psychopathology Flashcards
what is statistical infrequency?
- numerically unusual behaviour or characteristic.
- i.e. IQ below 70 is part of the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder.
evaluate statistical infrequency.
- real-life application = simple means of assessing patients.
- unusual characteristics can be positive = some unusual behaviour doesn’t need treatment i.e. high IQ.
- not everyone benefits from a label = some people with low IQ function adequately and don’t benefit from a label.
what is a deviation from social norms?
- social judgments about what is acceptable.
- these norms are culture-specific.
- i.e. antisocial personality disorder = impulsive, aggressive, irresponsible behaviour is not socially acceptable.
evaluate deviations from social norms.
- not a sole explanation = other factors after such as distress to others.
- cultural relativism = unfair to judge someone from another culture.
- can lead to human rights abuse = the social norm approach maintains control over a minority group.
what is failure to function adequately?
- failing to cope with the demands of everyday life.
- signs = not conforming to interpersonal rules, personal distress.
- IDD = failing to function is part of the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder as well as low IQ.
evaluate failure to function adequately.
- patient’s perspective = captures the experience of people with mental health problems.
- similarities to deviation = alternative lifestyles e.g. extreme sports may be an example of both.
- subjective judgements required during the assessment.
what is a deviation from ideal mental health?
- Jahoda considered normality rather than an abnormality.
- includes lack of symptoms, rationality, self-actualisation, coping with stress
evaluate deviations from ideal mental health.
- comprehensive definition = includes all the reasons why anyone might seek help.
- cultural relativism = ideas that are specific to Western cultures e.g. self-actualisation.
- universal high standards = very little people have “ideal” mental health.
what are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?
- panic
- avoidance or endurance.
what are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
irrational and unreasonable fear and anxiety.
what are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?
- selective attention
- irrational beliefs
- cognitive distortions
what are some behavioural explanations of phobias?
- two-process model (Mowrer: two ways of conditioning)
- acquisition by classical conditioning (UCS produces a fear response, UCS then associated with a neutral stimulus)
- maintenance by operant conditioning (avoidance of phobic stimulus reinforced by anxiety reduction so the phobia is maintained).
evaluate the behavioural explanations for phobias.
- good explanatory power = explains how phobias can be acquired and maintained.
- alternate explanation for avoidance = may be motivated by seeking safety rather than anxiety reduction.
- incomplete explanation for phobias = cannot account for preparedness to acquire phobias of some stimuli and not others.
what are the three stages of systematic desensitization?
- anxiety hierarchy identified = a list of situations ranked for how much anxiety they produce
- relaxation = reciprocal inhibition + relaxation includes imagery and/or breathing techniques.
- exposure = phobic stimulus exposed whilst relaxed at each level of hierarchy.
evaluate systematic desensitization as a behavioural treatment for phobias.
- effective = more effective than relaxation done alone after 33 months.
- diversity = appropriate for learners with learning difficulties.
- acceptable for patients = patients prefer this to flooding meaning dropout rates are lower.
