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Isaac's Psy YEAR 1 > Psychopathology > Flashcards

Psychopathology Flashcards

1
Q

What is psychopathology? and this issue with it?

A

The scientific study of psychological disorders.

Being able to identify when someone is actually ill, what is normal/abnormal.

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2
Q

What is statistical infrequency?

A

We use typical numbers to define ‘normal’. If we can define normal then we have an idea of what is not common or normal.

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3
Q

What is an example of statistical infrequency?

A

Fear of dogs, asking everyone in your class to rank themselves on their fear of dogs. 1 being no panic, 10 being panic. A number of ratings would tend to cluster around the middle. And there will be a few at either end..

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4
Q

What is deviation from social norms?

A

Social norms are created by a group of people. In any society there are standards of acceptable behaviour that are set by the social group and followed by them. Anyone behaving differently deviates from these norms and is classed as abnormal.

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5
Q

What is an example of deviation from social norms?

A

Homosexuality classed as abnormal and regarded as a mental disorder. This judgement was based on social deviation.

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6
Q

2 weaknesses of statistical infrequency.

A
  • Distinguishing desirable and undesirable behaviours
    ie: high IQ is abnormal but desirable.
  • Cut off point defining abnormality is subjective, how do we know what is too much or not enough?
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7
Q

2 weaknesses of social norms.

A
  • Susceptible to abuse, deviation from social norms varies with time.
  • Distinguishes between desirable and undesirable behaviours. If undesirable behaviour is managed it will ensure people can live together in society.
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8
Q

What is failure to function adequately? (2)

A

Individual’s abnormality can be defined in terms of not being able to cope with everyday life such as eating.
This function usually causes distress for the individual and others, sometimes the individual does not even realise the distress they are causing eg: schizophrenia.

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9
Q

What is deviation from ideal mental health?

A

Jahoda said we define physical illness in part by looking at the absence of signs of physical mental health. Identified 6 common areas referred to as being a part of good mental health.

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10
Q

What are 4 of the 6 common areas referred to by Jahoda to allow a good mental health? and what do they mean.

A
  • Self attitudes: high self esteem
  • Self actualisation: extent to which person develops to full capability.
  • Integration: managing stressful situations
  • Autonomy: independent person
  • Accurate perception of reality: comparing to others.
  • Mastery of environment: ability to love / solve problems.
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11
Q

3 evaluation points about failing to function adequately.

A
  • Who judges? who decides if someone is failing to function adequately? a doctor, family?
  • Behaviour may be functional, can be adaptive and functional for the individual. eg: depression leading to receiving attention which is rewarding so it is functional.
  • Cultural relativism limits the model - may explain why lower class, non-white patients tend to be more oftenly diagnosed with mental disorders
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12
Q

3 evaluation points about deviation from ideal mental health.

A
  • Unrealistic criteria, difficult to measure 6 categories as they are worded criteria which gives you qualitative data which is harder to measure.
  • Positive approach, focuses on the desirable features rather than undesirable - this outlook has influenced has influenced other research.
  • Cultural relativism limits the model - self actualisation is all about someone reaching their full potential (individualist culture though) Tf applying this to collectivist cultures you are more likely to find abnormalities.
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13
Q

What are the three mental disorders?

A

Phobias, depression and OCD.

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14
Q

What is a phobia?

A

A group of mental disorders characterised by high levels of anxiety in response to a particular stimulus.

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15
Q

What are the 2 main emotional characteristics of phobias?

A
  • Fear that is marked and persistent, likely to be excessive.
  • Anxiety/panic which are cued by the presence of a specific object/situation. Out of proportion to actual danger posed.
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16
Q

What are the main 2 behavioural characteristics of phobias?

A
  • Avoidance, moving away from the phobia, this can interfere with normal life.
  • Freeze/faint trying to imitate death.
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17
Q

What are the main 2 cognitive characteristics of phobias?

A
  • Thought processes, irrational thinking and resistance to rational arguments.
  • Person recognises their fear is excessive and abnormal which distinguishes them between a phobia and a delusion.
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18
Q

What is depression?

A

A mood disorder where an individual feels sad/lacks interest in their usual activities.

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19
Q

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Remembering severe depression requires 5 symptoms.

A 
Sadness/loss of interest.
Worthless
Hopeless
Low self esteem
Lack of control

Anger also associated - directed at others

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20
Q

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression? (3)

A
  • Most patients have a shift in activity level
  • Sleep increased or decreased (insomnia)
  • Apetite reduced or increased.
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21
Q

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

A
  • Negative emotions associated with negative thoughts negative self concept, guilt and worthless
  • Negative view of life
  • Negative thoughts are irrational + do not accurately reflect reality
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22
Q

What is OCD?

A

Anxiety disorder obsessions are consistent thoughts compulsions are repetitive behaviour.

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23
Q

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

A
  • Considerable anxiety and stress caused by obsessions and compulsions.
  • Sufferers aware that their behaviour is excessive resulting in embarrassment.
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24
Q

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

A
  • Compulsive behaviours performed to reduce anxiety.
  • Patients must feel they are compelled to perform actions.
  • Behaviours clearly excessive eg: washing hands every 5 minutes.
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25
Q

What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?

A
  • Obsessions are recurrent intrusive thoughts or impulsive.
  • May be frightening or embarrasing
  • Uncontrollable
  • Person recognises they are obsession and are unreasonable.
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26
Q

What is the two-process model?

A

Mowrer (1974) proposed the two-process model to explain how phobias are learned
1st stage: Classical
2nd stage: Operant

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27
Q

What is classical conditioning? (initiation)

A

Classical conditioning creates the phobia - acquired through association - between a natural stimulus such as a white fury rat, and a loud noise results in a new stimulus response being learned.

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28
Q

What would an example of classical conditioning be?

A

Being scared of the dark - you are not born scared of the dark but if you have a bad experience in the dark such as a mugging (which we would class as terrifying) we then associate darkness with mugging.

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29
Q

What is operant conditioning? (maintenance) (2)

A

The individual is more likely to maintain fear if:

  • Likelihood of a behaviour being repeated is increased if the outcome is rewarding.
  • For phobias, avoiding the phobic stimulus reduces fear and reinforces (negative reinforcement).
30
Q

What is the social learning theory? (not part of the two process model)

A

Suggests phobias may be acquired through modelling behaviour of others. eg: (getting a hug running away from a spider)

31
Q

2 strengths of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias.

A
  • Importance of classical conditioning, people with phobias often recall specific incident when their phobia begun. But not for everyone - some block it from their memory or have forgotten. Tf classical conditioning is important in the development of phobias.
  • Support for social learning theory: Bandura + Rosenthal (1966) everytime buzzer sounded a model acted as if he was in pain - ppts who observed this showed an emotional reaction to the buzzer.
32
Q

Another evaluation point for behavioural approach to explaining phobias.

A
  • Biological preparedness. Animals/We are prepared to rapidly learn a life threatening stimuli and fear. Tf, suggests that the behavioural approach cannot explain all phobias.
  • Diathesis stress. More than one approach involved, biological + cognitive not taken into account. Moreover, not everyone who is bitten by a dog develops a phobia. Some people have a genetic vulnerability + life event resulting in a phobia.
33
Q

What are the two behavioural approaches to treating phobias?

A

Flooding

Systematic desensitisation

34
Q

What does flooding involve?

A

It is one long session where the patient experiences their phobias at its worst while at the same time practicing relaxation.
Session ends when the patient is completely relaxed in the presence of the phobia

35
Q

What are the three parts to systematic desensitisation?

A

Counterconditioning
Relaxation
Desensitisation heirachy

36
Q

What is each phase to systematic desensitisation? (3)

A
  • Counterconditioning occurs as a new response (relaxation instead of anxiety) through classical conditioning. Tf, anxiety is reduced - they are desensitised.
  • Relaxation techniques taught such as patient focussing on breathing / progressive muscle relaxation.
  • Desensitisation heirachy whereby they are asked to form their easiest situation with their phobia (eg: imagining what the spider looks like) all the way up to their hardest situation. They gradually move through the steps once they are relaxed at each one.
37
Q

Give 1 evaluation point on systematic desensitisation.

A

-Effectiveness. McGraith 1990 reported about 75% of patients with phobias respond with SD. Research success for a range of phobias.

38
Q

Give 2 evaluation points of flooding

A
  • Effectiveness. If flooding is stuck with it can be a more effective method than CBT as it is a quicker method.
  • Individual differences, this method is not for everyone as it is highly traumatic, patients are made aware of this beforehand but can still quit mid treatment. Different responses to flooding limit effectiveness.
39
Q

2 key general evaluation points for behavioural therapies to treating phobias.

A

-Generally faster, cheaper and require less effort on the patient’s part than other therapies.
Relaxation may not be necessary, argument to be made that the success of both SD and flooding are more to do with exposure to the feared situation rather than relaxation.

40
Q

Which two researcher’s methods are used in the cognitive approach to explaining depression?

A

Ellis’ ABC model (1962)

Beck’s negative triad (1967)

41
Q

What do Ellis’ ABC abbreviate for?

A

A (ACTIVATING event) triggering the onset of depression.
B (BELIEF) which may be rational or irrational but with depression it is irrational.
C (CONSEQUENCE) rational beliefs = healthy emotions / irrational = unhealthy emotions

42
Q

What is mustubatory thinking to do with that Ellis proposed? What are the 3 beliefs you need in order to be ‘happy’?
(3 musts)

A

The source of irrational beliefs lies in mustubatory thinking - certain ideas / thinking must be true in order for an individual to be happy.

  • Must be approved / accepted by people I find important.
  • Must do well or I am worthless.
  • World MUST give me happiness or I will die.
43
Q

What are the two things involved in Beck’s negative triad?

A

Negative schema

Negative triad

44
Q

What is Beck’s negative schema?

A

Depressed people acquired schema during childhood which gives them a tendency to adopt a negative view on the world. This can be caused by a variety of factors (eg: parental rejection).
Meaning they expect to fail - this is activated whenever their is a new situation resembling the original condition.
These schemas lead to systematic cognitive biases in thinking.

45
Q

What is Beck’s negative triad?

A

Triangle of:
Negative view of the self (see themselves as hopeless, worthless)

Negative view of the future (see themselves as always going to be alone / blocking improvements)

Negative view of the world (life experiences, they convince themselves they are not liked.

46
Q

2 strengths of the cognitive approach to explaining depression.

A
  • Support for irrational thinking, Krantz (1976) found depressed ppts made more errors in logic when asked to interpret written material than did non-depressed ppts.
  • CBT works and has proven to work so Tf there must be something successful in the theory behind it.
  • CBT approach suggests that it is the client who is responsible for their disorder.
47
Q

2 weaknesses of the cognitive approach to explaining depression.

A
  • CBT suggests the client is responsible for their disorder could lead to a client/therapist to overlook situational factors (eg: life events contributing to it).
  • Argument for irrational beliefs being realistic. Because who is to decide the irrationality. Depressive realists tend to see things for what they are in contrast to a ‘normal person’ who sees things through rose-coloured glasses.
48
Q

What did Ellis come up with prior to his ABC model and mustubatory thinking?

A

Ellis was one of the first psychologists to develop a form of CBT. First calling it ‘rational therapy’ as his aim was to turn irrational thinking into rational thinking. Then he renamed it to REBT (rational emotional behaviour therapy) as it resolves behaviour problems.

49
Q

What did Ellis put forward to challenge irrational thoughts? (extended to ABC model)

A

D (DISPUTING) irrational thoughts
E (EFFECTS) of disputing and (EFFECTIVE) attitude to life)
F (FEELINGS) emotions produced.

Key point: it is the beliefs (not the event) that lead to self-defeating consequences.

50
Q

The 3 examples of disputing irrational beliefs in CBT.

A
  • Logical disputing: does this way of thinking make sense?
  • Empirical disputing: where is the proof this is accurate?
  • Pragmatic disputing: How is this belief likely to help me?
51
Q

What is point of being set homework in CBT?

A

The homework is vital in testing irrational thoughts against reality and putting new rational beliefs into practice.

52
Q

What is the point of behavioural activation in CBT?

A

CBT often involves a specific focus on encouraging depressed clients to become more active + engage in pleasurable activities.

53
Q

What is the point of unconditional positive regard?

A

UPR is convincing the client of their value as a human being. If they feel worthless they will be less likely to change their beliefs. UPR facilitates for this.

54
Q

2 strengths of CBT approach to treating depression.

A
  • Research support 90% success rate averaging 27 sessions to complete the treatment
  • Less traumatic compared to behavioural approaches such as flooding.
55
Q

2 weaknesses of CBT approach to treating depression.

A
  • Therapy sessions and success can depend on therapist competence
  • Time consuming and therefore more costly to receive CBT therapy.
  • Drug therapies require less effort on the part of the client / no therapist. Could be an easier method.
  • INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
56
Q

What is the genetic explanation for the biological approach in explaining OCD?

A

Hereditary influences through genetic transmission from parent to offspring.

57
Q

How could the COMT gene help explain the biological approach to OCD?

A

COMT regulates the production of the neurotransmitter dopamine. COMT gene found to be more common in patients with OCD than people without it.
OCD patients usually have an excessive amount of dopamine in the brain. With OCD = higher dopamine less serotonin.

58
Q

How could the SERT gene help explain the biological approach to OCD?

A

SERT gene affects the transport of serotonin creating lower levels of this meurotransmitter

With OCD = higher dopamine less serotonin.

59
Q

What is the diathesis stress in the biological approach to explain OCD?

A

It suggests that one of these genes creates a VULNERABILITY for OCD. Other stressors affects what condition develops, Tf people can still possess COMT + SERT gene variations but not suffer.

60
Q

What are the abnormal levels of neurotransmitters in the biological approach to explain OCD?
(Hint: dopamine + serotonin)

A

Dopamine levels are thought to be abnormally high in people with OCD. Animal studies show high dose of drugs that increase dopamine also inducing stereotyped movements resembling OCD.
Antidepressant drugs that increase the levels on serotonin activity have been shown to reduce OCD symptoms. Whereas other antidepressants that do not focus on serotonin levels have been shown not to reduce symptoms.

61
Q

What are the abnormal brain circuits in the biological approach to explain OCD?

A

Several areas in the frontal lobes of the brain are thought to be abnormal.

  • OFC, sends signal to thalamus about things that are worrying
  • Thalamus, leads impulse to act and then to stop activity when impulse lessens.
  • Caudate nucleus, suppresses signals from OFC. If damaged, it fails to do this so thalamus is alerted by minor worries.
62
Q

2 strengths of the biological approach to explaining OCD.

A
  • There is evidence that supports vulnerability to OCD as a result of ones genetic makeup. A review of twin studies found 68% of identical twins shared OCD compared to 31% of non identical twins.
  • Real World Application, in the future parents who have suffered from OCD could be able to check whether their fertilised egg has the COMT or SERT gene - help them to decide whether to abort the baby or not.
63
Q

2 weaknesses of the biological approach to explaining OCD.

A
  • Twin studies make assumption that identical twins are only more similar than non-identical twins in terms of their genes. Overlooking identical twins may also be different in their characteristics and everyday things.
  • Environmental factors not taken into account - they could trigger or increase the risk of developing OCD - found in a study, over half the OCD patients had a traumatic experience in the past.
64
Q

What are the three main type of drugs in the biological approach to treating OCD?

A

Antidepressants: SSRI’s
Antidepressants: Tricyclics
Anti-anxiety drugs

65
Q

What does the antidepressant SSRI stand for?

A

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

66
Q

What do antidepressants (SSRI’s) do and how does this occur?

A

Increase levels of serotonin to normalise the ‘worry circuit’ which is caused by a lack of serotonin.
Serotonin released into synapse from one nerve targetting receptor sites and afterwards is re-absorbed.

67
Q

What do antidepressants (tricyclics) do and how does this occur?

A

Blocks transporter mechanism that re-absorbs both serotonin and noradrenaline in the pre-synaptic cell. This results in neurotransmitters being left in the synapse, prolonging activity.

68
Q

What do anti-anxiety drugs do and how does this occur?

A

(BZs) commonly used to reduce anxiet. It slows down CNS activity by enhancing the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA when released has a quietening effect on the brain.
GABA binds to receptors on the outside of receiving neurons / post synaptic membrane.

69
Q

2 strengths of the biological approach to treating OCD.

A
  • If successful, cheaper and less time consuming compared to CBT.
  • For health service, also cheaper, requires little monitoring and is cheap compared to psychological therapies.
70
Q

2 weaknesses of the biological approach to treating OCD.

A
  • Publication bias, some privately owned pharmaceutical companies manipulate their results so that more people pay for their drugs - so the company gets boosted. Tf it is a risk to take.
  • SIDE EFFECTS, nausea, headache and insomnia common of SSRI’s. Moreover, possible addiction limits usefulness of drugs as a treatment.

Isaac's Psy YEAR 1 (7 decks)

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