psychopathology Flashcards
what is psychopathology
the study of psychological disorder
what is statistical infrequency
A behaviour that does not occur very often and is uncommon in the population so statistically infrequent behaviours are seen as abnormal
strength of statistical infrequency as way of defining abnormality
practical application by defining abnormality SI can help identify mental disorders or intellectual disabilities e.g. an IQ less than 70 would be deemed abnormal as it is not where the rest of society is
limitations of statistical infrequency as a way of defining abnormality
abnormal characteristics can be good e.g. high intelligence
not everyone benefits from diagnosis may lead to them being an ‘outcast’
what is meant by deviation from social norms as a way of defining abnormality
deviation from social norms is transgressing unwritten socially defined and agreed expectations of normal functioning behaviour
what is a norm
a norm is a unwritten, socially defined and agreed expectation of normal functioning behaviour
What disorder is deviation from social norms useful in diagnosing?
anti social personality disorder
anti social personality disorder can be characterised by what 4 things
impulsive
aggressive
irresponsible
lack of empathy
according to the DSM-5 what is an important symptom of ASPD
they lack the internal, prosocial standards associated with our laws and customs that create normal & ethical behaviours (don’t meet our moral standards so abnormal)
what is the strength of deviation from social norms as a way of defining abnormality
practical application - helps diagnosis of ASPD
name two criticisms of deviation from social norms as a way of defining abnormality
cultural relativism - the norm regarding beliefs + behaviours may differ in varying cultures
human rights abuses - society may oppress/segregate a group with a certain abnormality in order for them to ‘fit’ into society
a norm varies based on time and place making it a ?
social construct
how is failure to function adequately defined
defined as someone who is unable to cope with the demand of day to day life
what was rosenhan & selingmans criteria by which failure to function adequately could be assessed
someone who lacks hygiene
unable to keep down a job
unable to maintain social relationships + nutrition
failure to follow interpersonal rules (eye contact)
name a strength of failure to function adequately as a way of defining abnormality
person centred - depends on the individual
name two limitations of failure to function adequately as a way of defining abnormality
subjective - may be disagreement on whether certain behaviours are abnormal
limiting freedom
what does deviation from ideal mental health believe as an approach to defining abnormality
believes that to know what makes us abnormal we must first have a real understanding of what makes us normal (psychologically healthy)
what was jahodas criteria used to assess ideal mental health
no symptoms/ distress rational/ accurate self & world perception self actualising / good self esteem ability to cope with stress independent successfully work, love & enjoy leisure
what would deviation from jahodas criteria suggest
less than ideal mental health and thus abnormality
name a strength of deviation from ideal mental health as a way of defining abnormality
comprehensive - covers a wide range of factors
name two limitations of deviation from ideal mental health as a way of defining abnormality
cultural relativism - biased towards cultures that aren’t western
unrealistic - not many people will meet every criteria
what is a phobia and give examples
an irrational fear of an object or a situation e.g. claustrophobia, arachnophobia, triphobia
what are the three types of phobias recognised by the DSM-5
specific phobias - objects or situations e.g arachnophobia
social anxiety/phobia - social/public situations
agoraphobia - being outside/ in public places
what are the cognitive characteristics of phobias
selective attention - only focusing on the object and nothing else
irrational beliefs - convincing yourself that this thing will cause you harm
cognitive distortions - object may appear bigger