation?
Freud
Explain the elements of Freud’s theory basically…
OCD stems from fixation at the anal stage at around 2 years old.
Conflict between id and super ego arises
The stronger the conflict the more likely the individual will have an anal-retentive personality
What is the anal stage within Freud’s theory?
He claimed children derive pleasure from bowel movements and are exploring their sense of individuality hence the ‘terrible twos’
Explain how a conflict between the id and superego arises according to Freud
During potty training the child has to be neat and clean as the parents wish, but their natural preference is to be messy and aggressive. Parental pressure makes the child feel guilty, ashamed and dirty. This gives rise to a conflict between the id (instinctive, selfish urges) and the superego (need for control and guilt). This is particularly the case as the ego is not fully developed.
Why is conflict during the anal stage of fixation a particular problem?
Because the ego is not fully developed at this stage
How do conflicts result in an anal-retentive personality?
If the conflicts are too strong and parents are too strict issues in this stage can carry into adulthood. The person has an obsessive unconscious desire to be messy but their conscious ego forces them to be neat and tidy.
