Psychopathology Flashcards
Explain phobias and outline the cognitive, behavioural and emotional characteristics.
An irrational fear of an object or situation
Cognitive characteristics:
- Selective attention to phobic stimulus
- Irrational beliefs
Behavioural characteristics:
- Panic
- Avoidance
Emotional characteristics:
- anxiety and fear
- unreasonable response
Explain depression and outline the cognitive, behavioural and emotional characteristics.
A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
Cognitive characteristics
- poor concentration
- absolutist thinking
Behavioural characteristics
- activity levels
- disruption to sleep and appetite
Emotional characteristics
- lowered mood
- anger
Explain OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder) and outline the cognitive, behavioural and emotional characteristics.
A condition characterised by obsessions and/or compulsive behaviour
Cognitive characteristics
- obsessive thoughts
- Insight into excessive anxiety
Behavioural characteristics
- compulsions
- avoidance
Emotional characteristics
- anxiety and distress
- guilt and disgust
What are the definitions of abnormality?
- Statistical Infrequency
- Deviation from Social Norms
- Deviation from Ideal Mental Health
- Failure to Function Adequately
Statistical Infrequency
A mathematical method of defining abnormality. The definition looks at the frequency of a behaviour and if it occurs infrequently then it is considered abnormal.
In any human characteristic, the majority of people´s scores will cluster around the average, and the further we go above the average, the fewer people will attain the score (Normal distribution)
Deviation from Social Norms
It describes behaviours that do not fit within what society deems socially acceptable. People who are socially deviant and do not adhere to these norms are more difficult to interact with. However, the definition is dependent on the culture in which the behaviour occurs and social norms evolve over time.
Deviation from Ideal Mental Health
It focuses on the theoretical description of “normality” and if someone does not fit within this theoretical idea of normality then their behaviour is abnormal.
Mary Jahoda (1958) - 6 criteria for ideal mental health that we meet when we are in good mental health:
- positive attitude towards the self
- self-actualisaiton
- autonomy
- resistance to stress
- environmentally mastery
- accurate perception of reality
Failure to Function Adequately
Abnormality occurs when an individual is not able to cope with everyday life.
Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) - features of not functioning normally
- unpredictability
- maladaptive behaviours
- personal distress
- irrationality
- observer discomfort
Statistical Infrequency - Evaluation
- Practical application in the diagnosis of mental health problems.
- There is desirable behaviour which is infrequently.
- Mental health problems can occur frequently (depression).
Deviation from Social Norms - Evaluation
Some abnormal behaviour may be missed (the person fits into society but has a mental health problem) so that this definition cannot be used in isolation.
Social norms vary tremendously from one cultures to another.
It could lead to systematic human rights abuse (drapetomania or nymphomania) because they can be used to establish and maintain social control.
Failure to Function Adequately - Evaluation
- It recognises the patient´s perspective
- It is difficult to determine whether someone is failing to function adequately or whether they are simply deviating from social norms.
- Judgement about whether someone is failing to function are entirely subjective
Deviation from Ideal Mental Health - Evaluation
- It focuses on positive psychology and considers what is helpful and desirable for the individual, rather than what they are lacking.
- unrealistic high standards (the vast majority would be labelled as anormal)
- Ethnocentric (application to other cultures may be limited)
Behavioural approach (two-process model) to explaining phobias
Phobias are learned by classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning (Mowrer, 1960).
Watson & Rayner (1920) = Little Albert Study (CC)
Mowrer (OC) = whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus (negative reinforcement) we successfully escape the fear and anxiety that we could have suffered if we had remained there. This reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the behaviour is maintained.
Behavioural approach to explaining phobias - Evaluation
- Incomplete explanation (Evolutionary factors/biological preparedness; Seligman, 1971)
- Not all bad experience lead to the development of phobias.
- Not all avoidance behaviours associated with phobias seem to be the result of anxiety reduction but maybe the association with positive feelings (Buck, 2010)
- Real-Life application (behaviourist treatments)
Explain the systematic desensitisation as a behavioural therapy to treat phobias.
Systematic Desensitisation
- uses reverse counter-conditioning to unlearn maladaptive responses to a situation or object, by eliciting relaxation.
1 Step. anxiety hierarchy
2 Step. relaxation techniques (muscle relaxation, breathing techniques, visualisation strategies)
3 Step. gradually exposing the patient to a phobic situation, while relaxed.
Explain Flooding as a behavioural therapy to treat phobias.
Flooding (a more extreme behavioural therapy)
- A person is taught relaxation techniques and is then exposed to the most frightening situation immediately
- Individual are unable to avoid (negative reinforce) their phobias and through continuous exposure (direct or indirect), their anxiety levels decrease.
- There are two forms of Flooding
1. In Vivo (the client is actually exposed to the phobic stimulus)
2. In Vitro (the client imagines exposure to the phobic stimulus)
