Psychopathology AO1

Question 1

What are neurotransmitters?

Answer 1

They are responsible for relaying information from one neuron to another

Question 2

What is the Diathesis Stress Model (DSM)?

Answer 2

A model stating that environment and genetic makeup has a correlation to the cause of disorders

Question 3

What are the two neural explanations for OCD?

Answer 3

• hormonal explanation
• brain structure explanation

Question 4

What is the hormonal explanation (neural) for OCD?

Answer 4

1. Low levels of serotonin are associated with OCD.
   - treatment: Antidepressants (SSRIs) have been shown to reduce symptoms (Pigott et Al., 1990)
2. High levels of dopamine associated with OCD patients
   - Animal study ( *Szechtman et Al., 1998) found high levels of dopamine induce stereotyped movement resembling compulsive behaviours in OCD patients

Question 5

[Ao1]
1. What does the brain structure (2. neural) explanation say about OCD?
2. What does the Orbital Frontal Cortex (OFC) do?
3. What does the Caudate Nucleus (CN) do, and where is it located?

Answer 5

1. several areas of the frontal lobe (CN, OFC, BG, THAL) is associated with developing OCD.
2. the OFC sends potentially worrying signals to the thalamus
3. the CN suppresses the “worry” signals. It is found in the basal ganglia

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Question 6

How is brain structure linked to the onset development of OCD?

Answer 6

• When the CN is damaged, it fails to suppress ‘‘minor’’ worry signals.
• A damaged CN is found in OCD patients
• the THAL is altered as a result, and sends the signals back to OFC; confirming the worry
• It then causes a worry cycle

Question 7

Nestadt et.al.

[AO3] Explain how the research support of genetic explanations support biological explanations for OCD and name a study

jkb

Answer 7

Nestadt et. al. (2010)’s identical twin study reveals the significant influence of genes in OCD: 68% shared OCD, 31% non-identical shared OCD.

jkb

Question 8

Diathesis Stress Model (DSM)

[AO3] How do environmental risk factors discredit the biological explanation (genetic part) for OCD?

Answer 8

the diathesis stress model may better explain the development of ocd in the case of environmental risk factors. Cromer et al (2007 found that over half of OCD clients in their sample experienced a traumatic event. disorder was more severe with one or two traumas.

Question 9

[AO3] How does the strong empirical research support neural explanations of biological explanations for OCD?

Answer 9

understanding of neural explanations in OCD helps researchers put forward medications and treatments to treat OCD symptoms. Antidepressants that work purely on Serotonin (SSRIs) have proven effective in reducing OCD symptoms

Question 9

Mowrer (1947)

[AO1] What is the two-process model in explaining how phobias are developed?

Answer 9

Proposed by Mowrer (1947), the model states that phobias are learned through classical conditioning , and maintained through operant conditioning.

Question 10

what is classical conditioning?

Answer 10

learning through *association

Question 11

what is operant conditioning

Answer 11

learning through reward and punishment

Question 12

How does classical conditioning explain how phobias are learnt?

Answer 12

the UCS (i.e. loud noise) and the UCR (i.e. fear). Pair the UCS with the UCR and NS (i.e. white furry rat), and the fear becomes the CR to the now CS (furry rat).