Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology > Psychological problems > Flashcards

Psychological problems Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

How many people will experience mental health problems in their lifetime?

A

As many as 1 in 2

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

In England in 2009 how many people had depression, anxiety and EDs?

A

Depression- 2.6 in 100

Anxiety- 4.7 in 100

ED- 1.6 in 100

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How many more men than women are diagnosed with depression?

A

Twice as many

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

In 2007 what percentage of people 16-74 in the UK were accessing treatment?

A

24%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

In 2014 what percentage of people 16-74 in the UK were accessing treatment?

A

37%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

How many more adults in the UK does MIND estimate will have mental health problems than in 2013?

A

2 million more

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are two reasons for rises in mental health problems?

A

Economic deprivation

Social isolation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

Are people in higher or lower income households more likely to have mental health issues?

A

Lower income households

27% of men vs 15% in higher income households

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Who does social isolation increase the chance of mental health problems for?

A

People living in cities

Older people living on their own

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is a culture-bound syndrome?

A

Mental health problems that are only recognised in certain cultures

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

Give an example of a culture-bound syndrome:

A

Koro- when a young man believes his penis or nipples will retract into his abdomen resulting in death- found almost entirely in Asia

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are Jahodas six categories of mental health?

A

Self-attitudes- high self esteem and a strong sense of identity

Personal growth- extent to which an individual develops full capabilities

Integration- eg being able to cope with stressful situations

Autonomy- being independent and self-regulating

Having an accurate perception of reality

Mastery of the environment- eg ability to love, function at work, solve problems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

How has social stigma lessened?

A

Once a person is called “mentally ill” then other people have expectations on what they will think and do
These might act as a stigma and be harmful to the person as it will affect how they are treated
Overtime the label itself becomes a problem and so new labels are invented
These new labels have less stigma
“Mental health problem” has less stigma attached and so is currently preferred

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

How do mental health problems damage relationships?

A

Mental health problems affect a persons ability to talk to others. Someone who is depressed might focus on themselves and find it difficult to understand what other people are thinking.

Mental health problems are isolating. They tend to avoid being with other people as they feel bad about themselves and fear being judged. People might misunderstand why they are avoiding them- this may be damaging to the relationship.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

How does difficulty coping with day-to-day life affect mental health problems?

A

It is one of the characteristics used to define mental health problems. It’s normal for an adult to be able to get up and do everyday tasks so it is regarded as mentally unhealthy if a person can’t do these things. While it may cause little distress to the individual someone else may have to help look after the person. This means it can be distressing to the individual and others.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

How do mental health problems have a negative impact on physical well-being?

A

When anxious or stressed the body produces a hormone called cortisol. This hormone prevents the immune system functioning as well as it should. This means psychological problems make physical illness more likely.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What are the social effects of mental health issues?

A

Need for more social care
Increased crime rates
Implications for the economy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the individual effects of mental health issues?

A

Damage to relationships
Difficulties coping with day-to-day life
Negative impact on physic well-being

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

How do mental health issues increase the need for social care?

A

Taxes are used to fund a social care system which ensures people in need are offered the basic necessities of life
It can also help people learn to care for themselves so they feel less isolated and more competent
As well as the state being expected to look after others we can feel personal responsibility.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

How can mental health issues increase crime rates?

A

Research indicates an increased risk of violence in patients with mental health issues, as much as four times higher
Other factors may explain the link eg substance abuse, lower living standards and isolation which may increase their violence levels
Fazel and Grann found only 1 in 20 violent crimes were linked to mental health problems

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What implications do mental health issues have for the economy?

A

McCrone report suggests mental health in England costs about £22 billion a year. This includes health and social care but not impacts on the criminal justice system and loss in employment. The increase in dementia is a major issue. Since older people are living longer they will require care for longer which will cost more.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the difference between sadness and depression?

A

Sadness is an emotion that us not totally debilitating whereas depression stops a person being able to function- difference between normality and abnormality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is bipolar depression?

A

When the person switches between two mood states- depression and mania. Mania is a state of euphoria when the person becomes frenzied and impulsive. In between these two states there may be periods of ‘normal’ mood and the states can last between weeks and months.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is unipolar depression

A

Only experiences one emotional state (depression)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What are the key symptoms of unipolar depression?

A

Low mood

Loss of interest and pleasure

Reduced energy levels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What are other symptoms of depression

A

Changes in sleep patterns

Changes in appetite levels

Decrease in self-confidence

Reduced concentration

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

How many symptoms qualify for mild, moderate and severe depression?

A

All symptoms should be present all/most if the time for longer than two weeks

Mild-2 key and 2 other
Moderate- 5 or more symptoms
Severe-7 or more

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What are neurotransmitters?

A

Chemicals that transmit messages from one neutron to another

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What neurotransmitter has been linked to depression?

A

Serotonin

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What do low brain levels of serotonin do?

A

This means levels in the synapse will be low and the message isn’t transmitted resulting in low mood

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What does having plenty of serotonin mean?

A

If there is plenty of serotonin in the synaptic cleft the message will be transmitted and mood will improve

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What does serotonin affect?

A

Mood

Memory

Sleep

Appetite

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What are reasons for low serotonin levels?

A

Nature vs nurture

Genetics- a person can inherit a poor ability to produce serotonin

Environmental- tryptophan is a key ingredient- if your diet lacks this you won’t produce much serotonin- it comes from high protein foods and carbohydrates

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What are the the three evaluation points of the biological explanation of depression?

A

Strength- There is supporting research evidence

Weakness-Low serotonin levels could be an effect of depression instead of a cause

Weakness-Depression may not be just down to abnormal levels of neurotransmitters

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

Explain a strength of the biological explanation of depression:

A

There is supporting research evidence
McNeal and Cimbolic found lower levels of serotonin in the brains of people with depression compared to not depressed control group
Suggests a link between low levels of serotonin and depression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

Explain two weaknesses of the biological explanation of depression:

A

Low levels of serotonin could be an effect of being depressed instead of a cause
Depressed people think negative thoughts about themselves, their world and their future which lead to changes in the brain
This means low serotonin levels may be an effect of psychological experiences instead of just being the cause

Depression might not be solely caused by abnormal levels of neurotransmitters
Research shows so,e people with low levels of serotonin don’t have depression. Better explanation is diathesis-stress explanation, depression is a result of being born with vulnerabilities eg low serotonin levels and stressful experiences.
So depression is a result of the combination of a diathesis and a stressor

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What are the reasons for depression in the cognitive approach?

A

Faulty thinking

Negative schemas

Attributions

Influence of nurture

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What part does faulty thinking play in depression?

A

When a person is depressed they pay attention to the negative aspects and ignore the positives. Their thinking is not logical. They tend to have black or white thinking- something is either all bad or all good. This thinking doesn’t represent the true situation but it causes feelings of hopelessness and depression.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

What part do negative schemas play in depression?

A

Schemas are a package of ideas and information developed through experience. These act as a mental framework to interpret sensory information. A self-schema is the package of information we have on ourselves.

This means if you have a negative self-schema you are likely to interpret all information about yourself in a negative way.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

What part do attributions play in depression?

A

Attribution is the process of explaining causes of behaviour. When we observe behaviour, we unconsciously think of explanations- we use their actions to explain their personality.

We also think about ourselves in this way. Some people have a depressive or negative attribution all style. These attributions make it difficult to see that things can change and there is hope.

41
Q

What part does nurture play in depression?

A

A negative attributions style is learned- if a person has an unpleasant experience their natural reaction is to try and escape. If they can’t escape the person learns to give up trying. This is called learned helplessness. It explains how a person learns to blame things on their selves and believe things will always be like that.

42
Q

What are the three evaluation points for the psychological explanation of depression?

A

Strength- There is research support for learned helplessness

Strength- Cognitive explanations lead to ways of treating depression

Weakness- Negative beliefs may simply be realistic rather than depression

43
Q

Explain the strengths of the psychological explanations of depression:

A

One strength is that there is research support for learned helplessness. Seligman found dogs no longer tried to escape electric shocks they previously could not escape. He claimed it was exactly this process that explained why people become depressed- a person will have learned to react to challenges by giving up. This means the researcher supports his explanation of depression as the dogs previous negative attributions caused them to give up.

Another strength is cognitive explanations lead to ways of treating depression. One way of treating depression is CBT. The basis of this is that people need to learn to think differently. If faulty irrational thinking causes depression, learning to think rationally should help relieve depression. Therefore this explanation leads to a very successful way to help depressed people. This is the ideal of any explanation- it can suggest a way to improve our world.

44
Q

Explain the weakness of the psychological explanation of depression:

A

One weakness if that negative beliefs may be realistic not depression. Sometimes life experiences are depressing and it’s realistic to feel sad. Someone with the opposite attribution style may have other problems as their understanding of a situation is unrealistic. Alloy and Abramson found depressed people gave more accurate estimates of the likelihood of disaster than non-depressed people. They suggested depressed people may be sadder but wiser. Therefore a negative attributions style may actually be a more accurate way of looking at the world than the cognitive explanation suggests.

45
Q

What does SSRI stand for?

A

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor

46
Q

What is a basic explanation of what SSRI medication does?

A

The drug selectively targets serotonin at the synapse and inhibits the reuptake of serotonin molecules.

47
Q

What are the steps of SSRI medication?

A

Serotonin is stored at the end of a transmitting neutron in tiny sacs called vesicles. The electrical signal travelling through the neutron cause the vesicles to release the neurotransmitter into the synaptic cleft.

The serotonin molecule conveys the signal from the presynaptic neutron to the postsynaptic neutron by locking into a postsynaptic receptor.

Afterwards the serotonin is taken back into the presynaptic neutron where it’s broken down and re-used. SSRI molecules occupy the reuptake transported and prevent the serotonin molecule entering. This increases the serotonin in the synaptic cleft as more is released and added to what is being held in the synaptic cleft.

48
Q

What are the three evaluation points for antidepressant medication?

A

Weakness- Such drugs have serious side effects

Weakness- The evidence for the effectiveness of such drugs is questionable

Weakness- It is reductionalist

49
Q

Explain the weaknesses of antidepressants:

A

One weakness of antidepressant drugs is they have serious side effects. Side effects of SSRIs include nausea, insomnia dizziness, anxiety and weight loss/gain. The most serious side effect is an increase in suicidal thoughts. People think taking drugs is an easy solution to their mental health problems but they actually might not work as patients stop taking them. Patients dislike the lack of control they can feel over their own behaviour and feel spaced out and numb. This means side effects are a serious threat to the effectiveness of drug therapies.

Another weakness is the evidence for the effectiveness of such drugs is questionable. It takes three-four months of daily use for SSRIs to have much impact on symptoms. This doesn’t make sense if the drug is increasing serotonin levels instantly. Research shows the serotonin levels of depressed people may not actually be that different from the rest of the population. This suggests the effectiveness of the drug may be a placebo effect not due to serotonin.since people believe they are receiving treatment it leads to improvement.

50
Q

What are the two key events of CBT?

A

What the client thinks

Clients behaviour

51
Q

What is catastrophising?

A

People who become depressed tend to think in all-or-nothing terms

52
Q

What does CBT aim to do?

A

Change clients irrational negative thinking to rational thinking which will then change their behaviour

53
Q

What is behavioural activation

A

Clients asked to plan one pleasant activity everyday which should create positive emotions and so help to improve clients mood

54
Q

What is disputing?

A

A method to deal with the negative and irrational thoughts of a depressed person

The therapist aims to challenge the clients irrational thoughts eg “Where is your proof they don’t like you anymore?”

End result should be client is able to think more rationally and develop greater self-belief + self-liking

55
Q

How are diarys used in treating depression?

A

Client asked to keep a thought diary and record any unpleasant emotions experienced

Then record the automatic ‘negative’ thoughts associated with these events and rate how much they believe in these thoughts (1-100%)

Clients then required to write a rational response to automatic thoughts and rate their belief (1-100%)

56
Q

What are the three evaluation points of using CBT to treat depression?

A

Strength- It had lasting effectiveness

Strength- It is holistic

Weakness- Some people are not willing to put in the considerable amount of time needed for successful CBT

57
Q

Explain the strengths of CBT:

A

It has lasting effectiveness. The long-term aim of therapy is to give the client tools to help them with future episodes of depression. Once they have learnt techniques like challenging irrational thoughts and thinking of rational responses this can be applied again and again. Therefore CBT doesn’t just deal with the problem now but is instead potentially offering a long-term solution. A client may have difficulties years late and can avoid another depressive episode by using the skills they learned.

One strength is that CBT is a holistic approach. CBT focuses on treating the whole person instead of the smaller parts of depression like neurotransmitters. CBT focuses on the higher psychological level of what a person feels and thinks. This may mean it’s a more preferable approach as it deals with the core symptoms so may be a more effective approach than the biological approach.

58
Q

Explain the weaknesses of CBT:

A

One weakness is some people are not willing to spend the large amount of time required for CBT to be successful. The benefits of CBT come at a considerable cost in terms of time the client will spend months doing weekly sessions and homework between these. It also takes a lot of effort. Taking medication is a passive activity- you just have to remember to take the pills. CBT requires you to be willing to think about yourself and to change. This means that many people drop out of CBT treatments or fail to engage enough to gain any benefits.

59
Q

What is a holistic approach?

A

Looks at the whole person not just a small part

60
Q

What is a reductionist approach?

A

Breaks things into small parts

61
Q

What was the aim of Wiles study?

A

Wiles aimed to investigate the benefits of a combination of antidepressant medication plus CBT for treating people with treatment-resistant depression compared to using antidepressant medication alone

62
Q

What was the method of Wiles study?

A

Recruited 469 participants from Bristol, Exeter and Glasgow belonging to 73 different GP practices

All patients had treatment resistant depression- taken antidepressants for over 6 weeks and still showed symptoms of clinical depression (BDI score over 14)

Patients were randomly assigned to either usual care (antidepressants only) or usual care + CBT (12-18 sessions of an hour given by a CBT therapist)

Improvement assessed by measuring depression symptoms using BDI

63
Q

What were the results of Wiles study?

A

After 6 months 422 participants remained in the study (90%)

Usual care- 21.6% had a more than 50% symptom reduction

Usual care + CBT- 46.1% had a more than 50% symptom reduction

After 12 months 396 participants (84%) remained in the study

Those in usual care + CBT continued to show much greater levels of recovery and a greater chance of remission

64
Q

What was the conclusion of Wiles study?

A

CBT is a useful addition to treatment for patients who did not respond to antidepressants

CBT + antidepressant medication is more effective in reducing depressive symptoms than antidepressants alone

The results show these benefits can be maintained over 12 months

65
Q

What are the three evaluation points of Wiles study?

A

Strength- It was very carefully designed to control extraneous variables

Strength- It is focused on developing a useful therapy

Weakness- It uses self-report methods to determine levels of depression

66
Q

What is an example of cultural differences of mental health issues?

A

Some cultures regard hearing voices as a good thing while some see it as a sign of mental health issues (schizophrenia)

67
Q

Explain the strengths of Wiles study:

A

One strength is that it was very carefully designed to control extraneous variables. One potential extraneous variables was the difference of participants levels of depression. As it used independent groups design one group could have much higher rates of depression. To control this participants were randomly assigned to groups so there should be no differences. BDI scores for both groups were checked so they were similar on average. Comparison was also made on improvement instead of level of depression. This means the changed in the dependent variable were not affected by a key potential extraneous variable.

One strength is that it was focused on developing a useful therapy. The aim was to show a more holistic approach to treating depression can not only be successful but more successful than antidepressant medication alone (which fails 2/3 people with depression). The therapy was relatively cheap (£343 per year) which is equivalent to the cost of some antidepressant medication for a year. This real-world usefulness is one of the main reasons for conducting research.

68
Q

Explain the weaknesses of Wiles study:

A

One weakness is the study uses self-report methods to determine levels of depression. Although it is difficult to measure depression levels any other way it means participants have to make subjective judgements and also may not answer statements accurately. Some people might overestimate or underestimate how sad they feel. This questions the validity of the information collected about depression.

69
Q

What is dependence?

A

Indicates by a compulsion to keep taking a behaviour (psychological dependence) or by withdrawal symptoms (physical dependence)

70
Q

What is addiction?

A

Mental health problem in which an individual takes a substance/engages in a behaviour that is pleasurable but eventually becomes compulsive with harmful consequences

Addiction is characterised by physical/psychological dependence, tolerance and withdrawal

71
Q

What is substance misuse?

A

When a person is not following the rules for usage (using too much, stopping taking it too soon or taking it for something other than what it was intended for)

It is mot when a substance is taken to experience euphoria or to achieve a sense of escape/numbness

72
Q

What is substance abuse?

A

When someone uses a drug for a bad purpose ie to get high or feel escape rather than as a mediator

When a persons intentions are focused on a mood modification outcome- using the substance/behaviour to help cope with life problems

73
Q

What are the 6 characteristics of addiction according to the ICD-10?

A

A strong desire to use the substance

Persisting despite harm

Difficulty controlling use

Higher priority given to the substance

Withdrawal state

Evidence of tolerance

74
Q

What are the two nature factors of addiction?

A

Hereditary factors

Genetic vulnerability

75
Q

How do hereditary factors play a role in addiction?

A

Research shows addictions are moderately to highly inherited

Genetic information passed from parents may determine whether you are likely to become addicted or not

76
Q

How does genetic vulnerability play a role in addiction?

A

Very few genes have an all-or-nothing effect in behaviour

Multiple genes are involved in likelihood of addiction- these genes create a vulnerability

If you inherit these genes they increase the risk you might become addicted

Diathesis-stress says genetic vulnerability is only expressed is a persons life stresses and experiences act as a trigger

77
Q

What was the aim of Kaijis twin study?

A

To see whether alcoholism could be explained in terms of hereditary factors. Do children inherit a genetic vulnerability to become alcoholic?

78
Q

What was the method of Kaijis twin study?

A

Looked at male twins from Skäne Sweden- identified using temperance boards in Sweden which follow individuals with problems with alcohol abuse

310 male twins identified where at least one registered with temperance board

Conducted interviews with those twins and in some cases with close relatives to collect information about drinking habitats + if twins were identical or not

48 were identified as identical and 128 as non identical

Total of 384 participants

79
Q

What were the results of Kaijis twin study?

A

Percentage of twins who had co-twin registered with temperance board significantly higher for identical twins that non-identical twins

61% of identical twins were both alcoholic- only 39% of non-identical twins both were

Twins with social problems likely to be overrepresented among temperance board registrants

80
Q

What was the conclusion of Kaijis twin study?

A

Data suggests alcoholism is related to hereditary factors

If alcoholism was purely hereditary you would expect 100% of alcoholic identical twins to have an alcoholic co-twin

If alcoholism had no genetic components in would expect data for identical and non-identical twins to be the same

Therefore data from study supports idea of a vulnerability as the genetic component wasn’t 100% or 0%

81
Q

What are the three evaluation points of Kaij’s twin study?

A

Weakness- there were flaws in the designs of his study

Weakness- Biological explanations of addiction may be misleading

Strength- Results have been supported by later research

82
Q

Explain a strength of Kaij’s twin study:

A

One strength is his results have been supported by later research. Kindler conducted a better controlled study using a larger sample. They again found if one co-twin was alcoholic their twin was more likely to also be alcoholic if they were identical twins than non-identical twins (48% compared to 33%). Research generally supports the view genetic factors have a major influence on alcoholism in males and females.

83
Q

Explain the weaknesses of Kaij’s twin study:

A

One weakness is there were flaws in the design of his study. Kaij was not actually studying alcoholism. Temperance data only included some kinds of alcohol problems- those who made a public display of their abuse eg arrested for public drunkenness. The study also used self-report. This means the classifications may not have been accurate and overall the results lack validity.

One weakness is biological explanations of addiction can be misleading. Genes increase the risk of addiction but they are not the only factor. The evidence shows both nature and nurture are important. Therefore an issue with these explanations is they imply genes are more influential than they actually are.

84
Q

Social norms

A

Behaviour or belief that is standard, usual or typical of group of friends

85
Q

What is social learning theory?

A

We learn hat to do and think by observing what others are doing and saying

We then imitate these behaviours especially if it seems these behaviours/beliefs are being rewarded

We are most likely to immigrate someone we admire and identify with eg teacher or peers

86
Q

How do social norms influence addiction?

A

Social norms tell you what’s acceptable for your social group

Individuals may overestimate how much their group is doing a certain behaviour- this means the key factor is perceived social norms

87
Q

What is social identity theory?

A

Adolescents may feel pressure to conform to social norms of their peer group

A significant sort of who you are is defined by the social groups you belong to- everyone belongs to many social groups

To maintain membership and be accepted by peers in that group you are drawn to behave and think like them

88
Q

How do peers directly influence addictive behaviour?

A

They create opportunities for addictive behaviour eg buy alcohol for group members or provide a place to do drugs in safety

Peers may also provide direct instruction about what to do

89
Q

What are the three evaluation points of the peer influence on addiction?

A

Strength- There is research support

Strength- There is a number of real-world applications

Weakness- The process may not work in that direction

90
Q

What are the nature factors influencing addiction?

A

Social learning theory

Social norms

Social identity theory

Creating opportunities for addictive behaviour

91
Q

Explain the strengths of peer influence as an explanation of addiction:

A

One strength is there is research support. Simons-Morton and Farhat reviewed 40 studies into the relationship between peers and smoking and found that all but one showed a positive association between the two factors. While association doesn’t mean the peer influence caused the addictive behaviour it suggests peer influences are a risk factor.

One strength of the peer influence explanation is a number of real-world applications. Social norms marketing advertising has been used to address the issue of perceived norms. Hansen and Graham compared two programmes for reducing substance abuse- the one that focused on learning about acceptability in peers had greater success. These applications demonstrate the positive value of peer influence explanations.

92
Q

How is aversion therapy used for alcoholism?

A

Alcoholic is given a drug causing them to feel very nauseous and eventually throw up (eg Antabuse)

Just before they throw up they take an alcoholic drink

This is repeated several times to strengthen the association between the neutral stimulus (alcohol) and the unconditioned stimulus (Antabuse)

After repeated pairing the alcohol has become a conditioned stimulus- causing vomiting (conditioned response) which means it is associated with something unpleasant and so avoided

93
Q

What is aversion therapy?

A

Addict leans to associate their addiction with something unpleasant and will avoid the substance/behaviour

94
Q

How is aversion therapy used for gambling addictions?

A

Electric shocks given when gambler reads out a card with a gambling phrase

The unconditional stimulus is the shock which creates an unpleasant unconditional response of pain

Gambling-related phrases become associated with pain- so the phrases are now a conditioned stimulus and pain is a response

95
Q

How is aversion therapy used for smoking?

A

Unconditional stimulus is intensive smoking

Smoker sits in a closed room and then smokes intensely creating feelings of disgust and nausea

These feelings are then associated with smoking more generally so when a smoker looks at a cigarette they feel disgust (now a conditioned response)

96
Q

What are the three evaluation points of aversion therapy?

A

Weakness- Addicts may abandon the therapy

Weakness- Benefits seem to be short term rather than long term

Strength- Aversion therapy can be combined with CBT for greater effectiveness

97
Q

Explain the weaknesses of aversion therapy:

A

One weakness is addicts may abandon the therapy. Aversion therapy uses unpleasant stimuli. It wouldn’t work unless aversive stimulus was really negative- therefore many addicts drop out. They might find it more unpleasant than anticipated. This means it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of treatment as those who stay tend to be those who cope better with unpleasantness and have a stronger desire to overcome the addiction. This makes it difficult to come to any conclusion about the general effectiveness of aversion therapy.

One weakness is any benefits seem to be short rather than long term. McConaghy found aversion therapy was much more effective in reducing gambling behaviour and cravings after one month than after one year. A long-term follow up of up to 9 years found aversion therapy was no more effective than a placebo. One study found covert sensitisation was more beneficial than aversion therapy. This suggests over aversion therapy lacks overall effectiveness.

98
Q

Explain the strength of aversion therapy:

A

One strength is that aversion therapy can be combined with CBT for greater effectiveness. Overall effectiveness can be achieved using a more holistic approach. Aversion therapy deals with the addictive behaviour directly and other issues can be addressed using CBT. Underlying factors that may have caused addiction can be targeted in CBT. Therapist can focus on coping strategies for when an individual thinks they may be close to a relapse. So aversion therapy gets rid of the immediate urge to return to the addictive behaviour and CBT provided longer lasting support which targets a persons thoughts and feelings.

Psychology (8 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions