Psychopathology

Question 1

Psychopathology

Answer 1

The scientific study of psychological disorders

Question 2

Abnormality

Answer 2

How health professional decide whether someone is ‘normal’ or mentally ill however there is no single definition

Question 3

Statistical Infrequency

Answer 3

A person’s trait thinking or behaviour would be considered an indication of abnormality if it was found to be numerically rare/uncommon

Question 4

Numerically Rare

Answer 4

Any individual who falls outside the normal distribution is regarded as numerically rare and are considered to be abnormal

Question 5

Failure to Function Adequately

Answer 5

People with psychological disorders often experience considerable suffering and general inability to cope with their everyday activities.

Question 6

What were David’s proposed signs that could be used to determine when someone is not coping?

Answer 6

1. When a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules e.g eye contact
2. When a person experiences severe personal distress.
3. When a person’s behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others

Question 7

Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Answer 7

Comes from a humanistic approach. It is a very different way to look at normality and and abnormality is to ignore the issue of what makes someone abnormal but instead think about what makes anyone normal.

Question 8

What did Marie suggest are the signs which show we are in good mental health?

Answer 8

1. No symptoms of distress
2. We are rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
3. We self actualise
4. We can cope with stress
5. We have a realistic view of the world

Question 9

Two process model

Answer 9

Mowrer proposed this model to explain phobias. It argues that phobias are acquired by classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning.

Question 10

Classical conditioning to acquire a phobia

Answer 10

A phobia is acquired through the association of something that we initially have no fear of with something that already triggers a fear response.

Question 11

Operant conditioning to maintain a phobia

Answer 11

Mowrer suggested that whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus, we successfully escape the fear that we would have suffered if we remained there. This reduction in fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour and so the phobia is maintained

Question 12

What 2 ways can you use to treat phobias?

Answer 12

Flooding and Systematic desensitisation

Question 13

Flooding

Answer 13

Form of behavioural therapy used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorders. A client is immediately exposed to an extreme situation until the anxiety reaction is extinguished.

Question 14

Systematic Desensitisation

Answer 14

A behavioural therapy designed to reduce a response to a stimulus. It works off learning to relax in the presence of the stimulus.

Question 15

3 Processes of systematic desensitisation

Answer 15

1. anxiety hierarchy
2. Relaxation
3. Exposure

Question 16

What are the 2 cognitive explanations for depression?

Answer 16

Ellis’s ABC model and Becks negative Triad

Question 17

Ellis’s ABC Model

Answer 17

Albert Ellis proposed that good mental health is the result of rational thinking.

A= activation event. This says that irrational thoughts are triggered by external events.
B=beliefs. These beliefs include ‘Musturbation’ which is the belief that we must always succeed and perfect, ‘I-cant-stand-it-itis’ which is the belief that it is a major disaster when things go wrong and ‘utopianism’ which is the belief that life is always meant to be fair.
C=consequences. When an activation event triggers irrational beliefs there are emotional and behavioural consequences.

Question 18

Beck’s Negative Triad

Answer 18

Suggests a cognitive approach to explaining why some are more vulnerable to depression than others. There are 3 parts to this cognitive vulnerability.

Question 19

3 parts to Beck’s negative triad

Answer 19

Faulty information processing

Negative self schemas

Negative triad

Question 20

Faulty information processing

Answer 20

Focus on negative aspects of a situation and ignore the positives. We also tend to blow small problems out of proportion.

Question 21

Negative self schemas

Answer 21

If we have negative self schemas we interpret information about ourselves in a negative way.

Question 22

Negative triad

Answer 22

Having a negative view of the world, the self and of the future.

Question 23

OCD

Answer 23

Obsessive compulsive disorder

Question 24

Describe OCD

Answer 24

Its classed as an anxiety disorder and characterised by obsessive thinking and repetitive behaviour

Question 25

What are the 2 parts of OCD?

Answer 25

Obsession and compulsion

Question 26

Obsession

Answer 26

Internal components because they are intrusive thoughts

Question 27

Compulsion

Answer 27

External components because they are repetitive behaviours

Question 28

What are the 2 biological explanations for OCD?

Answer 28

Neural explanations and genetic explanations

Question 29

What are the 2 Neural explanations for OCD

Answer 29

Abnormal levels of dopamine and serotonin Abnormal brain circuits

Question 30

Describe Abnormal Levels of Dopamine and Serotonin Explanation

Answer 30

It suggest that there are abnormal levels of neurotransmitters. Dopamine levels are thought to be abnormally high in people in OCD. Lower levels of serotonin activity in the brain are also associated with OCD.

Question 31

Describe abnormal brain circuits

Answer 31

OCD is associated with high levels of activity in the orbital frontal cortex, an area which converts sensory information into thoughts. The orbital frontal cortex sends signals to the thalamus about things that are worrying. This leads to an impulse to act and then stop the activity when the impulse lessens. The caudate nucleus normally suppresses signals from the orbital frontal cortex and it may be that those with OCD have a difficulty switching off or ignoring impulses because the caudate nucleus is damaged.

Question 32

What is the genetic explanation of OCD?

Answer 32

The COMT and SERT genes

Question 33

COMT gene

Answer 33

May contribute to OCD. It regulates the production of dopamine. It leads to low levels of COMT and high levels of dopamine

Question 34

SERT gene

Answer 34

Affects the transport of serotonin, creating lower levels of the neurotransmitter serotonin.

Question 35

Behavioural Characteristics of Depression

Answer 35

Activity Levels- Reduced levels of energy making them lethargic. Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour Aggression and self harm

Question 36

Cognitive characteristic of depression

Answer 36

Poor concentration Attention to and dwelling on the negative Absolutist thinking- Black and white thinking and thinking when things go wrong that its an absolute disaster.

Question 37

Emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 37

Lowered mood Anger Lowered self esteem

Question 38

Behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 38

Panic Avoidance Endurance- The opposite of avoidance. Sufferers remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus but continues to experience high levels of anxiety.

Question 39

Cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 39

Anxiety Emotional responses are unreasonable E.g. The emotional response is strong compared to the relation to a tiny and harmless spider.

Question 40

Emotional Characteristics of phobias

Answer 40

Selective attention to the phobic stimulus Irrational belief Cognitive distortions E.g. ophidiophobics may see snakes as alien and aggressive looking.

Question 41

Behavioural characteristics of OCD

Answer 41

Compulsions- 1= Compulsions are repetitive - Compelled to repeat a behaviour e.g. hand washing 2= Compulsions reduce anxiety - Around 10% of sufferers of OCD show compulsive behavioural alone. For the vast majority compulsive behaviours are performed in an attempt to manage the anxiety produced by obsessions. Avoidance

Question 42

Cognitive characteristics of OCD

Answer 42

Obsessive thoughts Cognitive strategies to deal with obsession- for example a religious person tormented by obsessive guilt may respond by praying or meditating. This may help manage anxiety/ Insight into excessive anxiety

Question 43

Emotional characteristics of OCD

Answer 43

Anxiety and distress Accompanying depression Guilt and disgust

Question 44

Evaluate the definition of failure to function adequately.

Answer 44

Cultural Relativism- what is considered adequate in one culture might not be so in another. FFA might not be linked to abnormality but to other factors. Failure to keep a job may be due to the economic situation not to psychopathology. FFA is context dependent; not eating can be seen as failing to function adequately but prisoners on hunger strikes making a protest can be seen in a different light.

Question 45

Evaluate the definition deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 45

Difficult to meet all criteria suggesting no one is psychologically healthy Cultural Relativism