Psychopathology Flashcards by Ben Holbrook

What is the Statistical Infrequency definition of Abnormality?

Those that are 2 standard deviations away from the norm are abnormal

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Positives for the statistical infrequency explanation

Objectivity means impartial and fair assessment
Useful Practical Applications e.g diagnosis

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Negatives for Statistical Infrequency Explanation

Not all abnormalities are infrequent and rare
Abnormality is not black and white e.g iq of 71 normal but 69 not

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Define deviation from social norms

Behaviour viewed by society as undesirable and anti-social

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Positives for deviation from social norms explanation

Takes into account situational and developmental norms
As society sets standards, it can intervene when standards are not met.

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Negatives for deviation from social norms explanation

Issues around setting of social norms (Who/When/Culture)
Subjectivity limits usefulness

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Define deviation from ideal mental health

Absence of Jahoda’s 6 key characteristics:
Positive Attitude to oneself
Accurate Perception of Reality
Autonomy
Resisting Stress
Self Actualisation
Environmental Mastery

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Positives for deviation from ideal mental health explanation

Refreshingly Positive
Measurable and allows individuals to be clear on improvements they need to make

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Negatives for criteria for ideal mental health

Many of 6 points are not important in all cultures
Unrealistic, looking for perfection
Criteria vague and difficult to measure

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Define Failure to Function Adequately

Meeting criteria prevents them from leading everyday life

Personal Distress
Maladaptive Behaviour
Unpredictability
Irrationality
Observer Discomfort
Violation of Moral Qualities
Unconventionality

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Positives for Failure to function adequately explanation

Easy to assess consequences of meeting criteria
Strong practical applications in diagnosis

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Negatives for Failure to function adequately explanation

Deciding if someone meets criteria is subjective
Culturally relative
Abnormality does not always prevent function

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What are emotional characteristics of phobias?

Persistent, Unreasonable fear
High levels of anxiety when anticipating object/task
Fear when presented with object/task

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Behavioural Characteristics of phobias

Panic Attacks/Crying/Screaming/Freezing
Avoiding feared stimulus
Disrupted everyday function

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Cognitive characteristics of phobias

Conscious Awareness of Exaggerated anxiety
Paying selective attention to feared stimulus
Irrational Beliefs
Cognitive Distortions

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Emotional Characteristics of Depression

Lowered Mood
Anger
Low self esteem

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Behavioural characteristics of Depression

Reduced Energy/Lethargy
Insomnia/Hypersomnia
Aggression towards others/ Self Harm

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Cognitive Characteristics of Depression

Poor Concentration
Cognitive Biases
Black and White thinking

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Emotional Characteristics of OCD

Anxiety and distress may accompany both obsessions and compulsions
Low mood and/or depression
Guilt and disgust

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Behavioural Characteristics of OCD

Compulsions/ repetitive behaviours
Avoidance of situations that trigger anxiety

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Cognitive Characteristics of OCD

Obsessive thoughts
Cognitive Coping Strategies
insight into excessive anxiety

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What are the three stages of Ellis’ ABC Model to explaining Depression

A - Activation
B - Beliefs (About A)
C - Consequences (Of B)

Define Utopianism

Irrational Belief that life is always supposed to be fair

Define Musterbationary Thinking

Belief that individuals MUST absolutely meet perfectionist goals in order to achieve success, approval or comfort

Positives for the cognitive explanation for depression

Practical Applications e.g CBT Evidence to support e.g Temple Wisconsin study of negative thinking(teenagers showing negative thought patterns showed higher scores on depression scale) Cognitive explanation takes into account other contributors such as Genes and environment

Negatives for cognitive explanation to depression

Explains state of mind but not how they got there Some scientists believe faulty information processing is an effect of depression as opposed to a cause

What is Cognitive Behaviour Therapy?

CBT works to try and challenge irrational thinking and ultimately improve the behaviour of depressed patients

What are the 4 aims of CBT?

Identifying negative thinking patterns in depressed patients (self-reports) Challenging irrational thoughts of depressed patients Skill Acquisition and Application (e.g coping mechanisms and ways of approaching things) Follow Up (Tracks progress Using same self reports)

Positives for CBT

Evidence to support (e.g march et al finding CBT & Antidepressants most effective) CBT tackles route of problems unlike biological approach

Negatives for CBT

Can cause belief that causes for depression are purely cognitive because CBT has worked Some belief that improvements are due to therapist-patient relationship not due to CBT Individual differences (e.g motivation) will create difference in effectiveness

What are the two aspects of the biological explanation to OCD?

Genetic explanation Neural Explanation

Strengths for the genetic explanation to OCD

Genetics can be studied objectively so promotes psychology as scientific science Evidence to support (Nestodt review of twins finding higher rate of OCDin genetically identical)

Weaknesses for genetic explanation to OCD

Research demonstrates genetics cannot be only factor in causing OCD as not 100% accordance in genetically identical twins Can be considered biologically reductionist

What is the role of Low serotonin in OCD

Low levels associated with Depression and other mood disorders such as OCD

Strengths for neural explanation of OCD

Research to support (Ursu and Carter 2009 found hyperactivity in arbitofrontal cortex) Practical Applications e.g giving serotonin to reduce symptoms Method is scientific and objective

What are the two ways remaining neurotransmitters are released into the synaptic gap?

Reuptake of remaining neurotransmitter into presynaptic neuron Breakdown of neurotransmitter in the synaptic cleft by an enzyme

What does SSRI stand for?

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

How do SSRI's work?

Reduces rate of reabsorption of serotonin making more available in synaptic space, helping reduce OCD symptoms

Strengths for Drug Therapy to treat OCD

Evidence for effectiveness (OCD symptoms decline for 70% of patients) Relatively cost effective to produce

Weaknesses for drug therapy to treat OCD?

Unwanted Side Effects (Not fully protecting patients from harm) Not a permanent solution

What is stimulus generalisation?

When a fear response acquired response acquired to a particular stimulus transfers to another similar stimulus

Research conducted on a child showing that a phobia can be classically conditioned. Banging was made to be associated with a rat - causing fear of a rat

Watson & Raynor - little albert

What is a practical application of classical conditioning?

Systematic desensitisation

Study finding 62 of 68 phobias were completely or partially desensitised from Systematic Desensitisation

Wolpe (1950s)

Found that social phobias such as agoraphobia does not respond well to systematic desensitisation. 60% - 80% of agorophobics shows improvement but it was only slight and there was often relapse

Crash and Barlow

Supporting research for flooding - successfully removed girls phobia of being in cars - forced her into a car for 4 hours

Wolpe 1960

Monitoring of brain activity in OCD patients using FMRI scans and found hyperactivity in the arbitofrontal cortex, as neural explanations suggest.

Ursu and Carter (2009) Providing support for neural explanations of OCD

OCD symptoms decline for 70% of patients taking SSRIs, meta review of 17 studies. Compared SSRIs to placebos

Soomro et al (2009)

What is Reciprocal Inhibition?

When a behaviour fear is replaced with a more desirable one (counter conditioning)

Jahodas Criteria for ideal mental health

Working toward Self actualisation Can cope with stress Accurate view of reality Good self esteem and positive attitude Autonomy/Independence Can cope with changing environment

Failure to function characteristics

Personal Distress Maladaptive Behaviour Unpredictability Irrationality Observer Discomfort Violation of moral standards Unconventionality

Research to support cognitive explanations for depression

Cohen et al found that cognitive vulnerability, negative self scheme and cognitive triad predicted later depression

Research contradicting cognitive explanation for depression

Zhang argued that faulty information processing better explains depression