Psychotherapy A 1

Question 1

Critical psychology

Answer 1

a perspective on psychology that draws extensively on critical theory

Question 2

Critical theory

Answer 2

is oriented toward critiquing and changing society as a whole, in contrast to traditional theory oriented only to understanding or explaining it

Question 3

Critical psychology…

Answer 3

challenges mainstream psychology and attempts to apply psychological understandings in more progressive ways, often looking towards social change as a means of preventing and treating psychopathology

Question 4

What does critical psychology not mean

Answer 4

it does not mean being negative and/or criticising psychology as a discipline and profession

Question 5

Define scientism

Answer 5

is an ideology that promotes science as the only objective means that society should use to understand reality

Question 6

What does scientism postulate

Answer 6

postulates that society should rely on science to solve all future problems

Question 7

Role of science in Western society

Answer 7

Theory -> applied -> implementation

Question 8

Example of theory

Answer 8

Albert Einstein (theory energy equals mass multiplied by the speed of light squared; because the speed of light is a very large number in everyday units, the formula implied that any small amount of matter contains a very large amount of energy

Question 9

Example of application of this theory

Answer 9

Julius Robert Oppenheimer, an American theoretical physicist who was head of the Manhattan project at the Los Alamos Laboratory that developed the first nuclear weapon (nicknamed the Gadget, 1945)

Question 10

Example of implementation of this theory

Answer 10

President Truman made the contentious decision to use atomic bombs against two Japanese cities (Hiroshima and Nagasaki)

Question 11

How Western cultures change behaviour (5)

Answer 11

1) Western cultures (using scientism) attempt to develop control over the environment (e.g. transport, housing, food production); 2) goal of scientists is to make practical contributions to this control process; 3) research is funded/promoted that has practical applications; 4) psychological science has developed methodologies (theories) to understand and change/control behaviour (therapies); 5) Once developed there is an expectation that it will be used (to demonstrate effectiveness; to drive change; to demonstrate universality)

Question 12

Possible outcomes

Answer 12

positive; negative

Question 13

Positive outcomes

Answer 13

to create a better quality of life for society and its citizens (both those that are experiencing mental health problems and the rest of society)

Question 14

Positive outcomes primarily focus on…

Answer 14

primarily focuses on the individual (rather than society) and attempts to make people less stressed and happier

Question 15

Positive outcome increases individual control over (4)

Answer 15

determining if there is a problem; defining what the problem is; deciding on what the end goal should be; being involved in determining how the end goal will be achieved