PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Question 1

What are the definitions of abnormality?

Answer 1

1. Deviation from social norms.
2. Failure to function adequately.
3. Statistical infrequency.
4. Deviation from ideal mental health.

Question 2

Explain statistical infrequency?

Answer 2

It is what is normal and abnormal according to the number of times we see it, it is a useful approach when dealing weith characteristics that can be measured eg intelligence.

Question 3

What is an example of statistical infrequency in real life application?

Answer 3

Diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder, a useful part of clinical assesment.

Question 4

Explain deviation from social norms?

Answer 4

Breaking commonly accepted standards of behaviour, ed queuing in shops They may vary over time so definition is depended on the era and the culture.

Question 5

What is an example of deviation from social norms in real life application?

Answer 5

Political dimension, used as a means of political control (saying someone is schizophrenic and then having them locked up.

Question 6

Explain failure to function adequately?

Answer 6

Inability to cope with the demands of everday life eg not able to maintain a basic standard of hygeine or being unable to hold down a job or relationship.

Question 7

What are indicators of failure to function adequately?

Answer 7

1. Irrational behaviour, doesnt make sense to others.
2. Unpredictable behaviour, doesnt fit the situation.
3. Dysfunctional behaviour, preventing a person reaching goals.
4. Personal distress, upsetting the individual.

Question 8

Explain deviation from ideal metal health?

Answer 8

Marie Johoda listed various factors necessary for optimal living,

Question 9

What are the factors of ideal mental health?

Answer 9

1. Positive view of self.
2. Personal growth and development.
3. Autonomy.
4. Accurate view of reality.
5. Positive relationships.
6. Enviromental mastery.

Question 10

What are the behavioural characteristics of a phobia?

Answer 10

Panic - crying, screaming, freezing.
Avoidance - great deal to effort to avoid stimulus.
Endurance - avoidance alternative.

Question 11

What are the emotional characteristics of a phobia?

Answer 11

Anxiety that is disproportionate to danger posed by object.

Question 12

What are the cognitive characteristics of a phobia?

Answer 12

Selective attention to the phobic stimulus - hard for the sufferer to look away.
Irrational beliefs - increases pressure on sufferer to preform well.
Cognitive distortions - perceptions of stimulus may be torted

Question 13

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 13

Activity levels - reduced, lethargy
Disruption in sleep and eating behaviour - insomnia, increased need for sleep.
Aggression and self harm - self harm or suicide attempts.

Question 14

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 14

Lowered mood - worthless, empty.
Anger - directed at themselves or others.
Lowered self esteem - self loathing

Question 15

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 15

Poor concentration - interfere with a persons work.
Attending to and dwelling on the negative - bias to recall unhappy events.
Absolutist thinking - situations are black and white all good or all bad.

Question 16

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Answer 16

Compulsions - repetitive, reduce anxiety (manage anxiety).

Avoidance - attempt to reduce anxiety, avoid things that trigger it.

Question 17

What are some emotional characteristics of OCD?

Question 18

What are some emotional characteristics of OCD?

Question 18

What are some emotional characteristics of OCD?

Question 19

What are some emotional characteristics of OCD?

Question 20

What are some emotional characteristics of OCD?

Question 21

What are some emotional characteristics of OCD?

Question 22

What are some emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 22

Anxiety and distress - obsessions (thoughts are unpleasant), compulsions (create anxiety.
Accompanying depression - anxiety accompanied with low mood and lack of enjoyment.
Guilt and disgust - other negative emotions eg irrational guilt

Question 23

What are some cognitive characteristics of OCD?

Answer 23

Obsessive thoughts - major cognitive characteristic, always unpleasant.
Cognitive strategies to deal with obsessions - develop ways of dealing with obsessions aids dealing with anxiety.
Insight into excessive anxiety - experience catastrophic thoughts resulting in anxiety being justified.

Question 24

What is classical conditioning?

Answer 24

Learning by association, 2 stimuli repeatedly paired (unconditioned stimulus and new neutral stimulus, neutral stimulus produces same response as unlearned stimulus alone.

Question 25

What is operant conditioning?

Answer 25

Learning through reinforcement, shaped through consequences, positive reinforcement (reward), negative reinforcement (avoiding something unpleasant), punishment

Question 26

Explain the two process model?

Answer 26

Phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and are maintained by operant conditioning.

Question 27

What is the study of Watson and Rayner?

Answer 27

Classically conditioned little albert to fear rats

Question 27

What is the study of Watson and Rayner?

Answer 27

Classically conditioned little albert to fear rats by pairing the presentation of a white rat with a loud noise, child then feared rats. conditioning generalized to similar objects eg rabbits, fur coats and santas beard.

Question 28

What is a criticism of Watson and Rayner?

Answer 28

The child was scared of things that were similar to white rats, the child also suffered psychological harm.

Question 29

What is systematic desensitization?

Answer 29

phobic stimulus is paired with relaxation instead of anxiety (counter balancing), impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time (reciprocal inhibition), it has three stages anxiety hierarchy, relaxation and exposure.

Question 30

Explain the anxiety hierarchy?

Answer 30

`A list of situations arranged in order from least to most frightening to the client.

Question 31

Explain relaxation? in relation to systematic desensitization

Answer 31

client taught to relax, (breathing exercises)(mental imagery techniques)(medicine).

Question 32

Explain exposure? in relation to systematic desensitization

Answer 32

client is exposed to phobic stimulus starting at the bottom of anxiety hierarchy when client is relaxed at that level they move up a level, successful when client is relaxed at top of the hierarchy.

Question 33

Explain flooding?

Answer 33

immediate exposure to phobic stimulus and without the option of avoidance the client quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless. (extinction).

Question 34

What are the ethical safeguards of flooding?

Answer 34

You need fully informed consent and fully prepared before the session.

Question 35

What is becks negative triad?

Answer 35

it is how a person can develop a dysfunctional view of themselves due to 3 types of negative thinking occurring automatically:

1. negative view of the world - no hope anywhere, cold dark place.
2. negative view of the future - no chance of economy getting any better.
3. negative view of self - i am a failure, low self esteem.

Question 36

What is Ellis’s ABC model?

Answer 36

shows how irrational thoughts affect our behaviour and emotional state:
A. activating event - focus on irrational thoughts triggered by events.
B. beliefs - irrational beliefs, major disaster when something doesn’t go smoothly.
C. consequences - activating event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences.

Question 37

Explain what cognitive behaviour therapy is?

Answer 37

begins with patients and therapist working together to clarify problems, then challenge the irrational or negative thoughts, tests the reality of their negative beliefs. Vigorous argument is a hallmark of REBT.