Psychopathology - explaining OCD

Question 1

What are the 2 explanations of explaining OCD?

Answer 1

Genetic and neural

Question 2

What are genes involved in?

Answer 2

Individual vulnerability of OCD

Question 3

What did Lewis (1936) observe of his OCD patients?

Answer 3

That 37% had parents with OCD and 21% had siblings with OCD

Question 4

What does Lewis (1936) study suggest?

Answer 4

That OCD runs in the families, although what is passed on is genetic vulnerability

Question 5

What are candidate genes?

Answer 5

Genes that create vulnerability for OCD

Question 6

What are candidate genes involved in?

Answer 6

Regulating the development of the seretonin system

Question 7

What is the gene 5HT1-D beta implicated in?

Answer 7

The transport of serotonin across synapses

Question 8

What is OCD?

Answer 8

Polygenic

Question 9

What does polygenic mean?

Answer 9

That OCD is not caused by one single gene but by a combination of genetic variations that together increase vulnerability

Question 10

What did Taylor (2013) find?

Answer 10

Evidence that up to 230 different genes may be involved in OCD

Question 11

What does aetiologically heterogeneous mean?

Answer 11

That the origins of OCD vary from one person to another

Question 12

What are neurotransmitters responsible for?

Answer 12

Relaying information from one neuron to another

Question 13

What is impaired decision making associated with?

Answer 13

Abnormal functioning of the lateral of the frontal lobes of the brain

Question 14

What is one strength of the genetic explanation of OCD?

Answer 14

Research support

Question 15

What is the evaluation of the genetic explanation of OCD having research support?

Answer 15

P: Strong evidence base
E: Nestadt (2010)- reviewed twin studies- found that 68% of identical twins shared OCD as opposed to 31% of non identical twins
E: Marini & Stebnicki (2012)- a person with a family member of OCD is around 4X likely to develop it
L: Genetic influence

Question 16

What is one limitation of the genetic explanation of OCD?

Answer 16

Environmental risk factors

Question 17

What is the evaluation of the genetic explanation of OCD having environmental risk factors?

Answer 17

P: Environmental risk factors
E: Environmental can also increase the risk of developing OCD
E: Cromer (2007)- OCD was more severe in those with one or more traumas
L: Partial explanation

Question 18

What is one strength of the neural explanation of OCD?

Answer 18

Research support

Question 19

What is the evaluation of the neural explanation of OCD having research support?

Answer 19

P: Existence of some supporting evidence
E: Antidepressants work purely on serotonin are effective in reducing OCD symptoms
E: May assume the biological processes underlie OCD
L: May be responsible of OCD

Question 20

What is one limitation of the neural explanation of OCD?

Answer 20

No unique neural system

Question 21

What is the evaluation of the neural explanation of OCD having no unique neural system?

Answer 21

P: Serotonin-OCD link may not be unique to OCD
E: Having 2 disorders is called co-morbidity
E: serotonin activity is disrupted in many people with OCD as they are depressed as well
L: May not be relevant