Psychopathology - Paper 1 Flashcards
Definitions of abnormality - statistical infrequency
Analysing numbers
Behaviour rarely seen = abnormal
Example of statistical infrequency
IQ normally distributed
2% below 70
Evaluation of statistical infrequency
+ real world application - asses range of conditions
- unusual characteristics can also be positive - IQ above 130
- subjective - symptoms difficult to measure
Explain deviation from social norms
Behaviour deviate society’s set norms and values
Unexpected behaviour
Example of deviation from social norms
The use of cannabis
Evaluate deviation from social norms
- risk of an imposed etic - applying one countries norms to another’s
- susceptible to abuse - changes over time excuse bullying
+ real world application - diagnose schizophrenia
Explain failure to function adequately
Affect ability to live a ‘normal’ life
Ability to work or form relationships
Example of failure to function adequately
Eating disorders
Rosenhan et al’s checklist of dysfunction
- Personal distress
- Maladaptive behaviour
- Unpredictable behaviour
- Irrational behaviour
- Cause observer discomfort
- Deviation from norms and values
Evaluate failure to function adequately
- abnormality not always accompanies by dysfunction. Psychopaths functional lives - Fred and Rose West - serial killers
+ functional dysfunction - attention seeking behaviour - outwardly display not functioning adequately
Explain deviation from ideal mental health
Behaviour deviates from ‘normal’ mental health.
Example of deviation from ideal mental health
Depression, hallucinations and anxiety
Jahoda’s checklist for ideal mental health - more have more normal
- No symptoms or distress
- Rational and accurate perception
- Self actualise
- Cope with stress
- Realistic view of the world
- Good self esteem
- Independent
- Successfully work, love
Evaluation of deviation from ideal mental health
- over demanding - unrealistic criteria - subjective
- changes over time - seeing spirits bad now but godliness before. Homosexuality 50 years ago mental disorder
- cultural relativism - independence abnormal in collectivist.
What are the characteristics of mental disorders
Excessive fear and anxiety
Specific phobia - (object)
Social anxiety - (social situation)
Agoraphobia - (fear of outside)
Explain behavioural characteristics of phobias
Panic - in response to presence of stimulus. Crying, screaming or running. Children freeze, cling
Avoidance - effort to prevent contact, hard go about daily life
Explain emotional characteristics of phobias
Anxiety - unpleasant state of high arousal. Prevent relaxing
Fear - more intense but shorter than anxiety
Explain cognitive characteristics of phobias
Irrational beliefs - unfounded thoughts, increased pressure to perform
Selective attention - keep attention on something dangerous - reacting quickly
What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?
Panic
Avoidance
Endurance
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
Anxiety
Fear
Emotional response unreasonable
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?
Selective attention
Irrational belief
Cognitive distortions - unrealistic thinking
What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?
Compulsions repetitive
Reduce anxiety
Avoidance
What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?
Anxiety and distress
Depression
Guilt and disgust
What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?
Activity levels
Disrupts sleep and eating
Aggression and self harm
What are the emotional characteristics of depression?
Lowered mood
Anger
Lowered self esteem
What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?
Poor concentration
Attention to the negative
Absolutist thinking
What is the two process of model of phobias?
Learned through classical conditioning
Maintained through operant conditioning
Describe classical conditioning
Association
UCS triggers fear (UCR)
NS associated
NS created CR
Watson and Rayner - little Albert
How fear of rats is conditioned
Loud noise when a white rat presented
Eventually fear response when rat presented
Also showed fear to other white fluffy objects - generalisation
Maintained through operant conditioning
Negative reinforcement - individual produces behaviour avoid
Avoid phobic stimulus
Prevents extinction
Evaluation of the two process model
+ real world application - treating
+ link to bad experience
- not all phobias appear from bad experiences
Behaviourist approach to treating phobias - systematic desensitisation
Based on classical conditioning - counter conditioning
CS associated with CR
Reciprocal inhibition - not possible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time
Anxiety hierarchy
Relaxation practiced at each level of hierarchy
Evaluation of systematic desensitisation
+ evidence - Gilroy et al less afraid then control
+ useful for learning difficulties - not require understanding, not traumatic
+ can be done in virtual reality - avoid dangerous situations
Behaviourist approach of treating phobias - flooding
Immediate exposure to stimulus.
Very quick learning through extinction - harmless
Ethical safeguards - give informed consent
Evaluation of flooding
+ cost effective
- traumatic
The cognitive approach to explaining depression - Negative triad
Beck
Faulty information processing - black and white thinking
Negative self schema - all about themselves negative
Negative triad - view of the future, view of the world and view of the self
The cognitive approach to explaining depression - ABC model
Ellis
A - Activating event - negative events
B - Beliefs - irrational
C - Consequences - belief not achieved
Evaluation of Becks model
+ supporting research - Cohen et al early cognitive vulnerability predicted later depression
+ real world application screening for depression - cognitive vulnerability - CBT
- ethics controversial, responsibility on depressed person
Evaluation of Ellis’s model
Psychological reductionism - ignore biological and psychodynamic. Holistic may be more useful
- only explain reactive depression rather then without triggering event. ABC only explain certain events
+ application to treatment - rational emotive behaviour therapy. Change beliefs and relive symptoms
What is cognitive behavioural therapies?
Method of treating depression based on cognitive techniques. Deal with thinking such as challenging the negative thoughts that interfere with a persons happiness
Ellis’ rational emotive behaviour therapy
ABC - DE
Dispute - challenging irrational beliefs
Empirical - where evidence. Logical - logical way to think. Pragmatic - useful way to think
Effect - knock on effect and thoughts of the patient.
What is behavioural activation?
Increasing engagement in activities to decrease avoidance and isolation. Physically active - endorphins
What is unconditional positive regard?
Convincing patients to their value as a human being. Providing respect and appreciation.
What are homework tasks?
Patients can be asked to complete tasks between therapy sessions
Becks treatment of negative automatic thoughts?
Challenging the cognitive errors that cause the irrational thinking sending individuals into a negative cognitive triad.
Identify cognitive errors
Patient as scientist - generate hypothesis to test validity
What dies Becks treatment resolve in?
Homework tasks
Reinforcement positive thoughts
Cognitive reconstruction
Evaluation of the cognitive approach of treating depression
Nature v nurture - thinking not looking at biological factors - drug therapies and interactionalist approach
- high relapse rates - 53% within a year - may need to continue periodically
+ evidence of effectiveness - March et al - CBT and antidepressants, 81% CBT and drugs, 86% combination
Biological approach to explaining OCD - genetic explanations
Polygenic
SERT gene - not enough serotonin - implicated OCD
COMT gene - low functioning variant too much dopamine
Vulnerability caused by diatheisis stress
Taylor - finding previous studies up to 230 different genes
Biological approach to explaining OCD - Neural explanations
Serotonin and dopamine - low serotonin
Abnormal brain circuit - worry circuit - high orbital frontal cortex, caudate nucleus suppress signals
Minor hazard perceived as major
Evaluation of biological explanation of OCD
+ twin studies - 68% identical shared OCD, 31% non identical - validity biological approach
- serotonin link - also suffer low mood, disrupted in many patients suffering from depression
Nature v Nurture - twin not 100%,
Biological reductionism ignore environment
Drug therapy OCD
Aims to increase or decrease levels of certain neurotransmitters in the brain.
What are Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors - OCD
Antidepressant used to block the reuptake of serotonin in synapse
Most common
OCD = not enough, block receptor by pre-synapse
Alternatives to SSRIs - OCD
Anti - anxiety drugs
Slows down activity of central nervous system
Increase flow of chloride in neuron.
Evaluation of treatments to OCD - drugs
- side effects, people become dependant, insomnia, nausea
+ research support - 17 studies SSRI with placebo - more effective in reducing - most effective combined
Nomothetic approach - applies to everyone
What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?
Reoccurring thoughts
Irrational beliefs
Cognitive coping strategies
