Psychopathology Flashcards
Definitions of abnormality
Statistical infrequency, deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately, deviation from ideal mental health.
Statistical infrequency
When an individual has a less common characteristic. Normal distribution.
IQ test could be used to represent statistical infrequency.
Deviation from social norms
Different from accepted standards. For example, antisocial personality disorder
Eval on statistical infrequency
Real world application - used in diagnostic approaches.
Unusual characteristics can be positive - being unusual doesn’t necessarily make someone abnormal.
Eval on deviation from social norms
Real world application - antisocial personality disorder.
Cultural and situational relativism - variability between norms in one culture compared to another.
Failure to function adequately
When a person is unable to cope with the ordinary demands of every day life
When a person experiences severe personal distress or becomes dangerous towards themselves or others
Deviation from ideal mental health
When someone does not meet a set criteria for good mental health.
In 1958, Jahoda suggested that in order to have good mental health we need to be rational, have good self esteem and be able to self actualize.
Eval for failure to function adequately
Represents a threshold for help - treatment can be targeted for those who need it most.
Discrimination and social control - easy to label non standard living choices as abnormal.
Eval for deviation from ideal mental health
A comprehensive definition - provides a checklist in which we can check ourselves to see when necessary to find help.
May be culture bound - self actualization could be seen as self indulgent in many cultures.
DSM-5 categories of phobia
Specific phobia - phobia of an object.
Social Anxiety - phobia of a social situation.
Agoraphobia - phobia of being outside or in a public space.
Behavioural characteristics of phobias
Panic - in response to phobic stimulus
Avoidance - prevent coming into contact with the phobic stimulus.
Endurance - person decides to remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus.
Emotional characteristics of phobias
Anxiety - an unpleasant state of high arousal .
Fear - immediate and extremely unpleasant response.
Emotional response is unreasonable -
Cognitive characteristics of phobias
Selective attention to phobic stimulus - hard to look away from the stimulus.
Irrational beliefs - unfounded thoughts in relation to phobic stimuli.
Cognitive distortions - perceptions may be inaccurate and unrealistic.
Depression
low mood and low energy levels
Behavioral characteristics of depression
Activity levels - reduced levels of energy, likely to withdraw from from work or education.
Disruption to eating or sleeping - insomnia/hypersomnia or increased/decreased appetite.
Aggression or self harm - often irritable leading to verbal or physical aggression.
Emotional characteristics of depression
Lowered mood - lethargic or empty.
Anger - directed at self or others.
Lowered self-esteem - reduced due to the depression.
Cognitive characteristics of depression
Poor concentration - unable to stick to a task.
Dwelling on the negative - recalling unhappy events.
Absolutist thinking - all good or all bad thinking style.
OCD
Obsessions and/or compulsive behavior.
Behavioral characteristics of OCD
Compulsions are repetitive - hand-washing or counting.
Compulsions reduce anxiety - sense of irrational anxiety.
Avoidance - attempt to reduce anxiety by avoiding situations.
Emotional characteristics of OCD
Anxiety and distress - emotional experience due to the stress.
Accompanying depression - anxiety is accompanied by low mood.
Guilt and disgust - over the minor moral issues or external factors such as actual dirt.
Cognitive characteristics of OCD
Obsessive thoughts - always unpleasant.
Cognitive coping strategies - meditation or praying ?
Insight to excessive anxiety - aware that obsessive thoughts are not rational however experience catastrophic thoughts such as the worst case scenario.
The two-process model
Proposed by Mowrer based on behavioral approach to phobias. It states that phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and are then continued due to operant conditioning.
Acquisition by classical conditioning
Watson and Rayner created in 9 month old ‘Little Albert’. He showed no anxiety at beginning. Then, whenever Albert was presented with a rat a large, frightening noise was made in his ear. Albert then began displaying a phobia of the rat.
Maintenance by operant conditioning
Responses acquired by classical conditioning tended to decrease over time. However phobias are usually long lasting. Mowrer suggested that whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully escape the fear. This reinforces the avoidant behavior so the phobia is maintained.
