Theories Of Abnormal Behaviour

Question 1

Single-factor explanation
Interactionist explanation

Answer 1

A genetic defect or single traumatic experience causes a mental disorder

Views behaviour as product of interaction of a variety of factors
- Takes into account biology, behaviour, environment

Question 2

Why are scientific theories valuable?

Answer 2

They integrate most of what is currently known in the simplest way

They make testable predictions about aspects not previously thought of

They make it possible to specify what evidence would deny the theory

Question 3

Null hypothesis

Answer 3

Prediction made from the theory is false
- Aim to reject the null

Question 4

Aim of theories about mental disorders

Answer 4

Explain etiology (causes)

Identify factors maintaining behav

Predict course of disorder

Design effective treatments

Question 5

Hindbrain
Midbrain
Forebrain

Answer 5

Directs ANS - Digestion, cardiovascular functioning, breathing

Reticular activating system - Controls arousal levels, attention

Thought, speech, perception, memory, learning, planning

Question 6

How can abnormal behaviour be caused by neurotransmitter systems?

Answer 6

Too much or too little neurotransmitter produced/released

Too few or too many receptors on dendrites

May he an excess/deficit in amount of transmitter-deactivating substance in synapse

Reuptake is too fast or too slow

Question 7

Brain plasticity

Answer 7

Brain can also change as result of environment/behaviour

Question 8

Autonomic nervous system (ANS)

Answer 8

Parasympathetic: Shuts down during stress (rest and digest)
Sympathetic: Fight or flight

Strength and duration of its response related to person’s likelihood to develop psychophysiological disorder

Question 9

Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis

Answer 9

Releases stress hormone (cortisol) into bloodstream by adrenal cortex

Altered functioning seen in anxiety and depression (increased response to stress)

Question 10

Concordance

Answer 10

When the problem characterizing the case also occurs in the comparison person
- Happens in family, twin, and adoption studies

Question 11

Monozygotic vs Dizygotic twins

Answer 11

Monozygotic - 100% genes in common
Dizygotic - 50% genes in common

Question 12

Differential susceptibility to home environment depends on what?

Answer 12

Dopamine-related genes

Question 13

What was Freud’s belief about traumatic experiences?

What is catbarsis?

Answer 13

Traumatic experiences early in life become repressed because they’re too distressing to contemplate

Using hyponosis to identify original traumatic experience

Question 14

What are Freud’s levels of consciousness?

Answer 14

Conscious - Info of which they’re aware

Preconscious - Info not in awareness but can be readily brought into awareness

Unconscious - Contains majority of memories and drives that is hard to be aware of (usually only in psychoanalytic procedures)
- Defence mechanism keeps traumatic memories out of awareness

Question 15

What are Freud’s 3 structures of personality?

Answer 15

Id - Present at birth; bio/instinctual drives (pleasure principle)

Ego - 1st year of life; Avoids pain/discomfort by regulating id

Superego - Older in childhood; Moral standards of society by parents (moral principle), monitors ego

Question 16

What are Freud’s psychosexual stages of development?

Answer 16

Oral (Birth-18 months): Eating, sucking

Anal (18 months-3 years): Toilet training

Phallic (3-6 years): Oedipal complex (boys have sexual desire for mother and sees father as competitor), Electra complex (desire for father, desire for penis)

Latency (6-12 years): Consolidation of behavioural skills and attitudes

Genital (adolescent-death): Achievement of personal and sexual maturity

Question 17

How did Freud’s psychodynamic perspective contribute?

Answer 17

• Focus on early mother-infant relationship
• Gender roles are shaped by bio factors and our relationship with parents
• Aggression is a biological drive
• Unconscious thoughts/motives underlie prejudice and stereotyping

Question 18

What were the limits of Freud’s psychodynamic perspective?

Answer 18

• Difficult to test empirically
• Biased measures and populqtion
• Biased methods of collecting info (free association, memories of childhood experiences, adult dreams)
• Focus on childhood sexuality too narrow and too exaggerated
• Bias on men superiority

Question 19

What do behavioural theories focus on?

Answer 19

Emphasis on how new behavs are acquired thru gradual and continual learning

People play a passive role, directed by events in environment

Question 20

Mowrer’s Two-factor theory of conditioning of phobias

Answer 20

Classical conditioning establishes aversive response to previously neutral stimulus (CS)

Avoiding of CE to prevent feeling afraid (negative reinforcement, operant conditioning)

Question 21

Bandura’s social learning theory

Cognitive-behavioural theory

Answer 21

Mainly observational learning: Children learn social behavs by observing and imitating other people
(Rather than just classical and operational)

Both thinking and behav are learned and can be changed (based on beliefs, view, etc)

Question 22

What are the 3 principles of cognitive theories?

Answer 22

Thinking affects emotion and behav

Thoughts can be monitored and changed

By altering one’s thoughts, a person will experience desired behav and emotional change

Question 23

Albert Ellis
Rational-emotive behaviour therapy

Answer 23

The ABC model of human disturbances: (C)onsequences of life events aren’t existing only from the (A)ctivating event, but are mediated by one’s (B)eliefs about those experiences

New beliefs replace irrational ones

Question 24

Aaron Beck
Cognitive theory and therapy

Answer 24

3 levels of cognition:
- Schemas (internal representations of info and exp) - Negative bias
- Info processing and intermediate beliefs
- Automatic thoughts
(Personal loss and failure for depression)

Maladaptive scheme starts at childhood and gets triggered from an event

Question 25

Content-specificity

Answer 25

Different types of beliefs are related to different kinds of abnormal behav

(Aaron Beck)

Question 26

Carl Rogers
Abraham Maslow

Answer 26

Both emphasized dignity and potential of humans
Saw experience as providing basis of improving oneself

Rogers: Person-centred bcuz person is central importance in understanding behav
- Distressing life events can distort perception of later exp

Maslow: People are good and only behave dysfunctionally as a result if exp diverting them from self-actualization (top of hierarchy of needs)
- Failure to get self-esteem needed for self-actualization causes dysfunctional behav

Question 27

Existential theories

Answer 27

Treatment focuses helping ppl accept responsibility for their actions and help find meaning in their kives

Question 28

Systems theory

Answer 28

The whole is more than the sum of its parts
- Behav is caused by combined effect of multiple factors that are bidirectional (affects both self and those around, increasing behav)

Question 29

Diathesis-stress perspective

Answer 29

Predisposition of developing a disorder interacting w/ exp of stress causes mental disorders

Needs a trigger

Question 30

Biopsychosocial model

Answer 30

Disorders can’t come from the influence of just one factor
- Combo of biological, psychological, and social