Psychopathology Flashcards

Question

What does RTW stand for?

Answer 1

Right to withdraw

Answer 2

An irrational fear of an object, situation or event

Answer 3

We acquire the phobia through classical conditioning (association- like Little Albert) and we maintain it through operant conditioning (avoidance is rewarding and so reinforcing)

Answer 4

It’s scientifically testable and so falsifiable - focuses only on behaviour which can be measured It has face validity/everyday realism - it makes sense It has supporting evidence Behavioural therapies have good success rates

Answer 5

It’s reductionist - focuses only on learning (evidence suggestions that we might be genetically programmed to fear dangerous animals, see Bennet-Levy and Marteau) It’s unethical to test it - see problems with Little Albert It ignores the most important aspect of a phobia - thoughts!

Answer 6

A behavioural therapy Systematic - grades hierarchy of anxiety producing events designed by client and therapist Desensitisation- deep muscle relaxation at the same time as working your way up the hierarchy

Answer 7

It’s graded and so easier than alternatives It’s effective The client is involved in designing the hierarchy It can be in real life or in imagination (some fears, eg death, can’t be faced in real life)

Answer 8

It’s reductionist It isn’t free It requires an articulate and motivated client It can reinforce the phobia is treatment is not completed

Answer 9

The idea that you can’t be relaxed and scared at the same time. The basis of SD and why relaxation is paired.

Answer 10

To replace fear responses (to phobic object) with relaxation. To alter the stimulus- response link

Answer 11

She’s generalised her learnt response (fear) which is a feature of classical conditioning. Evidence for this is Little Albert

Answer 12

A behavioural therapy for phobias. The person is exposed to the highest anxiety producing event immediately and is unable to avoid (negatively reinforce) it.

Answer 13

The idea that high levels of anxiety can only be maintained for a set time period, after which they will decline. This decline will reset (not re-program) the S-R link

Answer 14

``` in vivo (actual exposure), or in vitro (imaginary exposure) ```

Answer 15

CAN be both

Answer 16

One strength of flooding is it provides a cost effective treatment for phobias. Research has suggested that flooding is comparable to other treatments, including systematic desensitisation and cognition therapies (Ougrin, 2011), however it is significantly quickly. This is a strength because patients are treated quicker and it is more cost effective for health service providers.

Answer 17

is highly traumatic for patients and causes a high level of anxiety. Although patients provide informed consent, many do not complete their treatment because the experience is too stressful and therefore flooding is sometimes a waste of time and money, if patients do not finish their therapy. Finally, although flooding is highly effective for simple (specific) phobias, the treatment is less effective for other types of phobia, including social phobia and agoraphobia

Answer 18

Yes! The client is taught relaxation techniques and these techniques are then applied to the most feared situation either through direct exposure, or imagined exposure.

Answer 19

CBT or RE(B)T

Answer 20

Faulty processing. | Think (held in schemas and acquired via environment) - feel - behave

Answer 21

The ABC Model?

Answer 22

Activating event Beliefs Consequences

Answer 23

Ellis proposed the A-B-C three stage model, to explain how irrational thoughts could lead to depression. The A stands for an activating event (e.g. you pass a friend in the corridor at school, and he/she ignores you, despite the fact you said ‘hello’). The B stands for beliefs, which can be either rational or irrational (e.g. an irrational interpretation of the event might be that you think your friend dislikes you and never wants to talk to you again). The C stands for consequences, and according to Ellis, irrational beliefs lead to unhealthy emotional outcomes, including depression (e.g. I will ignore my friend and delete their mobile number, as they clearly don’t want to talk to me).

Answer 24

Research by March et al. (2007) found that CBT was as effective as antidepressants, in treating depression. The researchers examined 327 adolescents with a diagnosis of depression and looked at the effectiveness of CBT, antidepressants and a combination of CBT plus antidepressants. After 36 weeks, 81% of the antidepressant group and 81% of the CBT group had significantly improved, demonstrating the effectiveness of CBT in treating depression. However, 86% of the CBT plus antidepressant group had significantly improved, suggesting that a combination of both treatments may be more effective.

Answer 25

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy Initial assessment Goal setting Identifying negative/irrational thoughts and challenging these: Either using Beck’s Cognitive Therapy or Ellis’s REBT Homework

Answer 26

Cognitive- identifies, challenges and re-programmes thoughts | Behavioural- reinforces new behaviour patterns

Answer 27

An explanation for depression. The cognitive triad are three forms of negative (i.e. helpless and critical) thinking that are typical of individuals with depression: namely negative thoughts about the self, the world and the future. These thoughts tended to be automatic in depressed people as they occurred spontaneously.

Answer 28

As these three components interact, they interfere with normal cognitive processing, leading to impairments in perception, memory and problem solving with the person becoming obsessed with negative thoughts.

Answer 29

Arbitrary Inference. Drawing a negative conclusion in the absence of supporting data. Selective Abstraction. Focusing on the worst aspects of any situation. Magnification and Minimisation. If they have a problem they make it appear bigger than it is. If they have a solution they make it smaller. Personalization. Negative events are interpreted as their fault. Dichotomous Thinking. Everything is seen as black and white. There is no in between.

Answer 30

Believing you must be good at everything, otherwise you’re a failure

Answer 31

He did a longitudinal study charting the thinking styles of young Americans in their early 20s for 6 years. Their thinking style was tested and they were placed in either the ‘positive thinking group’ or ‘negative thinking group’. After 6 years the researchers found that only 1% of the positive group developed depression compared to 17% of the ‘negative’ group. These results indicate there may be a link between cognitive style and development of depression.

Answer 32

Often rely on correlational analyses P may withdraw during the study - known as access issues Demand characteristics may occur - likely to eventually guess the aims Those who stay to the end are generally the most interested - leads to biased sample Exorbitantly expensive and time consuming

Answer 33

Seligman. To see is depression was caused by learned helplessness- an alternative (behaviourist) explanation. Those who had previously been unable to escape, stopped trying

Answer 34

Yes, but with care. They believe (correctly) that due to different brain structures (hardware) animals may process information differently to humans

Answer 35

S - looks at the processes between stimulus and response S - considers nature and nurture S - scientific and evidence based S - therapies work W - deterministic - cognitive determinism W - there appears to be a genetic link W - woman are more likely to experience (or report) depression and this approach does not explain why W - isn’t abnormality a “sane reaction to an insane world”? (RD Laing)

Answer 36

The COMT gene is associated with the production of , which regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine. One variation of the COMT gene results in higher levels of dopamine and this variation is more common in patients with OCD, in comparison to people without OCD.

Answer 37

The SERT gene is linked to the neurotransmitter serotonin and affects the transport of the serotonin (hence SERotonin Transporter), causing lower levels of serotonin which is also associated with OCD (and depression)

Answer 38

Serotonin and dopamine

Answer 39

Basal ganglia and orbitofrontal cortex

Answer 40

The basal ganglia is a brain structure involved in multiple processes, including the coordination of movement. Patients who suffer head injuries in this region often develop OCD-like symptoms, following their recovery. Furthermore, Max et al. (1994) found that when the basal ganglia is disconnected from the frontal cortex during surgery, OCD-like symptoms are reduced, providing further support for the role of the basal ganglia in OCD.

Answer 41

Another brain region associated with OCD is the orbitofrontal cortex, a region which converts sensory information into thoughts and actions. PET scans have found higher activity in the orbitofrontal cortex in patients with. One suggestion is that the heightened activity in the orbitofrontal cortex increases the conversion of sensory information to actions (behaviours) which results in compulsions. The increased activity also prevents patients from stopping their behaviours.

Answer 42

Lewis (1936) examined patients with OCD and found that 37% of the patients with OCD had parents with the disorder and 21% had siblings who suffered. Research from family studies, like Lewis, provide support for a genetic explanation to OCD, although it does not rule out other (environmental) factors playing a role.

Answer 43

Nestadt et al. (2010) conducted a review of previous twin studies examining OCD. They found that 68% of identical twins and 31% of non-identical twins experience OCD, which suggests a very strong genetic component.

Answer 44

Nope. This means it isn’t wholly genetic!

Answer 45

What are SSRIs?

Answer 46

Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor

Answer 47

The process which the pre-synaptic neuron recycles and reuses neurotransmitters

Answer 48

Chemical messengers which cross the synaptic cleftv

Answer 49

MAOI | Monoamine oxidase inhibitors. Stop monoamine digesting serotonin in the synaptic cleft

Answer 50

Increase mood and reduce anxiety which accompanies obsessions and therefore reduces compulsions

Answer 51

The go-slow, relaxation neurotransmitter

Answer 52

Benzodiazepines- eg diazepam

Answer 53

gamma-aminobutyric acid

Answer 54

Use any. This one is good though! Soomro et al. (2008) conducted a review of the research examining the effectiveness of SSRIs and found that SSRIs were more effective than placebos in the treatment of OCD, in 17 different trials. This supports the use of biological treatments, especially SSRIs, for OCD. NOTE - success is lower when active placebos are used!