Psychopathology Flashcards
What statistic of IQ is seen as statistically abnormal?
under 70 and over 115
What is deviating from social norms?
Doing something seen as not socially acceptable to others in certain situation e.g. laughing during a funeral.
What are the 3 evaluation points for Deviation from social norms?
- Not a sole explanation for defining abnormality.
- Cultural relativism - norms differ based on culture.
- Can lead to human right abuses, the right to be different.
What are the 3 evaluation points for statistical infrequency?
- Real-life application - diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder.
- Unusual characteristics can be positive e.g. having an IQ of 130
- Not everyone unusual benefits from a label they may have a happy fulfilled life.
What is an example of antisocial personality disorder?
absence of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to lawful or culturally normative ethical behaviour.
What is an example of breaching social norms?
Homosexuality continues to be viewed as abnormal in some cultures and considered abnormal in our society in the past.
According to Rosenhan and Seligman what is a sign of failing to cope?
A person who no longer conforms to social rules.
According to Jahoda’s ideal mental health, what is a sign of ideal mental health?
Good self-esteem
What is an example of intellectual disability disorder?
Having a very low IQ
When can a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder be made of someone with low IQ?
an individual must be failing to function adequately before the diagnosis can be made.
Who looks at the ideal mental health?
Marie Jahoda (1958)
Who proposed the signs that can be used to see if someone is not coping?
David Rosenhan and Martin Seligman (1989)
What are the 3 evaluation points for Failure to function adequately?
- Patient’s perspective - captures experience of those who need help.
- Failing to function may be that they are just deviating from social norms.
- subjective judgements - someone has to say someone is distressing or is distressed.
What are the 3 evaluation points for Deviation from ideal mental health?
- it is a comprehensive definition
- cultural relativism- some ideas are specific to certain cultures
- It sets an unrealistically high standard for mental health - unlikely to all be achieved at the same time.
What are the 3 behavioural characteristics of phobias?
- Panic - response of phobia
- Avoidance - response to not be in contact with phobia
- Endurance - continuing response to phobia when in presence of it.
What are the 3 cognitive characteristics of phobias?
- selective attention to the phobic stimulus - keeping an eye on it.
- irrational beliefs - must do something or it will happen
- cognitive distortions - might see something as something else.
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
- irrational and unreasonable fear and anxiety.
What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?
- Activity levels - reduced energy levels.
- Disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
- Aggression and self-harm
What are the emotional characteristics of depression?
- lowered mood - worthless or empty
- Anger - negative emotions
- Lowered self-esteem - self- loathing
What are the cognitive characteristics of depression
- poor concentration
- Attending to and dwelling on the negative
- absolutist thinking - not all good and not all bad, when unfortunate its a disaster.
What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?
- compulsions - repetitive and reduce anxiety.
2. avoidance - keep away from things that trigger it
What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?
- anxiety and distress
- accompanying depression
- Guilt and disgust
What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?
- Obsessive thoughts - recur over and over again
- cognitive strategies to deal with obsessions
- insight into excessive anxiety - know they aren’t rational.
what is classical conditioning in terms of phobias?
learning to associate something of which we initially have no fear with something that already triggers a fear.
what is operant conditioning in terms of phobias?
when behaviour is reinforced or punished, maintaining its consequences.
What did John Watson and Rosalie Rayner (1920) create for phobias?
created a phobia in a 9-month-old baby (little Albert) using a white rat and a horrible noise to be associated together. (classical)
what did Mowrer suggest about operant conditioning of phobias?
whenever we avoid a phobic stimulus we successfully escape the fear and anxiety that would have been caused if we had remained there, maintaining the phobia.
Behavioural approach phobias evaluation - good explanatory power.
two process model step forward for phobias, how they are maintained and acquired leading to better therapy for those with a phobia.
Behavioural approach phobias evaluation - Alternative explanation for avoidance behaviour.
not all avoidance behaviour associated with phobias e.g. agoraphobia. Not to avoid but to feel safe e.g. staying at home is more safe. (Buck, 2010)
Behavioural approach phobias evaluation - an incomplete explanation of phobias
some parts require further explaining. Bounton (2007) evolutionary factors involved. Seligman (1971) biological preparedness. more to acquiring than just conditioning.
Behavioural approach phobias evaluation - phobias that don’t follow a trauma.
some people develop a phobia and are not aware of having a bad response with it.
Behavioural approach phobias evaluation - cognitive aspects
not just behavioural, there are also cognitive aspects that add to the acquisition and maintenance of phobias.
what are the 3 steps in systematic desensitisation to treat phobias?
- the anxiety hierarchy
- relaxation
- exposure
what is systematic desensitisation to treat phobias?
a behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety through the principle of classical conditioning.
what is flooding to treat phobias?
exposing phobic patients to their phobic stimulus instantly without a gradual build-up or hierarchy.
How does flooding work?
patient quickly learns that the phobic stimulus is harmless and in some cases can achieve relaxation in its presence.
what are the ethical safeguards for flooding?
must have informed consent from the patient as it can be a traumatic experience.
Behavioural approach to treat phobias evaluation SD - it is effective.
SD is effective for some phobias. Gilroy et al (2003), 42 P’s treated for arachnophobia, 45 mins of SD. Different measures of response to spider. After 3 and 33 months less fearful using SD than just relaxation.
Behavioural approach to treat phobias evaluation SD - suitable for diverse range of patients.
flooding + cognitive therapies not suitable for patients who may also have learning difficulties as they may not understand the situation.
Behavioural approach to treat phobias evaluation SD - acceptable to patients
patients prefer SD doesn’t have the same degree of trauma as flooding, also involves relaxation processes.
Behavioural approach to treat phobias evaluation flood - cost-effective
Ougrin (2011) flooding is highly effective and quicker than alternatives, patients free of symptoms quicker and cheaper.
Behavioural approach to treat phobias evaluation flood - less effective of some types of phobia
Less effective for complex phobias like social phobias because of there cognitive aspects.
Behavioural approach to treat phobias evaluation flood - treatment is traumatic for patients.
patients because it being so traumatic are unwilling to see it through to the end. Time and money wasted for them to not do it.
what are the three parts beck suggested about cognitive vulnerability, explaining depression?
- faulty information processing = look at negative aspects.
- negative self-schemas
- the negative triad.
What does ABC stand for in Ellis’s model?
A- Activating event
B- Beliefs
C- Consequences
