Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

psychology (Q) > psychopathology > Flashcards

psychopathology Flashcards

1
Q

what is anxiety

A

a negative state of high arousal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

what is cultural bias

A

the tendency to judge people in terms of one’s own cultural assumptions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

what culture is the DSM

A

american western

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

what are the 4 definitions of abnormality

A

statistical deviation, deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately, deviation from ideal mental health

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

what is statistical deviation

A

when a persons behaviour is statistically rare

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

what is the real life example of statistical deviation

A

intellectual disability disorder-
average IQ is 100 most ranging from 85-115

only 2% of pop have an IQ of below 70 (statistically rare)

diagnosis of IDD

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

what is the evaluation of statistical deviation

A

easy to analyse but no detail or understanding of patient and experiences too simplistic

statistically common mental illnesses such as depression(1 in 6) doesn’t work

cut off point too fine sometimes people do not get help needed eg someone with IQ of 71 no help

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

what is deviation from social norms

A

when a persons behaviour deviates from the unwritten rules of a society

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

what is an example of deviation from social norms

A

homosexuality-
regarded as a mental illness until 1973
deviated from the norm of heterosexuality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

what is the evaluation of deviation from social norms

A

social norms differ between cultures and they change over time and in places

some social groups have been discriminated against and suffered social exclusion

norms are context dependent

cultural bias

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

what is failure to function adequately

A

when someone is unable to cope with the demands of everyday life and this causes them suffering

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

what is the example of failure to function adequately

A

intellectual disability disorder
came after statistical deviation

they are paired / grouped

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

what is the evaluation for failure to function adequately

A

more of a well rounded diagnosis with both this and stat dev

neither on own are good

too subjective in nature- many factors do not take into account individual experiences- eg travelling- no home but not suffering

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

what is deviation from ideal mental health

A

abnormal if you don’t have perfect mental health and do not meet set of criteria

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

what is the criteria for “deviation from ideal mental health”

A

Marie Jahoda(1958)
• We have no symptoms or distress.
• We are rational and can perceive ourselves accurately.
•We self-actualise (reach our potential.
• We can cope with stress.
• We have a realistic view of the world.
• We have good self-esteem and lack guilt.
- We are independent of other people (autonomy)
•We can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure
(envirommental
mastery)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

what is the evaluation for deviation from the idea mental health

A

too unrealistic criteria - everyone copes with stress

don’t know when reached self actualisation

cultural bias

based on western ideal some cultures are collectivist eg china and rural japan so not independent

cant judge behaviour universally

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

what is depression

A

a mood disorder

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

what is ocd

A

an internal thought ( obsession) which causes anxiety

compulsion- repetitive and rigid behaviour to reduce the anxiety

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

how common is schizophrenia

A

1in 100

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

what are the DSM and ICD

A

diagnostic manuals

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

what are the behavioural symptoms of phobias

A

panic ( crying screaming running away )

avoidance

endurance ( alternative to avoidance)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

what are the emotional symptoms of phobias

A

anxiety ( unpleasant state of high arousal )

fear ( immediate and unpleasant response)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

what are the cognitive symptoms of phobias

A

selective attention to the phobic stimulus ( fixated)

irrational beliefs - unfounded thoughts

cognitive distortion (inaccurate and unrealistic perceptions)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

what is a phobia

A

and irrational fear of an object or situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

what are the behavioural symptoms of depression

A

activity levels- reduced energy

disruption to sleep and eating ( reduced or incr)

aggression and self harm

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

what are the emotional symptoms of depression

A

lowered mood

anger- to self and others

lowered self esteem

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

what are the cognitive symptoms for depression

A

poor concentration- unable to stick with a task. hard to make decisions

attending to and dwelling on negative

absolutist thinking- “all good all bad situations “

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

what is depression

A

a mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

what are the behavioural symptoms of OCD

A

compulsions are repetitive

compulsions reduce anxiety

avoidance- keeping away from situations that trigger

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

what are the emotional symptoms of OCD

A

anxiety or distress

accompanying depression - low lack of enjoyment

guilt or disgust- over minor moral issues

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

what are the cognitive symptoms of OCD

A

obsessive thoughts- worries doors have unlocked- impulses to hurt someone

cognitive coping strategies- to deal with obsession

insight into excessive anxiety- aware of obsessions and compulsions are not rational

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

what is a phobia

A

an irrational fear of an object or situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

what is the model that explains phobias

A

the two process model

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

who came up with the two process model

A

Mowrer

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

what is the first stage of the two process model

A

acquisition

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

what is acquisition and what is it described using

A

classical conditioning
involves learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear for with something we fear

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

what is the example of acquisition

A

little albert
initially white rat didn’t bring and reaction
loud noise caused fear

rat paired with loud noise 6 times and then rat was feared

other similar animals also feared - stimulus generalisation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

what is the second stage of the two process model

A

maintenance

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

what is maintenance and what is it explained by

A

explained by operant conditioning- shows why individuals continue to avoid feared stimulus

negative reinforcement - an individual avoids something unpleasant and outcome is positive experience ( avoid the phobic stimulus = escape anxiety)

avoidance is repeaded and phobia is maintained

40
Q

what are the strengths of the two process model

A

it has good explanatory power( real world application)

can provide convincing explanations- eg people with a phobia have a traumatic experience with that phobia
allows us to understand how to treat the disorder( if learnt can be unlearnt)

41
Q

what are the weaknesses for the two process model

A

ignores other factors
does not think about cognitive approach- irrational thinking so people may not get the right treatment ( no cognitive behaviour therapy)

does not think about biological prepareness- peopel are genetically preprogrammed and fear things due to evolutionary past

does not take into account diethesis stress model - both genetics and the interaction needs to be considered

42
Q

what are the two behavioural treatments of phobias

A

flooding and systematic desensitisation

43
Q

what is flooding

A

immediate exposure until no fear is present
gives patient no option to avoid
phobia is extinguished

( 1 session around 2-3 hours )

44
Q

what is one strength of flooding

A

cost effective
takes less time
cures phobias more quickly and cost effective

45
Q

what are two weaknesses of flooding

A

can be traumatic- elicits high anxiety
not unethical but high attrition rates as people drop out
waste of time and money

less effective for certain phobias
ones that have not been learnt can not be unlearnt

46
Q

what is symptom substitution

A

although one phobia may be successfully removed, another may appear in its place

47
Q

what is systematic desensitisation

A

method that aims to extinguish a phobia by eradicating an undesirable behaviour (fear) and replacing it with a more desirable one (relaxation) - counter-conditioning. works on principle of reciprocal inhibition - one person cannot feel fear and relaxation at the same time

48
Q

what is the 3 step process of Systematic desensitisation

A
  1. hierarchy- order situations least to most scary
  2. relaxation- relaxation techniques or drugs (reciprocal inhibition)
  3. gradual exposure - step by step exposed to fear - have to be calm at stage to move into next
49
Q

what are the two strengths for systematic desensitisation

A

evidence to support effectiveness- 75% of phobias were successful treated

favoured over flooding as less traumatic and low attrition rates - more appropriate for people with learning difficulties and anxiety disorders

50
Q

what is one weakness of systematic desensitisation

A

it is not effective for treating all phobias - phobias not developed through personal experience ( evolutionary) can not be treated successfully with this method

51
Q

what is depression

A

a mood disorder

52
Q

what does the cognitive approach say about depression

A

that it is the result of faulty/ irrational thinking

it is the processing that is faulty not the situation

53
Q

what are the two cognitive approach explanations

A

ellis’ abc model

becks negative triad

54
Q

what is ellis’ ABC model explanation

A

that there are 3 parts to developing depression
A- activating event( environmental or situational)
B- belief - the irrational belief
C- the consequence which is unhealthy emotions/ depression

55
Q

what is the most important part of the ABC model

A

the belief

56
Q

what us musturbatory thinking

A

the belief that the individual must meet often perfectionist goals in order to achieve success or be happy - the source of irrational beliefs

57
Q

what is an example of absolutist thinking

A

“i must do well or i am worthless”

58
Q

what is becks negative triads explanation for depression

A

having a negative self schema- package of negative ideas of the self

this results in the negative triad - negative idea of the self, the world and the future

59
Q

what are examples of a negative idea of the self, the world and the future

A

the self- “ i am worthless”

the world- “ no one loves me”

the future “ things will always be this way”

60
Q

what is a strength of the explanations of depression

A

it has real life application - successfully applied in therapy
90% success rate after 27 sessions of cbt- suggests cognitive explanations
if cause is known easily treated

61
Q

what are the two weaknesses of the cog approach to explaining depression

A

blames the client-
overlooks activation event
although gives client chance to change
other things need to be considered

does not take into account alternative explanations eg biological
reductionist
generic factors and neurotransmitters
studies found gene related to low levels of serotonin are 10x more common in depressed people
diathesis- stress model could be needed

62
Q

what is the aim of CBT

A

to change the thought process in order to change the behaviour

63
Q

what does CBT stand for

A

cognitive behavioural therapy

64
Q

what is the subtype of CBT

A

R E BT - rational emotive behavioural therapy

65
Q

who proposed the idea of REBT

A

ellis

66
Q

what did ellis say about treating depression

A

extended ABC model to ABCDEF (REBT)

D- disputing/ challenging the thoughts - being trained to challenge your own thoughts

E- effects of disputing- this means new beliefs (rational) replace the old beliefs (irrational)

F- new feelings - leads to new positive feelings not depression

67
Q

what are the three types of disputing

A

logical, empirical, pragmatic

68
Q

what is logical disputing

A

asking yourself if the thought makes logical sense

69
Q

what is empirical disputing

A

evidence based, reality tests thoughts - “where is the proof that this belief is accurate?”

70
Q

what is pragmatic disputing

A

looking at the usefulness of the belief- how is this belief likely to help me ?

71
Q

what is an important factor of empirical dispute

A

homework

72
Q

who proposed the idea of homework

A

beck

73
Q

what is homework

A

set homework such as to record when they enjoyed an event - provides evidence against irrational beliefs and enables beliefs to be tested against reality

reality testing

“client as scientist” client collects data themselves

74
Q

what is another element of CBT

A

behavioural activation

75
Q

what is behavioural activation

A

encouraging clients to be more active and engage in pleasurable activities

gradually decreases isolation and avoidance

76
Q

what is one strength of CBT

A

research evidence to support the effectiveness

march et al- cbt, antidepressants, and both compared

327 depressed adolescents- after 36 weeks 81% of CBT, 81% of AD and 86% of both significantly improved

just as effective as AD and even better when paired

also cost effective so first choice for NHS

77
Q

what are the weaknesses of CBT/ REBT

A

•more effective for some than others - lack of effectiveness for severe cases as depression = low motivation
also not suitable for those with learning disabilities

• high relapse rates- although effective at tackling symptoms , concerns at how long the benefits last- 439 patients everymonth for 12 months - 6 months in 42% relapsed, 12 months in 53% relapsed - needs to be repeated periodically

• alternative treatments- biological psychologists challenge cog basis of depression- think drug therapy is more effective
number of studies found low levels of serotonin implicated in depression as well as genetic factors
may be preferred course- ppts lacking motivation

78
Q

what are obsessions and compulsions

A

obsession- a persistent thought or impulsive experience experience repeatedly- feels intrusive and causes anxiety

compulsion- a repetitive and rigid behaviour or mental act a person feels driven to perform to prevent or reduce anxiety

79
Q

what are the genetic explanations of OCD ( no description)

A

SERT gene

COMT gene

OCD may be polygenic

80
Q

what is the SERT gene explanation of OCD

A

a variation of this gene effects the transportation of serotonin- lower levels of it which is implicated in OCD and also links to depression

81
Q

what are SERT GENES and COMT GENES examples of

A

candidate genes

82
Q

what is the explanation of the COMT gene in OCD

A

supposed to regulate production of dopamine- variation results in higher production of dopamine - more common in patients with OCD

83
Q

what is dopamine

A

pleasure neurotransmitter

84
Q

what is serotonin

A

mood neurotransmitter

85
Q

what is the explanation thag OCD may be polygenic

A

may be caused by a combination of genetic variations

Taylor found that up to 230 different genes may be involved

86
Q

what is the neural explanation to OCD( no description)

A

the worry circuit

87
Q

what is the explanation of the worry circuit in terms of OCD

A

the caudate nucleus normally surprises signals from the orbital frontal cortex and diffferentiates between major and minor worries

in OCD patients caudate nucleus is often damaged - meaning it fails to surpress minor worries - thalamus is alerted

too many worries

88
Q

what are the strengths to explaining OCD

A

•research support for bio explanations from family studies- lewis examined OCD patients and 37% had parents with disorder, 21% had siblings with it
individuals with first degree relatives up to 5x more likely to develop it
provides evidence but does not rule out environmental factors playing role( families environments are all simulate so may be more about this than about genes)

•research support from twin studies - meta analysis ofc14 twin studies investigating genetic inheritance rate of OCD- monozygotic twins have double the risk of developing OCD compared to dizygotic if one had it - however for MZ twins still not 100% due to environmental factors so diathesis stress model may be more suitable

89
Q

what are the weaknesses of the explanation of OCD

A

• issues with cause and effect relationships- while evidence to suggest certain neural systems do not function normally in patients suffering from OCD, there are other areas occasionally involved- no brain system constantly plays a role - difficult to ascertain if cause or effect of disroder

•there are alternative explanations such as behaviourist approach and the two process model - initial learning of stimulus could occur through classical conditioning + maintained through operant conditioning and negative reinforcement
this is supported by the success of behavioursl treatments where symptoms improves for 60-90% of adults

90
Q

what is the biological treatment for OCD

A

drug therapy

91
Q

what are the two drugs used to treat ocd

A

SSRIs ( antidepressant)

Benzodiazepines (anti- anxiety drug)

92
Q

what does SSRI stand for

A

SELECTIVE SERATONIN REUPTAKE INHIBITORS

93
Q

how do SSRIs work

A

(in presynaptic)
•stop uptake of serotonin back into pre synaptic (reabsorbtion) by blocking vesicles
•increases the level of serotonin available in synapse
• increases the concern of seritonin so can continue to stimulate post synaptic
•available as capsules or liquid
•3-4 months for it to have an impact

94
Q

how do benzodiazepines work

A

•enhances the activity of neurotransmitter GABA
•GABA locks on to specific gaba receptor sites located in post synaptic membrane
•when locked onto these sites opens a channel which increases flow of chloride ions preventing other neurotransmitters from stimulating the post synaptic neuron.
•calming nature

95
Q

what are the strengths of drug therapy - ocd treatment

A

•clear evidence of effectiveness of SSRIS in reducing symptoms - reviewed 17 studies comparing SSRI to placebo. all 17 showed significantly better outcomes- symptoms reduced for around 70% for remaining 30% can be helped by alternative drugs or combinations.

• drugs are cost effective and non disruptive- good value for NHS - passive and non disruptive- cheap compared to other psychological treatments because they can be mass manufactured in the time of one session of therapy. good use of limited funds
they also are not disruptive to peoples life as only have to take drugs so are a popular choice

96
Q

what are the weaknesses of drug therapy - treatment for ocd

A

drugs can have side effects- some people see not benefit for SSRIS and also side effects such as indigestion, blurred vision, and loss of sex drive- some people feel they have a reduced quality of life so stop taking the drugs - ineffective
BZ known for being highly addictive and can increase aggression and have long term memory impairments
for short term use only

drugs treat the symptoms not the cause of ocd- once patient stops taking the drug prone to relapse- CBT may be more effective

psychology (Q) (5 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2025 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions