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Psychopathology Flashcards

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1
Q

Psychopathology

A

Scientific study of psychological disorders

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2
Q

Social norms

A

Unwritten standards of acceptable behaviour that are set by the social group

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3
Q

Strength of Social norms

A
  • Does distinguish between desirable and undesirable abnormal behaviour
  • Takes into account the effect that the behaviour has on other people.
  • Behaviour is identified as abnormal if it breaks the rules put in place by society
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4
Q

Weakness of Social norms

A
  • It allows society to isolate groups of people that don’t fit into social norms- e.g autistic people
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5
Q

Cultural relativism

A

A behaviour is only expressed in a particular culture

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6
Q

Abnormality

A

Not able to cope with the demands of daily life

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7
Q

Failure to Function Adequately

A

Distress to the individual and/ or distress to the people around them

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8
Q

Strength of Failure to Function Adequately

A
  • Takes into account the personal experience of the patient, the patient can then get the correct help they need
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9
Q

Weakness of Failure to Function Adequately

A
  • The scale of the Global Assessment of Functioning is subjective.
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10
Q

Global Assessment of Functioning

A
  • Used to rate how serious a mental illness may be
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11
Q

Strength of Global Assessment of Functioning

A
  • It’s standardised, all doctors know what it means
  • It can measure Failure to Function Adequately if individual is in distress about going to school or work- abnormal
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12
Q

Weakness of Global Assessment of Functioning

A
  • Can be subjective- 2 different doctors can assign different results- unreliable
  • Results can fluctuate- unreliable
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13
Q

Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

A

Abnormal behaviour should be defined by the absence of particular ideal characteristics

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14
Q

Strength of Deviation from Ideal mental health

A

Focuses on desirable rather than undesirable behaviours therefore any therapy based on it would focus on positive behaviour change

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15
Q

Weakness of Deviation from Ideal mental health

A

If most people lack some of Jahoda’s criteria, they are not a good measure of abnormality.

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16
Q

Physical illness

A

Defined by the absence of these signs of physical health

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17
Q

Individualist cultures

A

Success of the individual

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18
Q

Collectivist cultures

A

Success of the group (traditional, family)

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19
Q

Mental health

A

How common a behaviour is

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20
Q

Statistical Infrequency

A

Idea that common or frequent behaviours are ‘normal’ and rare behaviours are ‘abnormal’

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21
Q

Strengths of Statistical Infrequency

A

Practical and useful way of identifying whether symptoms should be classified as abnormal

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22
Q

Weakness of Statistical Infrequency

A

Definition does not distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviours.

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23
Q

Jahoda’s criteria for Ideal Mental Health (6)

A
  1. Self attitudes = High self esteem + strong sense of identity
  2. Personal growth and self- actualisation = Extent to which an individual develops their full capabilities
  3. Integration = Being able to cope with stressful situations
  4. Autonomy = Being independent + self- regulating
  5. Having an accurate perception of reality
  6. Mastery of the environment = Ability to have relationships, function at work, adjust to new situations and solve problems
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24
Q

Positive Psychology

A

Focuses on how humans strive to become better

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25
Q

Self- actualisation

A

Striving to be the best person you can be

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26
Q

Integrated

A

Means you have the resourses to cope with stressful situations

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27
Q

Autonomy

A

Making your own, independent decisions

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28
Q

External validity (generalisability)

A

Whether we can generalise results outside of study, e.g other groups of people

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29
Q

Internal validity (demand characteristics, bias)

A

Design of your study

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30
Q

Measuring reliability

A

If we did the study again would we get the same results

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31
Q

Improving reliability

A

Re- write behaviour categories- make more specific
Re- train observers

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32
Q

Self- fulfilling prophecy

A

Most likely to act a specific way after a diagnosis

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33
Q

Two process model

A
  • Phobias are acquired via Classical Conditioning.

Before Conditioning:
- Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS)
- Unconditioned Response (UCR) = fear

During Conditioning:
- Neutral Stimulus (NS) + Unconditioned Stimulus (UCS) = fear (UCR)

After conditioning:
Controlled Stimulus (CS) = fear (Conditioned Response- CR)

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34
Q

Operant Conditioning

A

Learning occurs when we are rewarded for a behaviour

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35
Q

Phobias (6)

A

Maintained via operant conditioning
Being around the phobia makes us anxious and fearful
We run away/ avoid the phobia (e.g spiders)
Fear/ anxiety is removed
Avoidance behaviour has been rewarded and will be repeated
We never learn that the phobia will not hurt us

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36
Q

Strength of Operant Conditioning

A

Good application for therapy- extinguish the fear response through exposure and preventing avoidance behaviours

37
Q

Weakness of Operant Conditioning

A

Biological preparedness- we do not develop phobias of all stimuli we have negative experiences with. Some phobias have an evolutionary advantage and so a biological preparedness would have been inherited

38
Q

Extinction

A

Conditioned stimulus presented without the unconditioned stimulus

39
Q

Reinforcement

A

Encourages behaviour- different things for different people

40
Q

Positive reinforcement

A

Add a reinforcer- e.g give chocolate

41
Q

Negative reinforcement

A

Take something horrible away e.g not doing chores

42
Q

Punishment

A

When a behaviour results in unpleasant consequences we are less likely to repeat the behaviour

43
Q

Positive punishment

A

Adding something horrible- e.g detention

44
Q

Negative punishment

A

Taking away something nice- e.g turning wifi off

45
Q

Systematic Desensitisation

A

Gradual exposure- patient is taught relaxation techniques

46
Q

How does systematic desensitisation work? (5)

A
  1. Patient taught deep relaxation techniques
  2. Desensitisation hierarchy is developed
  3. Patient gradually works through each anxiety-evoking event whilst engaging in the relaxation response
  4. Once the patient has mastered remaining relaxed at one step in the hierarchy, they can move onto the next step
  5. Patient eventually masters the feared situation
47
Q

Strength of Systematic Desensitisation

A

More ethical than Flooding as they give the patient time to relax and start the treatment when the patient is ready

48
Q

Weakness of Systematic Desensitisation

A

Takes longer than Flooding as it takes a couple of sessions as it is a gradual exposure

49
Q

Flooding

A

Immediate exposure to the frightening stimulus. May take two to three hours, only 1 session needed

50
Q

How does flooding work?

A

Avoidance behaviours are prevented.
- Eventually the person learns that the conditioned stimulus does not lead to an unpleasant consequence
- The conditioned stimulus no longer produces a conditioned response.

51
Q

Strengths of flooding

A
  • Effectiveness- SD and Flooding have been found to be more successful in treating a range of anxiety disorders.
  • Quick and require less effort than some cognitive therapies.
  • Cost effective
52
Q

Weakness of SD and Flooding

A
  • Generalisability- Only effective for some phobias- phobias with an underlying evolutionary component may be harder to treat.
53
Q

Ellis’ ABC model

A

A- refers to the activating event
B- refers to the belief which may be rational or irrational
C- consequence (irrational beliefs) leads to unhealthy emotions- (e.g sadness and irrational behaviours)

54
Q

Mustabatory thinking

A

Thinking that certain ideas must be true for an individual to be happy

55
Q

Becks negative triad

A

Cognitive biases: Focusing on negatives rather than positives
Negative self- schemes- Use schemas to interpret the world, if we have a negative self- schema we interpret all information about ourselves in a negative way

56
Q

Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT)

A

D- Disputing irrational thoughts and beliefs
E- Effects of disputing and effective attitude to life
F- Feelings (emotions) that are produced.

57
Q

Logical disputing

A

Self- defeating beliefs do not follow logically from the information available- (E.G IF YOU HAVE RECEIVED GOOD GRADES ALL YEAR WHY WILL YOU FAIL YOUR EXAMS?)

58
Q

Empirical disputing

A

Self- defeating beliefs may not be consistent with reality, collect evidence- (E.G WHAT EVIDENCE IS THERE THAT YOUR PARENTS WILL KILL YOU IF YOU FAIL YOUR EXAMS)

59
Q

Pragmatic disputing

A

Emphasises the lack of usefulness of self- defeating beliefs, the thoughts are stopping you from achieving goals- (E.G WHAT GOOD IS IT DOING TO BE THINKING IN THIS WAY)

60
Q

How to challenge irrational beliefs?

A
  • Boost self- esteem
  • Test irrational beliefs
  • Put new rational beliefs into practice
  • Ask a friend out for coffee
61
Q

How to challenge behavioural activation?

A
  • Many depressed people stop going out/ become inactive
  • Patients are required to become more active
  • Engage in pleasurable activities
  • Deal with cognitive obstacles
62
Q

What is the aim of Beck’s cognitive therapy- which links to the negative triad?

A
  • Identify automatic negative thoughts about the world, self and future
  • Challenge these thoughts
  • Test the reality of negative beliefs- set yourself daily challenges
63
Q

Strength of Beck’s cognitive therapy

A

CBT= effective. Ellis claims a 90% success rate with an average of 27 sessions.
March found that CBT was just as effective as antidepressant.

64
Q

Weakness of Beck’s cognitive therapy

A

CBT requires cognitive effort and isn’t suitable for everyone.

65
Q

Outline 1 neural explanation of OCD in a “normal” brain (4)

A
  1. Orbitofrontal cortex generates worries
  2. Sends a worry signal to the Thalamus- which acts on the worry
  3. Then creates a worry circuit and sends the worry back to the orbitofrontal cortex if the worry can’t be acted upon
  4. Caudate nucleus filters/ buffers the irrelevant worries
66
Q

Outline 1 neural explanation of OCD in an “OCD” brain (3)

A
  1. Orbitofrontal cortex generates worries but is overactive and produces obsessions
  2. Sends a worry signal to Thalamus and acts on worries but is overactive and produces compulsions
  3. Caudate nucleus filters/ buffers irrelevant worries but is underactive and all worries are passed to Thalamus
67
Q

Weakness of OCD

A
  • Abnormal brain functioning may be cause of OCD or it could be an effect of developing OCD
  • OCD could be acquired psychologically and lead to abnormal brain functioning
  • Treating OCD with psychological therapies normalises brain activity
68
Q

Concordance rate studies

A

Compare identical twins to non- identical tiwns

69
Q

Monozygotic twins (MZ)

A

100% geneticallly identical
1 egg and 1 sperm fertilised egg split into 2

70
Q

Dizygotic twins (DZ)

A

50% the same genetically
2 eggs and 2 sperms

71
Q

What should the concordance rate be if something is entirely genetic

A

MZ twins have 100% concordance
DZ twins 50% concordance

72
Q

What should the concordance rate be if something is due to the environment

A

Concordance rates should be the same for MZ and DZ twins

73
Q

If there is a higher concordance rate in MZ twins what does that mean?

A

Means something is genetic. Suggests a genetic component as the concordance rate for MZ twins is higher than for DZ twins.
BUT
Not entirely genetic, environment must play a part as there is not 100% concordance for MZ twins and 50% for DZ twins

74
Q

Genetic explanations

A
  • OCD tends to run in families
  • Close relatives of OCD sufferers are 9 times more likely to be diagnosed with OCD but not necessarily going to inherit same OCD
  • Variation of COMT gene (low activity), inherited from both parents is associated with OCD. High levels of DOPAMINE. Overactive in basal ganglia
75
Q

What does Dopamine do to you?

A

Makes you feel good

76
Q

What does Serotonin do to you?

A

Calms us down- turns neurones off

77
Q

Strength of SSRIs

(Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors)

Serotonin- a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout your body.

A

Increase availability of serotonin and are effective in treating OCD

78
Q

Strength of Drug Treatment

A

Effectiveness:
Soomno reviewed 17 studies that compared SSRIs to placebos in the treatment of OCD. Better outcomes for SSRIs. SSRIs reduce symptoms severity and improve quality of life.

79
Q

Weakness of Drug Treatment

A

Serious side- effects.
1 in 100 people become aggressive and experience heart- related problems. People have a reduced quality of life so they may stop taking drugs so the drugs cease to be effective

80
Q

***

How do SSRIs work? (5)

A
  • Serotonin is released by neurones in the brain.
  • It is released by presynaptic neurones and travels across synapse.
  • Neurotransmitter chemically conveys the signal from the presynaptic neurone to the postsynaptic neurone
  • It is reabsorbed by the presynaptic neurone where it is broken down and reused.
  • By preventing the reabsorption and breakdown, SSRIs effectively increase levels of serotonin in the synapse and stimulate the postsynaptic neurone.
81
Q

Behavioural characteristics of OCD

A
  1. Compulsions are repetitive
  2. Compulsions reduce anxiety
  3. Avoidance
82
Q

Cognitive characteristics of OCD

A
  1. Obsessive thoughts
  2. Cognitive coping strategies
  3. Insight into excessive anxiety
83
Q

Emotional characteristics of OCD

A
  1. Anxiety and distress
  2. Accompanying depression
  3. Guilt and disgust
84
Q

Behavioural characteristics of Phobias

A
  1. Panic
  2. Avoidance
  3. Endurance
85
Q

Cognitive characteristics of Phobias

A
  1. Selective attention to the phobic stimulus
  2. Irrational beliefs
  3. Cognitive distortions
86
Q

Emotional characteristics of Phobias

A
  1. Anxiety
  2. Fear
  3. Emotional response is unreasonable
87
Q

Behavioural characteristics of Depression

A
  1. Activity levels
  2. Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
  3. Aggression
88
Q

Cognitive characteristics of Depression

A
  1. Poor concentration
  2. Attending to and dwelling on the negatives
  3. Absolutist thinking
89
Q

Emotional characteristics of Depression

A
  1. Lowered mood
  2. Anger
  3. Lowered self- esteem

Psychology (15 decks)

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