Psychopathology Flashcards
define statistical infrequency and give an example of how a behaviour is classed as ‘abnormal’
definition: behaviour that is rarely seen is considered abnormal- known as statistical infrequency
for example, talking to the dead.
provide a strength and a weakness for the statistical infrequency definition of abnormality.
strength: objectivity- nature of this method is highly factual and does not include the influence of one’s opinion (bias)
weakness: does not account for cultural differences- some behaviours, e.g. talking to the dead, are considered normal in African Cultures, but it ‘abnormal’ in the UK
define failure to function adequately and name the 2 psychologists that proposed this.
definition: when an individual no longer conforms to interpersonal rules and behave in an irrational or dangerous way.
psychologists: Rosenhan and Seligman
provide a strength and a weakness of the failure to function definition
strength: behaviour is observable- the inability to conform to everyday life, e.g. maintaining a job, can be observed by others and aid in the introduction of necessary intervention
weakness: how do you define everyday life? therefore, judgement is subjective and may not accurately reflect the position of the individual
define deviation from ideal mental health and name the psychologist
definition: a criteria of 6 the identifies what makes an individual ‘normal’- then highlights that anyone who doesn’t comply with the criteria is considered abnormal
psychologist: Marie Jahoda (1958)
a strength and weakness of deviation from ideal mental health
strength: positive outlook on mental health- focuses on what is good/beneficial for the individual instead of the other way round
weakness: unrealistic/feasibility- if we were to go by Jahoda’s criteria, majority will be classed as abnormal- makes the ‘ideal’ mental health impossible to achieve
state the behavioural, emotional and cognitive features of a phobia
Behavioural- panic, e.g. crying
avoidance, e.g. avoiding situations where phobic
stimuli is present
Emotional- Anxiety
Irrational responses to stimulus
Cognitive- Irrational beliefs
Selective attention, e.g. difficulty in focusing on
anything else when in the presence of stimulus
state behavioural, emotional and cognitive features to depression
Behavioural- Low activity levels
Disruption to sleep and eating behaviours
Emotional- Lowered mood
Anger
Cognitive- Poor concentration
Absolutist thinkingstate behavioural, emotional and cognitive features to OCD
Behavioural- Compulsions, e.g. repetitive hand-washing
Avoidance
Emotional- Anxiety/ Distress
Guilt/ Disgust
Cognitive- Obsessive thoughts
Excessive anxietybriefly explain the two process model to explaining phobias
Classical conditioning- UCS- triggers fear response (UCR)
NS- associated with the UCS
NS now becomes a CS- produces fear,
which is now the CR
Operant conditioning- negative reinforcement- producing a behaviour that avoids an unpleasent response. E.g. phobia of spiders- avoiding old/ dirty places
what case study can be used to support this model?
Watson and Raynor- Little Albert study
provide a strength and a weakness for the two-process model
strength: practical application- due to good explanatory power, research has led to development of treatments such as flooding and systematic desensitisation
weakness: overlooks influence of Biological Preparedness- an innate fear of stimuli we perceive as dangerous, e.g. snakes. an issue to this explanation as it suggests that there is more to phobias than conditioning
briefly describe the processes involved in systematic desensitisation.
aim-based on classical conditioning- patient is counter conditioned- taught a new association to stimulus
formation of an anxiety hierarchy- a list of fearful stimuli from least to worst
relaxation techniques practised at every level
evaluate systematic desensitisation (SD)
strength- suitable for a diverse range of patients- for example, patients with learning difficulties may find it hard to understand and engage in cognitive therapies, hence SD may be most suitable as it is simple and doesn’t require skills such as self-reflection
strength- effective- Gilroy et al- followed up 42 patients who underwent SD for arachnophobia in three 45-min sessions and were compared to a control group
at 3 and 33 months- SD group were less fearful than control group- suggests that SD is effective
explain the process of flooding
immediate exposure to phobic stimulus- this essentially means that the patient does not experience a gradual build up and is immediately exposed to the phobic stimulus
Learning through extinction- avoidance is not an option in this case, so the patient quickly learns that phobic stimulus is harmless through the exhaustion of their fear response
