Psychopathology

Question 1

Name the definitions of abnormality

Answer 1

Statistical infrequency
Deviation from social norms
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from ideal mental health

Question 2

What is statistical infrequency?

Answer 2

When a person’s thinking or behavior is classified as abnormal if it is rare or statistically abnormal

Question 3

What is deviation from social norms?

Answer 3

When a person’s thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates the unwritten rules of what is acceptable behaviour in society

Question 4

What is failure to function adequately?

Answer 4

When a person considered abnormal because they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life

Question 5

What is deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 5

When a person is considered abnormal if they do not meet Jahoda’s criteria for a good mental health

Question 6

What did Jahoda identify as they criteria for ideal mental health?

Answer 6

• Positive self attitude
• Self-actualisation
• Resistance to stress
• Personal autonomy
• Accurate perception of reality
• Adaptation to the environment

Question 7

Evaluation points for deviation from social norms

Answer 7

+ Distinguishes between desirable and undesirable behavior

• Social norms change over time eg. homosexuality
• Deviance depends on context/situation
• Can be used to discriminate
• Limited by cultural relativism

Question 8

Evaluation points for statistical infrequency

Answer 8

+ Quantitative and objective - easy to calculate

• Some abnormal behavior is desirable - high IQ
• The cut off point is subjectively determined (69 is bad iq but 70 is good?)
• Limited by cultural relativism

Question 9

Evaluation points for failure to function adequately

Answer 9

+ Sympathetic definition - view disorder from pov of person
+ Objective measure - easy to judge
- People may fail to function for reasons other than mental health
- Limited by cultural relativism

Question 10

Evaluation points for deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 10

+ Positive definition that promotes well being

• Diagnoses mental health the same way as physical health
• Unrealistic criteria - suggests most of us are abnormal so how many must be lacking?
• Limited by cultural relativism

Question 11

Describe the behavioural approach to explaining phobias

Answer 11

Social learning theory: Phobias are acquired through observation plus imitation (observing parents)

Mowrer’s two process model: A phobia is acquired through association during classical conditioning
The phobia is then maintained through operant conditioning - avoiding stimulus reduces fear=positive reinforcement

Question 12

State the emotional, behavioural and cognitive traits of phobia

Answer 12

Emotional- fear, anxiety, panic
Behavioural- avoidance
Cognitive- resistance to rational arguments, irrational thinking

Question 13

State the emotional, behavioural and cognitive traits of depression

Answer 13

Emotional- sadness, loss of interest, possible anger
Behavioural- shift in activity level, affected sleep, affected appetite
Cognitive- negative thoughts and view of the world

Question 14

State the emotional, behavioural and cognitive traits of ocd

Answer 14

Emotional- anxiety, distress, compulsion to do, fear
Behavioural- rituals, repetition, avoidance
Cognitive- obsessions, fear of death/contamination

Question 15

How can phobias be treated?

Answer 15

Systematic desensitisation and Flooding

Question 16

What is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 16

A type of behavioural therapy that aims to remove the fear response of a phobia and replace it with a relaxation response.

Counter conditioning

• patient is taught deep muscle relaxation technique/breathing exercises
• patient creates a fear hierarchy of the stimuli
• patient works their way up the fear hierarchy

Question 17

What is flooding?

Answer 17

The patient is exposed directly to their worst fear and thrown in the deep end. They are forced to confront their fears. Once the panic is over they realise they’re not in any harm

Question 18

Evaluation points for the behavioural approach to treating phobias

Answer 18

• Different phobias may result from different processes
• Individual differences - flooding can be very traumatic

+ Found to be effective

Question 19

Describe the cognitive approach to explaining depression

Answer 19

Ellis said the key to mental disorders was the effect of irrational beliefs on emotions - ABC model - Activating event, belief and consequence

Beck - negative triad - negative view of self, future and world

Question 20

How is depression treated?

Answer 20

Cognitive behaviour therapy - CBT
Aims to identify faulty thoughts and replace them with more rational thoughts

Challenging irrational thoughts 
D,E,F 
Disrupting irrational thoughts and beliefs
Effects of disrupting
Feelings produced

Question 21

Evaluation points for cognitive approach to depression

Answer 21

• Alternative treatment - antidepressants eg. SSRIs
• Presumes thoughts dictate actions
• Blames the patient rather than situational factors
• Time/cost/effort

Question 22

Describe the biological approach to explaining OCD

Answer 22

Mental disorders may be inherited

COMT gene may contribute to ocd as it regulates the production of dopamine which has been implicated in ocd

SERT gene affects the transport of serotonin which results in decreased levels of this neurotransmitter which is associated with ocd and depression

Neural explanation - ocd is caused by abnormally functioning brain mechanisms

Question 23

Evaluation points for biological approach to ocd

Answer 23

+ Twin/family studies - people with first degrees relatives with ocd five times more likely to develop ocd

+ ethical explanation as no one is blamed they just happen to have an illness

• doesn’t take into account the effect of other factors such as social influences or environment