Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology AQA A-Level Year 1 & AS > Psychopathology > Flashcards

Psychopathology Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

What is psychopathology?

A

Scientific study of mental disorders

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is a limitation of defining abnormality?

A

1) what is considered acceptable/abnormal can change over time (homosexuality)
2) can be used to justify removal of unwanted people from society
3) no universal set of social rules
4) all societies have own standards of behaviour + attitudes
5) those who do not conform to social norms may not me abnormal but individualistic

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the definitions of abnormality?

A

1) deviation from social norms
2) deviation from statistical norms
3) failure to function adequately
4) deviation from ideal mental health

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How does deviation from statistical norms show abnormality?

A

1) traits/thinking/behaviour is abnormal when numerically rare
2) abnormality lies at both extremes of a normal distribution

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How can looking at IQ scores show abnormality through deviation from statistical norms?

A

1) average IQ score = 100
2) IQ scores significantly higher/lower than 100 = rare/statistically infrequent
3) 65% population = IQ score of 85-115
4) 95% population = average IQ score
5) 2.5% population = above average IQ score
6) 2.5% population = below average IQ score

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is a weakness of deviation from statistical norms?

A

1) doesn’t take into account desirability of behaviour - high IQ=desirable but low IQ=undesirable
2) no definite cut-off point where normal behaviour becomes abnormal behaviour
3) some abnormal behaviours are quite common (depression) - not statistically infrequent
4) many rare behaviours have no bearing on normality/abnormality (left handedness)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

How does failure to function adequately show abnormality?

A

When behaviour means you cannot cope with everyday life - may disrupt ability to work/conduct satisfying interpersonal relationships

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What 7 features are used in the diagnosis or abnormality in failure to function adequately?

A

1) personal distress
2) maladaptive behaviour
3) unpredictability
4) irrationality
5) observer discomfort
6) violation of moral standards
7) unconventionality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What is personal distress?

A

Feeling sad/anxious/worried/scared

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is maladaptive behaviour

A

Behaviour stopping individuals from attaining life goals - socially + occupationally

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is unpredictability?

A

Displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by loss of control

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is irrationality?

A

Displaying behaviours which cannot be explained in a logical way

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is observer discomfort?

A

Displaying behaviour which causes discomfort in others

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is violation of moral standards?

A

Displaying behaviour which violates society’s ethical standards

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is unconventionality?

A

Displaying behaviour which does not conform to what is generally done in a certain situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is a weakness of failure to function adequately?

A

1) abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction (psychopaths can commit murders while still appearing normal - English doctor murdered 215 patients over 23 years, he maintained the appearance of a respectable member of his profession + had a family
2) certain times in life where it is normal + psychologically healthy to suffer from distress (a death) - would be abnormal to not feel distress
3) behaviour may cause distress to other people but not to person themselves - man insists on hiking naked, making other people uncomfortable but not feeling distress himself

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

How does deviation from ideal mental health show abnormality?

A

1) 6 characteristics individuals should exhibit to be classed as normal
2) absence of characteristics = abnormal person - the more criteria missing, the more abnormal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

What are the 6 conditions associated with ideal mental health?

A

1) positive self-attitudes
2) self-actualisation
3) autonomy
4) resistance to stress
5) accurate perception of reality
6) environmental mastery

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What are positive self-attitudes?

A

Having self-respect/high self-esteem/confidence/positive self-concept

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is self-actualisation?

A

1) experiencing personal growth + development
2) realising potential
3) feeling fulfilled

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is autonomy?

A

Being independent/self-reliant/able to make personal decisions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is resistance to stress?

A

Having effective coping strategies + being able to manage everyday anxiety-provoking + stressful situations

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is an accurate perception of reality?

A

Perceiving the world in a non-distorted fashion + having objective/realistic view of world (no hallucinations/delusions)

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is environmental mastery?

A

Being competent in all aspect of life/ability to meet demands of any situation/flexibility to adapt to changing life circumstances

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is a weakness of deviation from ideal mental health?

A

1) criteria very demanding + unrealistic - most people do not meet all ideals at one time
2) many criteria vague + difficult to measure - subjective (you can’t tell if someone has reached their full potential)
3) subject to cultural relativism + should not be used to judge different cultures - collectivist cultures emphasise communal goals (seen as abnormal) + individualistic cultures emphasise autonomy

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

What symptoms classify mental illnesses?

A

1) impairment of intellectual functions
2) alterations to mood that lead to delusional appraisals of past/future
3) delusional beliefs
4) disordered thinking

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What are mood disorders?

A

1) characterised by strong emotions - can influence person’s ability to function normally
2) can affect perception/thinking/behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What is major depression?

A

1) episode of depression that can occur suddenly
2) can be reactive - external factors
3) can be endogenous - internal factors

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What is manic depression?

A

1) bipolar disorder
2) alternation between two mood extremes (mania + depression)
3) regular cycles of days/weeks
4) episodes of mania = overactivity/rapid speech/feeling extremely happy or agitated
5) episodes of depression

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What are the physical + behavioural symptoms of depression?

A

1) sleep disturbances - insomnia (unable to sleep) / hypersomnia (sleeping more than usual)
2) weight change - significant increase (eating more) / decrease (eating less)
3) poor personal hygiene - reduced incidence of washing + wearing clean clothes
4) aggression - irritable + can become physically/verbally aggressive (maybe to themselves)
5) pain - headaches/joint ache/muscle ache
6) lack of activity - social withdrawal/loss of sex drive

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

What are the emotional symptoms of depression?

A

1) low mood - overwhelming + extreme feelings of sadness/hopelessness/despair
2) loss of enthusiasm - no longer enjoying activities/hobbies that used to be pleasurable
3) worthlessness - constant feelings of reduced worth/inappropriate feelings of guilt/low self-esteem
4) diurnal mood variation - changes in mood throughout the day
5) anger - anger towards others/themselves

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What are the cognitive symptoms of depression?

A

1) negative schema - negative view of world/themselves/future/abilities
2) poor concentration - difficulty paying attention + making decisions
3) thoughts of death - constant thoughts of death/suicide - may believe the world will be a better place without them
4) absolutist thinking

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

How does the DSM diagnose major depression?

A

Five symptoms must be present nearly every day fro at least 2 weeks

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What is a phobia?

A

1) anxiety disorder characterised by high levels of anxiety in response to a stimulus
2) extreme/irrational fear of object/situation
3) interferes with normal living

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What percentage of the population have a phobia?

A

2%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What are the behavioural symptoms of phobias?

A

1) panic - crying/running/screaming/freezing/fainting/collapsing/vomiting
2) avoidance - evading object/situation when faced with it (can interfere with daily life)
3) endurance - freeze + unable to move

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

What are the emotional symptoms of phobias?

A

1) fear - persistent/excessive/unreasonable worry + distress
2) anxiety - terror/uncertainty + apprehension of what will happen

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?

A

1) irrational beliefs - hard to concentrate because of anxious thoughts/resistance of rational arguments that counter phobia
2) insight - knowledge that fear is excessive/unreasonable but still fear object
3) cognitive distortions - distorted perception of stimulus
4) selective attention - cannot look away from stimulus + focus all attention on it - ignore everything else around

39
Q

How does the DSM classify a fear as a phobia?

A

1) significant prolonged fear lasting more than 6 months
2) anxiety response produced
3) phobia out of proportion to real danger
4) sufferer goes out of way to avoid stimulus
5) phobia disrupts life

40
Q

What is obsessive compulive disorder?

A

1) anxiety disorder
2) consists of obsessions + compulsions
3) develops in young adult life
4) occurs equally in men + women + ethnic groups

41
Q

What are obsessions?

A

Intrusive/recurring/unwanted thoughts + images + impulses

42
Q

What are compulsions?

A

Physical/mental repetitive behaviours + acts

43
Q

What percentage of the population have obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

2%

44
Q

What are the behavioural symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) compulsions - reduce anxiety by creating obsessions (repetitive behaviours could hinder ability to perform everyday functions)
2) avoidance - avoiding situations that may trigger anxiety (could lead to further problems)

45
Q

What are the emotional symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

high anxiety - aware that obsessions are excessive (causes shame) / aware they cannot control compulsions (distress)
2) disgust - negative emotions over minor issues

46
Q

What are the cognitive symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) obsessions - recurrent/intrusive thoughts + impulses perceived as inappropriate/forbidden (might not share with others)
2) awareness that behaviour is irrational
3) hypervigilance - spend time + energy looking for phobic object + notice it before other people
4) catastrophic thinking - fear that something bad will happen if compulsion is not carried out

47
Q

What are the cognitive explanations of depression?

A

1) Beck’s negative triad

2) Ellis’s ABC model

48
Q

How does Beck’s negative triad explain depression?

A

1) depressed people have acquired negative schema during childhood - activated when person encounters situation similar to in which schema was learnt
2) negative views about: self, world, future

49
Q

What is a strength of the negative triad?

A

1) supporting evidence that negative + irrational thinking cause depression - 65 pregnant women tested for cognitive vulnerability before + after birth, women with high cognitive vulnerability more likely to suffer from post-partum depression

50
Q

What is a weakness of the negative triad?

A

1) cause + effect not clear - do negative + irrational thoughts cause depression or does depression cause negative + irrational thoughts?
2) does not explain how some symptoms of depression develop - anger/manic phases in people with bipolar disorder

51
Q

How does Ellis’s ABC model explain depression?

A

1) disorders begin with activating event (A) - incident in someone’s life
2) leads to belief about why event happened (B) - rational/irrational
3) leads to consequence (C) - emotions caused by beliefs (rational beliefs=healthy emotions/irrational beliefs=unhealthy emotions)

52
Q

What is a strength of the ABC model?

A

1) supporting research - depressed participants given negative thought statements became more depressed

53
Q

What is a weakness of the ABC model?

A

1) even though client has power to change situation + improves symptoms, blames client for depression

54
Q

What is a strength of the cognitive explanations of depression?

A

1) useful - considers thoughts + beliefs
2) Automatic Thoughts Questionnaire created to measure negative thinking - 114 depressed + non-depressed participants were tested (depressed participants scored significantly higher)
3) cognitive therapies often successfully treat depression

55
Q

What is a weakness of the cognitive explanations of depression?

A

1) faulty cognitions could be caused by depression (chemical imbalance in brain)
2) person could begin to feel there are to blame for their problems

56
Q

What are the cognitive treatments for depression?

A

1) cognitive behavioural therapy

2) behavioural activation

57
Q

What is the aim of cognitive behavioural therapy?

A

To change/modify negative schema/irrational thoughts + alleviate depression

58
Q

How does cognitive behavioural therapy work?

A

1) therapist + client identify client’s faulty cognitions
2) therapist tries to help client see cognitions aren’t true
3) set goals together to thin k in more positive + adaptive ways
4) mainly focuses on present situation but may occasionally need to look back on past experiences
5) clients encouraged to keep a diary - to record thought patterns/feelings/behaviour

59
Q

What is a strength of cognitive behavioural therapy?

A

1) empowers patients - put in charge of own treatment by being taught self-help strategies (fewer ethical issues)
2) cognitive behavioural therapy + drug therapy compared in placebo trial (both treatments more effective than placebo after 8 weeks)
3) participants withdrawn from cognitive behavioural therapy far less likely to relapse within a year than participants withdrawn from drug therapy
4) cognitive behavioural therapy more effective for people who put a lot of pressure on themselves + feel guilty about being inadequate

60
Q

What is a weakness of cognitive behavioural therapy?

A

1) take a long time
2) costly
3) may be more effective when compared with other approaches
4) cognitive behavioural therapy only effective if therapist is experienced
5) person could begin to feel they are to blame for their problems

61
Q

What is the biological approach to obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

Explains that obsessive compulsive disorder is caused by genetic + biochemical factors

62
Q

What does polygenic mean in terms of obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) one single gene is not reponsible

2) many genes might be responsible - candidate genes

63
Q

What are the biological explanations for obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) genetics
2) biochemical factors
3) neurological factors

64
Q

How does the COMT gene have a role in causing obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) regulates production of neurotransmitter dopamine - associated with obsessive compulsive disorder in high levels
2) more common in obsessive compulsive disorder patients than people without

65
Q

How does the SERT gene have a role in causing obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) affects transportation of serotonin
2) results in low level of neurotransmitter serotonin - obsessional thoughts
3) mutation of SERT gene on chromosome 17 can cause obsessive compulsive disorder

66
Q

What is a strength of genetic explanations for obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) people with a first-degree relative with obsessive compulsive disorder were 5 times more likely to get it
2) meta-analysis of 14 twin studies found obsessive compulsive disorder 2 times as likely to be concordant in identical twins than non-identical

67
Q

What is a weakness of obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) concordance rate for obsessive compulsive disorder is not 100% - cannot be caused by just genetic factors

68
Q

Do obsessive compulsive disorder sufferers have high or low levels of dopamine?

A

High

69
Q

How have studies shown that dopamine is related to obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) research conducted on animals found high doses of drugs that enhance dopamine levels induce movements resembling compulsive + repetitive behaviour of obsessive compulsive disorder
2) high dopamine levels linked to activity in basal ganglia area of brain

70
Q

What is a strength of biochemical factors as an explanation for obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) giving patients low doses of drug Risperidone helped lower dopamine levels + alleviate symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder - high levels of dopamine could be biological cause
2) anti-depressant drugs that increase serotonin levels led to reduction in symptoms - low levels of serotonin could be cause

71
Q

What is a disadvantage of biochemical factors as an explanation for obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

cause and effect hard to establish - neurotransmitters dopamine + serotonin might not cause obsessive compulsive disorder but low levels of serotonin + high levels of dopamine might be a symptom of obsessive compulsive disorder

72
Q

What is a strength of the biological explanation of obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) scientific basis in biology - evidence that low levels of serotonin + damage to basal ganglia correlate with cases of obsessive compulsive disorder
2) twin studies have shown genetics have some effect on likelihood of developing obsessive compulsive disorder
3) ethical - people aren’t blamed for their illness

73
Q

What is a weakness for the biological explanation of obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

1) doesn’t take into account effect of environment/family/childhood experiences/social influences
2) biological therapies raise ethical concerns - drug addiction/may only suppress symptoms rather than cure

74
Q

How can obsessive compulsive disorder be treated using biological therapy?

A

Medication used to increase/decrease levels/activity of neurotransmitters in brain

75
Q

How do Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) work?

A

1) increases levels of serotonin

2) prevents re-uptake of serotonin in synaptic cleft - more serotonin available for next neuron

76
Q

What is a strength of Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)?

A

1) 17 studies comparing SSRIs to placebo drugs found all 17 showed SSRIs to be more effective than placebos - especially when combined with cognitive behavioural therapy
2) 70% patients experience decline in symptoms when taking SSRIs - remaining 30% opt for psychological therapies/combination with SSRIs
3) antidepressants that don’t affect serotonin levels are ineffective at reducing symptoms

77
Q

What is a weakness of Selective Serotonin Re-uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)?

A

1) terrible side effects - patient might stop taking medication (side effects are temporary: indigestion/blurred vision/loss of sex drive/nausea/headache)
2) 90% of patients who stop taking SSRIs experience relapse
3) have to be taken for several weeks before improvement is seen

78
Q

What are Benzodiazepines (BZ)?

A

Anti-anxiety drugs

79
Q

How do Benzodiazepines (BZ) work?

A

1) slow down activity of neurotransmitter GABA
2) GABA reacts with GABA receptors on neurons
3) channel opens that increases flow of chloride ions into neuron
4) harder for neuron to be stimulated by other neurotransmitters
5) slows neural activity + person feels more relaxed

80
Q

What is GABA?

A

Inhibitory neurotransmitter - too little is linked to anxiety disorders

81
Q

What is a strength of Benzodiazepines (BZ)?

A

Can reduce anxiety levels + obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms in shot period of time - compared t other treatments (cognitive behavioural therapy)

82
Q

What is a weakness of Benzodiazepines (BZ)?

A

1) unwanted side effects appear with prolonged use (drowsiness/depression/unpredictable interactions with alcohol)
2) long term users of BZ became very depended on drug + sudden withdrawal led to return of high anxiety levels + OCD symptoms
3) patients need to take larger doses of drug to reduce symptoms as their body gets used to it

83
Q

How are phobias formed according to the Behavioural Approach?

A

Learned rather than being innate/inherited from parents

84
Q

What are the stages in the Two-Process Model?

A

1) phobia initiated through classical conditioning

2) phobia maintained through operant conditioning

85
Q

What is a strength of the Two-Process Model?

A

1) does not label people as mentally ill - perceives phobias as incorrect responses to stimuli that can be corrected
2) children acquire phobias after traumatic experiences with phobic object - supports idea phobias learnt through classical conditioning
3) 50% of people with severe fear of driving had been involved in road accident

86
Q

What is a weakness of the Two-Process Model?

A

1) only 7% of spider phobics recall having traumatic experience with a spider
2) many people with traumatic experience do not develop phobias - classical conditioning does not explain how all phobias develop
3) 50% of people with a phobia of dogs had never had a bad experience involving a dog - learning cannot be a factor in causing development of phobias
4) does not take into account biological factors causing phobias - some people have genetic vulnerabilities to phobias

87
Q

What are the behavioural treatments for phobias?

A

1) systematic desensitisation

2) flooding

88
Q

How does systematic desensitisation work?

A

1) reduces phobias through classical conditioning
2) replaces fear + anxiety with relaxation
3) fear + relaxation cannot occur at the same time so person associates phobic stimulus with relaxation - counter-conditioning

89
Q

What are the stages of systematic desensitisation?

A

1) anxiety hierarchy - hierarchy of fear constructed by therapist + patient (situations ranked from least to most fearful)
2) relaxation training - patients taught deep muscle relaxation techniques (relax muscles in feet + work way up) to use when imagining anxiety-provoking situations
3) gradual exposure - patient introduced to phobic object + work way up hierarchy (when they feel comfortable with one stage, they move to the next) until they are calm

90
Q

What is a strength of systematic desensitisation?

A

1) helped to eradicate Little Peter’s phobia - white rabbit presented at closer distances until he developed affection for it
2) after assessing various therapies, 87% patients were panic free after systematic desensitisation compared to 50% on medication/36% on placebo/33% with no treatment

91
Q

What is a weakness of systematic desensitisation?

A

1) address symptoms of phobias but underlying causes may remain - symptoms will return or other abnormal behaviours will replace those that have been removed

92
Q

What is flooding?

A

1) directly exposing patient to phobic object without relaxation/gradual build-up (real life/virtually)
2) patient kept in situation until anxiety has worn off - they realise nothing bad has happened + fear should be extinguished

93
Q

What is a strength of flooding?

A

1) girl used flooding to remove phobia of being in cars - forced into car + driven around for hours until hysteria was eradicated

94
Q

What is a weakness of flooding?

A

1) highly traumatic - patients may be unwilling to continue with therapy until the end
2) time + money may be wasted preparing patients and they may decide they do not want to take part/complete treatment
3) unsuitable for children

Psychology AQA A-Level Year 1 & AS (7 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions