psychopathology Flashcards
behavioural characteristics
actions eg not going to parties
emotional characteristics
feelings
cognitive characteristics
thoughts
behavioural characteristics for OCD
compulsions- repetitive rituals performed as a high level anxiety caused by obsessions
eg repeating words when walking past letterboxes
emotional characteristics of OCD
intense anxiety and distress caused by obsessions
feeling embarrassed you think your family may die
cognitive characteristics for OCD
obsessive, intrusive, irrational thoughts images or urges that repeatedly enter your mind
behavioural characteristics for depression
avoiding social events and activities previously enjoyed
change in activity eg lethargy, insomnia
eg refusing to see friends
emotional characteristics for depression
low mood effecting self esteem and pleasure
intense saadness and wothlessness
cognitive characteristics for depression
irrational negative thoughts and beliefs about the self, the world and the future.
eg everyone hates me
behavioural characteristics for phobias
avoidance of phobic stimuli
remaining in the phobic stimuli presence (freezing)
not going on holiday if there’s a brifge
emotional characteristics of phobias
intense physiological feeling or fear
eg dread and terror at thought of public speaking
cognitive characteristics of phobias
irrational beliefs about phobic stimuli and resistance to rational argument
eg spiders will kill me
DEF. 1- deviation from social norms
-behaviour is abnormal if it deviates atom what SOCIETY would consider THE NORM
-atypical behaviour
-abnormal behaviour is breaking societies rule belief or value about how you should typically behave.
-rules are either explicitly orb implicitly stated in society
deviation from social norm -OCD
-spocieties unwritten rule that its unacceptable and unnecessary to engage in behaviour that’s considered ritualistic
-typical behaviour isn’t checking things multiple times
deviation from social norms- depression
-unwritten rule that its unacceptable yo have persistent low mood
-typical behaviour doesn’t involve insomnia/lack of appitite
deviation from social norms- phobias
unwritten rule that its unacceptable to avoid situations that aren’t harmful
-typiccal behaviour doesn’t involve refusing to attend friends b day party.
eval of deviation from social norms- negative
- accused of being culturally relative
-this is bc social norms vary between different cultures as they aren’t universal
-this means dev. from social norms definition ignores cultural differences in peoples behaviour and is dependant on the beliefs and values within the social gorup
eval of deviation from social norms - negative
-era dependant
-this is because social norms change overtime as beliefs and attitudes change due to historical political and cultural circumstances alter.
-this means that the definition can only apply to behaviour from one period of time, reducing temporal validity.
eval of deviation from social norms
-sical norms are context dependant
- bc abnormal behaviours are dependant upon situation in which they are being judged. many behaviours can be judged as eccentric not abnormal in a psychotic sense.
-thid means that the definition can’t explain proper who expressed their individuality snf must consider behaviour in the appropriate context.
def 2- failure to function adequately
behaviour is abnormal if it prevents someone from LEADING A NORMAL EVERYDAY LIFE and COPING WITH EVERYDAY ACTIVITIES.
rosenan and seligman argument
behaviour is abnormal when it becomes-
-maladaptive
-irrational
-observer
-unpredictable
maladaptive behaviour
stops someone reaching life goals both socially and occupationally
irrational behaviour
displaying behaviour that can’t be explained in a rational reasonable way
observer behaviour
displaying behaviour that makes othe4r people feel uncomfortanble
unpredictable behaviour
displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by a loss of control
definition 2 - OCD
compulsive handwashe4r may scrub skin off their hands
creates observer discomfort
def 2 - depression
self loathing and suicidal
irrational
def 2- phobias
freeze/panic infront og stimuli
maladaptive
eval failure to function adequately- negative
- failure to function adequately is based on subjective judgements
-this is bc what’s classed as failiture to function may depend on personal opinion and [eople differ in their opinions regarding what failing to function is.
personal beliefs and upbringing de4termie a persons attitudes towards defining abnormality - this means the definition is subjective
eval failing to function adequately- negative
- FTFA is culturally relative
- this is bc what is classed as failing to function varies across the world depending on cultural values and beliefs
- eg in western cultures hallucinations are a sign of failing to function , whereas in non western cultures its seen as a spiritual experience
-this means that this definition ignores cultural values and attitudes.
eval FTFA negative
-FTFA is not a defining feature of abnormality
- this is bc its possible to be abnormal and function adequately
- abnormal behaviour displayed by psychopaths may not meet criteria of FTFA
eg harold shipman killed 250 of his patients whilst maintaining relationships
- this means this definition doesn’t define all cases of abnormality.
key assumptions of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias.
- all phobias are learned as apposed to being inherited
- phobias are learned through the process of association
-classical conditioning suggests phobias are learned through association of two stimuli being paired together.
-operant conditioning suggests phobias are learnt through reinforcements of behaviour including avoidance
two process model
- mowrer suggested phobias are learnt in 2 stages: initiation and maintenance.
initiation (classical conditioning)
-its assumed phobias occur as a result of a paired association between NS and UCS
the ns becomes the cs later.
-in phobias one trial learning, so its not necessary for the association to taker place
-the CS gas been associated with the UCS to produce CR
little Albert
-watson and Rayner
-wethe4r phobias could be learnt through CC
-little Albert was shown a series of objects or animals that he showed no emotional response to eg. cotton wool, white rabbit and white rat
- the researches showed little Albert the white rat whilst striking a bar with a hammer.
- whenever he reached for the rat they struck the the bar, repeating this three times a week for two weeks
little albe4r4t learned an association between. the rat and noise of the hammer and became frightened wheneve4r he saw the rat.
-this fear generalised to other similar objects such as Santa masks
-this study shows that phobias are learnt through associating a traumatic incident and the phobic stimuli.
stage two- maintenance of phobia
- operant conditioning
behaviour to phobic stimulus involves avoidance. - avoiding the stimuli becomes a behaviour which is repeated as its rewarding as it reduces anxiety.
-this acts as NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT as it removes negative feelings.
eval of behavioural approach explaining phobias- pos
-theres evidence to support that phobias are learnt through cc
- Watson and Rayner
-this means that it adds validity to the first part of the process theory by demonstrating that phobias develop as a result of a paired association between NS and feared stimuli.
eval of behavioural approach explaining phobias- neg
-theres evidence that contradicts that phobias are learnt through CC
- not all phobias are attributed to an association be3tween a NS and fearful situation. research suggests only 2% of children who suffered traumatic water incident reported having a phobia of water later on in life. researchers also failed to condition a feared response to wooden blocks in 8-16 month old infants by pairing a loud bell every time they played with the blocks.
- this means that this reduces the validity go the 2 process theory, suggesting th3res reason for alternative explanations other then CC/OC for why phobias are initiated and maintained.
eval behavioural approach to explaining phobias - neg
- accused of being reductionist
- this is because it reduces explanation for a complex behaviour, phobia down to basic level as purely as a result of simple stimuli response learning accusation and nothing else.
- this means that it is ignoring the impact of other factors like biological and cognitive explanations for phobias such as imbalances of neurotransmitters and irrational thought processes.
- this means the approach ove4r simplifies our understanding of phobias and provides an incomplete explanation for this disorder.
eval of behavioural approach to explaining phobias-neg
-accused of being determinist
- it suggests phobias are shaped and programmed by exte4rnal environmental forces over which we have no control
-this means the approach ignores the role of freewill and we can make choices regarding our behaviour
eval of behavioural approach to explaining phobias- neg
- there are evolutionary explanations for the initiation of phobias, that cc doesn’t consider
-biological preparedness is the idea that people and animals are inherently inclined to form associations between certain stimuli and responses
this can explain why some phobias eg snakes ate formed quickly than others bc they may pose a threat to our survival. those learnt to fear those objects were more likely to survive and reproduces. - this means that there is more to acquiring phobias than simply cc
key assumptions of behavioural approach to treating phobias
-can be treated through cc
-counter conditioning replaces learnt feared responses with a relaxation response
-the process of counter conditioning can occur through a slow process of gradual exposure (systematic desensitisation) or intense exposure (flooding)
systematic desensitisation
-wolpe
gradual exposure to phobic stimuli
according to SD, two opposing emotional states can’t exist at the same time, a theory known as RECIPROICAL INHINITION.
- this is form of counter conditioning as patients are being taught to associate the phobic stimuli with a new response of relaxation.
how long does SD last
usually requires 4-12 sessions
three stages of SD
- patients taught relaxation techniques such as slow breathing, meditation etc
2.the patient and therapist construct a fear hierarchy.from least feared to most feared. - the patient is gradually exposed to each scenario in there hierarchy through in vitro or in vivo. when they can remain calm and relaxed at the exposure they can move onto the next step working their way up to most feared situation.
in vivo
actual physical exposure of a phobia
in vitro
imagining the situation of a phboia