Psychopathology Flashcards
Define statistical infrequency
- Abnormal behaviour are rare + diff, found in few people
- eg. IQ : average is 100
- 2% below 70, statistically abnormal so diagnosed w/ intellectual disability disorder
Evaluate statistical infrequency
(+) Real life application - assessment of patient w/ mental disorder is compared w/ statistical infrequency eg. intellectual disability disorder - useful in clinical assessment
(-) Some abnormal behaviour is desirable - eg. IQ of 150 is abnormal but desirable + doesnt require treatment
(-) Not everyone benefits from labels - someone w/ low IQ may be living normal + happy life - -ve effect on their view
Define deviation from social norms
- Abnormal behaviour is someone who deviates from socially created norms, act diff from expectations
- eg. antisocial personality disorder: failure to conform to lawful + culturally normative ethical behaviour, abnormal bc they’re impulsive + aggressive
Evaluate deviation from social norms
(-) Culturally relative - person from 1 culture may label someone as abnormal using their standards eg. hearing voices
(-) Social norms vary over time - eg. homosexuality considered mental disorder but now socially acceptable
(-) Deviance is related to behaviour’s context - eg. wearing few clothes on beach is normal but not at funeral, no clear line btw abnormal deviation + eccentricity
Define failure to function adequately
- Abnormal if they can’t cope w/ everyday life
- Not functioning adequately causes distress + suffering for person + others
- eg. low IQ is statistical infrequency but intellectual disability disorder shows FTFA bc unable to cope w/ everyday life
Evaluate failure to function adequately
(+) Recognises patient’s perspective - acknowledges experience of patient’s is important - useful for assessing abnormality
(-) Some abnormal behaviour can be functional - depression may lead to extra attention for individual, attention is rewarding - incomplete definitions
Define deviation from ideal mental health
- Abnormality is deviating from ideal +ve mental health, defined in terms of Jahoda’s criteria, absence of criteria indicates abnormality
- Criteria: no symptoms of distress, accurate self-perception, self-actualisation, ability to cope w/ stress, realistic view of world, good self esteem + independent
Evaluate deviation from ideal mental health
(+) Comprehensive - covers wide range of criteria for mental health
(-) Culturally relative - Specific to western cultures eg. self atualisation would be considered self indulgent in collectivist cultures
(-) Unrealistic - few people satisfy criteria, so most are abnormal
Define Phobias
An irrational fear of an object or situation
Phobias: behavioural
- Panic - crying, screaming, running away
- Avoidance - avoid phobic stimulus
- Endurance - remains in presence of stimulus but exp anxiety
Phobias: emotional
- Anxiety - unpleasant state of high arousal, unable to relax
- Fear - immediate + unpleasant response, leads to anxiety
- Unreasonable emotional responses - disproportionate to danger posed
Phobias: cognitive
- Selective attention
- Irrational belief
- Cognitive distortions - alters perception of phobic stimilus
Outline the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
- 2 process model
- Classical conditioning - phobias are acquired
- eg. Little Albert: rats + loud noise
- Operant conditioning - phobias are maintained: fear is lowered by avoiding phobic stimulus (-ve reinforcement)
Evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
(+) Good explanatory power - Provides exp of acquiring phobias, important implications for therapies bc explains y patients need to be exposed
(-) Doesn’t explain the development of all phobias - some cant remember incident leading to development of phobia
(-) Phobia doesn’t always develop after traumatic incident - people bitten by dogs don’t develop phobia. Diathesis stress model- inherit genetic vulnerability + triggered by life events
(-) Cognitive aspects - person who thinks they’ll die in lifts may trigger phobia, irrational thinking involved in development of phobias
Outline systematic desensitisation as a behavioural approach to treating phobias
- Uses counterconditioning to replace fear w/ relaxation
- Based on reciprocal inhibition - cant be relaxed + afraid at same time
- Make anxiety hierarchy - fearful stimuli ordered least to worst frightening
- Taught relaxation techniques - deep breathing + meditation
- Works through hierarchy in relaxed state
- Several sessions - gradual exposure
Evaluate systematic desensitisation as a behavioural approach to treating phobias
(+) Effective - Gilroy followed up 42 patients who had SD for spider phobia in 3 45min sesh, less fearful compared to group w/o exposure
(+) Suitable for diverse range of patients - alt treatments is flooding, not suitable eg.those w/ learning difficulties won’t understand whats happening
(+) Acceptable to patients - doesn’t cause same degree of trauma, low attrition rates
