Psychopathology Flashcards
A01:Define deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality
Social norms are unwritten behavioural expectations that vary depending on culture, time and context. “Social deviants” are individuals who break the norms of their society and are seen as abnormal. Examples of behaviours showing high cultural specificity are tolerance to homosexuality, religious experiences, and public displays of emotion.
A03: Explain one strength of using deviation from social norms to define abnormality.
Using social norms does not impose a Western view of abnormality on other non-western cultures. For this reason, it is argued diagnosing abnormality according to social norms is not ethnocentric.
A03: Explain one weakness of using deviation from social norms to define abnormality.
Defining people who move to a new culture as abnormal according to the new cultural norms can be inappropriate. E.g. People from an Afro-Caribbean background living in the UK are seven times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia.
A01:Define failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality.
When individuals cannot cope with the day-to-day challenges of daily life, such as maintaining personal hygiene. Rosenhan and Seligman’s features: They show maladaptive behaviour; their irrational and unpredictable actions go against their long-term best interests. They show personal anguish, and observers feel discomfort in their presence.
A03: Explain one strength of using failure to function adequately to define abnormality.
Failure to function adequately respects the individual and their own personal experience, which is something that other definitions, such as statistical infrequency and deviation from social norms, cannot
do.
A03:Explain one weakness of using failure to function adequately to define abnormality.
Failure to function adequately only includes people who cannot cope; psychopaths can often function in society in ways that benefit them personally. Having lower empathy can lead to success in business and politics.
Define statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality.
Someone is mentally abnormal if their mental condition is very rare in the population; the rarity of the behaviour is judged objectively using statistics, comparing the individual’s behaviour to the rest of the population. The normal distribution curve shows a population’s average spread of specific characteristics. E.g. One element of a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder (IDD) in the DSM5 is having 70 IQ points or fewer (Just over 2% of the population).
A03:Explain one strength of using statistical infrequency to define abnormality.
Individuals who are assessed as being abnormal according to statistical infrequency have been evaluated objectively; this is better than other definitions that depend on the subjective opinion of a clinician.
A03: Explain one weakness of using statistical infrequency to define abnormality.
Not all statistically rare traits are negative; for example, Qs of 130 are just as statistically rare as IQs of 70.
Also, there are common MH conditions like anxiety. NHS found 17% of people surveyed met the criteria for a common mental health disorder
A01:Define deviation from ideal mental health as a definition of abnormality.
Humanistic definition by Jahoda in
1958. Rather than defining abnormality, it defines features of ideal mental health, and deviation from these indicates abnormality. The six features are environmental mastery, autonomy, resisting stress, self-actualisation, a positive attitude to yourself and an accurate perception of reality.
A03:Explain one strength of using deviation from ideal mental health to define abnormality.
Deviation from ideal mental health
is a holistic definition, as it considers multiple factors in diagnosis and provides suggestions for personal development, Deviation from ideal mental health does not simply state what is wrong but also suggests how problems can be overcome.
A03:Explain one weakness of using deviation from ideal mental health to define abnormality.
It is too strict a set of criteria to define mental health, as it is challenging to achieve all of the requirements at any one time; most people would be defined as abnormal.
A01: Briefly outline 2 Cognitive characteristics of phobias
Irrational thoughts (fears): Negative and irrational mental processes that include an exaggerated belief in the harm the phobic object could cause
Reduced cognitive capacity: due to attentional focus on a phobic object.
A01: Briefly outline 3 Behavioural characteristics of phobias
Avoidance: Physically adapting normal behaviour to avoid phobic objects. Panic: An uncontrollable physical response (e.g. screaming, running). Failure to function: Difficulty taking part in normal day-to-day activities
A01:Briefly outline 2 Emotional characteristics of Phobias
Anxiety: An uncomfortably high and persistent state of arousal. Fear:
Intense emotional sensation of extreme and unpleasant alertness. It only subsides when the phobic object is removed.
A01:Briefly outline 2 Cognitive characteristics of depression
Poor concentration: People with depression cannot give their full attention to tasks. Negative schemas:
Automatic negative biases when thinking about themselves, the world and the future.
A01:Briefly outline 2 Behavioural characteristics of depression
Reduction in activity level: Includes lethargy, lacking the energy needed to perform everyday activities. A change in eating behaviour: Either significant weight gain or weight loss Aggression: to others/self-harm.
A01:Briefly outline 2 Cognitive characteristics of OCD
Obsessions: intrusive, irrational, recurrent thoughts that tend to be unpleasant, catastrophic thoughts.
Hypervigilance: A permanent state of alertness, looking for the source of obsessive thoughts.
A01:Briefly outline 2 Behavioural characteristics of OCD
Compulsions: behaviours performed repeatedly to reduce anxiety e.g. checking & cleaning behaviours.
Avoidance: take actions to avoid objects that trigger obsessions.
A01:Briefly outline 2 Emotional characteristics of OCD
Anxiety: an uncomfortably high and persistent state of arousal, making it difficult to relax. Depression: A consistent and long-lasting sense of sadness. Due to being unable to control thoughts.
A01: What is the two-process model applied to phobias?
Mower: Phobias are acquired through classical conditioning (learning through association).
Phobias are maintained through operant conditioning (learning from consequences reinforcement).
A01:How does someone acquire a phobia through classical conditioning?
A phobic object starts as a neutral stimulus (NS) and causes a neutral response (NR), no response. An unconditioned stimulus (UCS) (e.g. pain of being stung) produces an unconditioned fear response (UCR),
An association is formed when NS is paired with UCS. The object becomes a conditioned stimulus (CS), producing the conditioned response (CR) (fear)
A01: What does it mean for phobias to be generalised?
Phobias can be generalised, so a conditioned fear response is also experienced in the presence of stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimulus. So fear of bees could be generalised to other small flying insects.
A01: How does someone maintain a phobia through Operant conditioning?
Avoidance behaviour leads to a reduction in anxiety, which is a pleasant sensation. This reinforcement strengthens the phobia, making the person more likely to avoid the phobic object in the future.
A03:Describe Watson and Rayner’s (1920) (Phobias)
Watson paired the rat with hitting a large metal pole behind a child’s (little albert) head, creating a loud noise and scaring the child. A phobic response formed, and the rat produced a fear response, demonstrating phobias can be acquired through association.
A03:What may be a better explanation for common phobias?
Phobias of snakes and spiders are more common than those of cars or knives. These phobias may be better explained by evolutionary theory, as these are dangers that many of our evolutionary ancestors faced
