Unit 2 Psychology Flashcards
What are the three main definitions of abnormality?
1) Deviation from social norms
2) Failure to function adequately
3) Deviation from ideal mental health
What is deviant behaviour?
Behaviour considered antisocial or undesirable by society
What are the three limitations of the ‘deviation from social norms’ definition of abnormality?
1) Susceptible to abuse
2) Deviance is related to context and degree
3) Cultural relativism
What are three limitations of the ‘Failure to function adequately’ approach to abnormality?
1) Who judges?
2) Adaptive or maladaptive?
3) Cultural relativism
Who identified the 6 categories of ideal mental health in the ‘Deviation from ideal mental health’ definition of abnormality?
Marie Jahoda
What were 3 of the categories for ideal metal health in the ‘Deviation from ideal mental health’ definition of abnormality?
1) Self attitudes
2) Personal growth
3) Accurate perception of reality
What were the 3 limitations of the ‘deviation from ideal mental health’ definition of abnormality?
1) Who can achieve all of these criteria
2) Is mental health the same as physical?
3) Cultural relativism
What are the 4 approaches to Psychopathology?
Cognitive, Behavioural, Biological, Psychodynamic
What is the basic belief of the cognitive approach?
Abnormality is caused by faulty thinking/maladaptive thoughts
How does the cognitive approach believe mental disorders can be avoided?
If an individual changes how they perceive themselves and the world
In the cognitive approach, why is the individual in full control over their abnormality?
They control their thoughts, so are responsible for their own behaviour
In the cognitive approach, what did a psychologist refer expectations and attitudes directing peoples behaviour to?
The ABC model
What is the ABC model?
A - Activating event
B - belief/irrational thought
C - Consequence (fear)
What are 3 limitations of the cognitive approach?
1) Blames the patient rather than situational factors
2) Consequence rather than cause
3) Irrational beliefs may be realistic
Evaluation: what does the cognitive approach blaming the patient rather than situational factors mean?
Situational factors such as a drastic life event may be overlooked, yet they may have contributed to the development of the disorder
Cognitive Approach Evaluation: What does consequence rather than cause mean?
- Unclear whether faulty thinking or mental disorder comes first
- Negative and maladaptive thoughts may be a consequence of mental disorder
Cognitive approach evaluation: what does irrational beliefs may be realistic mean?
- Not all beliefs seen as irrational are truly irrational
- Alloy and Abrahamsson suggested that many depressive realists see things for what they are
What is the main belief of the biological approach to psychopathology?
Abnormalities are a product of genetic inheritance
In the biological approach, how can abnormalities be inherited?
Passed from parent to child through genes
How can abnormalities in someones brain chemistry lead to abnormality, according to the biological approach?
- Enlarged ventricles = schizophrenia, indicating shrinkage of brain tissue
- Low serotonin levels can lead to depression
According to the biological approach, how can an individuals exposure to certain viruses lead to disorders?
Research shows that mothers of people with schizophrenia contracted a strain of influenza during pregnancy
What are the three limitations of the biological approach?
1) Inconclusive evidence
2) Problems establishing cause or effect
3) The myth of mental illness
How does the biological approach have inconclusive evidence?
If abnormalities were caused by genetics, the concordance rates of identical twins for mental disorders should be 100%, but chances of the other twin developing it are only 50%
What does the biological approach having inconclusive evidence show?
Environmental influences are equally important and it may only be vulnerability that is inherited