Psychopathology

Question 1

What are the definitions of abnormality ?

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Phobias

Answer 2

Behavioural - avoidance of the thing that is feared
Emotional - unreasonable levels of fear
Cognitive- irrational thought processs

Question 3

Depression

Answer 3

Behavioural- changes in eating , changes in sleeping
Cognitive- negative thinking
Emotional- intense periods of sadness

Question 4

OCD

Answer 4

Emotional —anxiety and depression caused by the interruption to daily life
Behavioural- repetitive compulsion used to manage or reduce anxiety
Cognitive- obsessive thoughts and selective attention directed towards the anxiety generating stimuli

Question 5

Two process model

Answer 5

Explains how phobias are learned through classical conditioning and maintained through operant condition

Little Albert (classical)

Negative reinforcement (operant)

Question 6

Systematic desensitisation

Answer 6

Hierarchy and relaxation

Create scenarios with person with a phobia hierarchy where fear gradually increases and at each stage it is crucial that relaxation is maintained - counter conditioning

Question 7

Flooding

Answer 7

Prevention of avoidance

Question 8

Comparing flooding to STD

Answer 8

Flooding is not as ethical as SD
They don’t really give consent as they never truly know what’s involved as they have avoided it
STD happens over a course of sessions which could be off putting to some people as it could be time consuming

Question 9

Becks negative triad

Answer 9

Negative schema

Negative views about the future- “I’ll never be good at anything”
Negative views about the world “everyone is against me because I’m worthless”
Negative views about the self - “I’m worthless and inadequate”

Question 10

Ellis’ ABC model

How irrational thoughts lead to depression

Answer 10

Activating event - an event occurs eg pass friend in corridor at school and are ignored

Beliefs - Your belief is your interpretation of the event , which could either be rational or irrational : a rational interpretation of the even might be that your friend is busy and stressed so they didn’t hear you
An irrational interpretation of the event might be that your friend dislikes you and never wants to talk to you again

Consequences - According to Ellis , rational beliefs lead to healthy emotional outcomes whereas irrational beliefs lead to unhealthy emotional outcomes , including depression

Question 11

Cognitive behavioural therapy

Answer 11

Identify and challenge the negative and irrational thoughts

A03

Counter conditon the depression
Release the repressed material from unconscious
Increase the amount of serotonin

Question 12

Methods of disputing that could be used to challenge irrational thoughts

Ellis rbt

Answer 12

Logical
Empirical
Pragmatic

Question 13

Genetic explanation of OCD

Answer 13

It is thought to be polygenic - multiple genes
The COMT gene may be involved - regulates the neurotransmitter dopamine
The SERT gene may be involved - affects the transportation of serotonin - cause lower levels of serotonin in brain

Question 14

Neural explanations of OCD

Answer 14

Reduced levels of serotonin

High levels of dopamine - compulsive behaviours involved

Question 15

What does the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) drug do

Answer 15

Decreases the sensitivity of the reuptake mechanism on the presynaptic Neuron