Year 1 Chapter 5 Psychopathology Flashcards
1
Q
Outline statistical infrequency including an example
A
- Anything other than common/usual behaviour is seen as abnormal.
- Statistical frequencies are used on characteristics that can be reliably measured.
- With any characteristic, the majority of people are clustered around an average with a few distinctly above or below it.
- This can be shown with a normal distribution graph.
2
Q
Give an example of how statistical deviation can be used
A
- IQ is one of the measurable characteristics in which 68% of people have a range between 85-115.
- An intellectual disorder requires an IQ in the bottom 2% of the population
3
Q
Outline what’s meant by deviation from social norms including an example
A
- Society makes a collective decision as to what is acceptable
- Anything different to this is ‘abnormal’ behaviour- Social norms are different from every generation and culture which means there are very few behaviours considered universally acceptable
- E.g. Antisocial personality disorder, someone with ASPD has the symptom that is an ‘absence of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to lawful or culturally normative ethical behaviour
- Psychopaths are seen as abnormal because they don’t conform to society’s moral standards
- This is one of few seen as abnormal in a wide range of cultures
4
Q
Outline failure to function adequately
A
- Abnormal behaviour obstructs their ability to carry out normal daily behaviours.
- Decided when someone isn’t able to maintain basic standard levels of nutrition and hygiene.
- Or able to hold down a job and maintain relationships with people around them.- Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) signs that are used to determine if someone isn’t coping.
- No longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules, eg. maintaining eye contact, and respecting personal space.
- Experiences of severe personal distress.
- Behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to either themselves or others.
- Eg. intellectual disability disorder.
- Diagnosis isn’t only based on very low IQ an individual would also have to be failing to function adequately before a diagnosis is given.
- Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) signs that are used to determine if someone isn’t coping.
5
Q
Outline deviation from ideal mental health
A
- This looks at what ‘normal’ behaviour is. Once we know what it means to be psychologically healthy then we can identify who deviates from this
- Jahoda (1958) set criteria for idea mental health e.g.
- Self-actualise, cope with stress, independence, good self-esteem, lack of guilt
- Jahoda (1958) set criteria for idea mental health e.g.
6
Q
Briefly evaluate a strength of the application of statistical infrequency
A
- Real-life application
- Application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder
- Assessment of patients include measurements of the severity of their symptoms compared to the statistical norms- Means that statistical infrequency is a necessary part of clinical assessment
7
Q
Briefly evaluate a weakness of statistical infrequencies, why unusual characteristics can be positive
A
- People with exceptionally high IQ scores are just as unusual as those with low scores but people with a high IQ aren’t seen as having a undesirable characteristic
- Just because only a few people display ‘abnormal’ characteristics doesn’t mean treatment is required to return to normal
- This is a weakness of SI because it can never be used alone to make a diagnosis
- Just because only a few people display ‘abnormal’ characteristics doesn’t mean treatment is required to return to normal
8
Q
Explain why the fact that not everyone benefits from a label is a weakness of SI
A
-If someone has a low IQ but is living a fulfilled life then there is no benefit for the to be labelled as abnormal regardless of their IQ
9
Q
Evaluate why although deviation from social norms has its merits it’s not always a sole explanation
A
- There is real-life application for the diagnosis of ASPD
- Which means it’s is necessary to think about what is normal and abnormal
- Other factors need to be considered e.g. the distress to other people resulting from ASPD
- Deviation from social norms is never the sole reason for defining abnormality
- Which means it’s is necessary to think about what is normal and abnormal
10
Q
Explain why cultural relativism is a weakness of deviation from ideal mental health
A
- Some of the characteristics set by Jahoda are specific to Western European and North America cultures
- E.g. Emphasis on personal achievement in the concept of self-actualisation would be considered self-indulgent in collectivist cultures where the focus is often much more on the family or community
11
Q
Outline the 3 behavioural characteristics of phobias
A
- Panic
- Panic may result in a range of behaviours from crying to running away, children may freeze or have a tantrum- Avoidance
- If a phobia occurs in daily life then daily activities will be disturbed if someone is avoiding going outside for fear of something they would encounter.
- Endurance
- The opposite of avoidance, we remain in the presence of the stimulus but experiences high levels of anxiety
- Avoidance
12
Q
Give 2 emotional characteristics of phobias
A
- Anxiety
- Phobias are classed as anxiety disorders and therefore involve emotional responses of anxiety and fear. Makes it hard for sufferer to relax- Emotional responses are unreasonable
- Disproportionate to the danger posed by the stimulus, eg unreasonable fear of spiders
- Emotional responses are unreasonable
13
Q
Give 3 cognitive characteristics of phobias
A
- Selective attention to the stimulus
- Can’t take your eyes off the stimulus- Irrational beliefs
- High expectations increases the pressure the sufferer is under to perform well in social situations.
- Cognitive distortions
- Seeing a relatively normal object as ‘alien’ or ‘ugly’. A distorted view of the stimulus
- Irrational beliefs
14
Q
Outline the two-process model
A
- Acquisition by classical conditioning
- US - something that already produces fear
- NS - Something that does not produce fear
- NS becomes CS when paired with the US.
- CS produces the CR.- Maintenance by operant conditioning
- Avoidance behaviour reinforces the behaviour through negative reinforcement
- Maintenance by operant conditioning
15
Q
Evaluate the explanatory power of the two process model
A
-Goes beyond the original concept of classical
condition
-Explains how phobias are acquired and how they are maintained over time
-Has important implications for therapy → explains why people need to be exposed to the stimulus to deal with the phobia
16
Q
Evaluate the role of avoidance behaviour in the two-process model
A
- Model suggests that the phobias is maintained through avoidance behaviours - avoiding the phobic stimulus
- People with complex phobias e.g. agoraphobia, can often face their fear with somebody present
- Suggests avoidance behaviour may be more to do with feelings of safety and less to do with avoiding the stimulus
17
Q
Why is the two-process model an incomplete model
A
- Does not account for evolutionary influences (Bounton, 2007)
- We more easily acquire phobias of things that have been a source of danger in the past e.g. Snakes & Spiders → Biological preparedness
- We very rarely develop phobias of things that are much more dangerous e.g. guns → They have not been present for long enough
- Shows there is more to phobias than learning
18
Q
Why is a the two process model not a full explanation
A
- Model suggests that phobias are acquired to a traumatic experience
- Some people have phobias without having had a negative experience with the stimulus
- Suggests that other explanations should be considered e.g. SLT
19
Q
Outline what’s meant by systematic desensitisation
A
- A behavioural therapy designed to gradually reduce phobic anxiety in response to a stimulus through the principles of classical conditioning
- Patients create an anxiety hierarchy - a set of situations that provoke an increasing amount of anxiety
- Therapist then teaches relaxation techniques (breathing, mental imagery, meditation or drugs e.g. valium)
- Finally the patient is exposed, in a relaxed state, to the first level in the hierarchy
- When the patient can remain relaxed in the presence of this stimulus they move on to the next level
- This means a new response is learned to the stimulus → counter-conditioning
- It is impossible to be afraid and relaxed at the same time → reciprocal inhibition
20
Q
Outline what is meant by flooding
A
- Exposure to the phobic stimulus, without gradual build-up.
- Longer than sessions of systematic desensitisation (2-3 hours), but sometimes only 1 session is needed
21
Q
How does flooding work?
A
- Without the option of avoidance the patient learns the stimulus is not harmful
- This is known as extinction → a learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus
22
Q
Give a strength of systematic desensitisation
A
- Effectiveness
- Gilroy et al. (2003) followed 42 patients who had been treated for a spider phobia using SD.
- Compared to a control group of just relaxation.- At both 3 and 33 months the experimental group showed a greater reduction in phobic anxiety.
- Suitability
- Other therapies are not as suitable for some patients e.g. those with learning difficulties.
- Learning difficulties can make it hard for people to understand what is happening in flooding or to engage with cognitive therapies.
- SD is a far more appropriate therapy.
- Patients prefer it
- SD is less traumatic than flooding.
- It actually includes some pleasant aspects - like the relaxation techniques.
- This is reflected in low attrition and low refusal rates
23
Q
Outline 3 behavioural characteristics of depression
A
- Activity levels
- Disruption to sleeping and eating patterns
- Aggression and self-harm
24
Q
Outline 3 emotional characteristics of depression
A
- Lowered mood
- Anger
- Lowered self-esteem
25
Q
Outline 3 cognitive characteristics of depression
A
- Poor concentration
- Tending to dwell on the negative
- Absolutist thinking
26
Q
Outline Beck’s theory of depression
A
- Some people are more vulnerable to depression
- This is down to their cognition - the way they think
27
Q
Outline three parts of cognitive vulnerability
A
- Faulty information processing
- Focus more on the negative aspects of situations
- Thinking in black and white terms
- Negative self-schemas
- Self-scheme is a schema about ourselves
- If someone has a negative self-schema they’ll interpret information about themselves in a negative way
- The negative triad
- Negative views of the world
- Negative views of the future
- Negative views of self
28
Q
Outline Ellis’s ABC model
A
- Ellis believed depression to be a result of irrational thoughts
- These aren’t illogical or unrealistic, but they interfere with us being happy
- A - activating event (negative event)
- B - beliefs (Irrational beliefs - Musturabationary beliefs, utopianism)
- C - consequences (emotional & behavioural)
29
Q
Discuss strengths of Beck’s theory of depression
A
- Good supporting evidence
- 65 pregnant women were assessed for cognitive vulnerability
- Those who scored high more likely to develop postnatal depression
- Practical application
- Forms the basis of CBT, where all cognitive aspects of depression can be identified and challenged
- This means the therapist can challenge and encourage the patient to test the reality of their beliefs
- Translates well into a successful therapy
30
Q
State a weakness of Beck’s theory of depression
A
- Doesn’t explain all aspects of depression
- The theory explains the basics
- It doesn’t explain some of the more complex parts (e.g. anger and hallucinations)
31
Q
Discuss weaknesses of Ellis’s model of depression
A
- Partial explanation
- The type of depression that occurs due to an event is know as reactive depression
- This is different from depression that arises without an obvious cause
- The explanation doesn’t apply to all types of depression
- Doesn’t explain all aspects of depression
- The theory explains the basics
- It doesn’t explain some of the more complex parts (e.g. anger and hallucinations)
32
Q
Outline a strength of Ellis’s model of depression
A
- Practical application
- It’s lead to a successful therapy
33
Q
Describe what CBT is and what it involves
A
- Most common treatment to depression
- The patient and therapist assess the patient’s problem
- They set goals and work together to achieve them
- They identify where negative or irrational thoughts are
- Involves changing these and putting more effective behaviour into place
34
Q
Outline Beck’s cognitive therapy
A
- Identify the negative triad
- once identified it’s challenged
- Tests the reality of the patients beliefs
- Therapist set homework, e.g. record positive events
35
Q
Outline Ellis’s rational emotive behavioural therapy (REBT)
A
- Extends the ABC model to ABCDE
- D - dispute
- E - effect
- Main idea is to identify and challenge irrational thoughts
- Two methods of disputing;
- Empirical - disputes whether or not there is actual evidence to support irrational beliefs
- Logical - disputes whether the beliefs are actually logical
36
Q
What’s meant by behavioural activation?
A
- Therapist encourages patient to be more active and social
- Helps to provide more evidence against irrational beliefs
37
Q
Outline a strength of CBT as a treatment for depression
A
- It’s effectiveness
- March et al (2007) compared the effectiveness of CBT against drugs and a combination of drug treatment and CBT
- 327 teens diagnosed as depressed
- After 36 weeks 81% of the CBT group, 81% of the drug treatment and 86% of the combination group were significantly improved
- Suggests it’s just as effective as other treatments
38
Q
Outline weaknesses for CBT
A
- May not work in severe cases
- In some cases patient cannot motivate themselves to take part in the therapy
- In these cases it is possible to treat patient with drugs first and then go through with CBT
- It is a weakness because it cannot be a stand alone therapy
- Success may be due to patient/therapist relationship
- Rosenzweig (1936) - differences between difference therapies
- Patient-therapist relations is what they all have in common
- This may be the cause of a therapy being successful
- Some patients want to explore their past
- CBT focuses on present and the future
- Patients may however want to focus on what caused their depression
- CBT not offering this could inhibit a persons recovery
39
Q
Outline behavioural characteristics of OCD
A
- Repetition of behaviour reduces anxiety
- Avoidance
40
Q
Outline 3 emotional characteristics of OCD
A
- Anxiety and distress
- Accompanying depression
- Guilt and disgust
41
Q
Outline 3 cognitive characteristics of OCD
A
- Obsessive distress
- Cognitive strategies to deal with obsessions
- Insight into excessive anxiety
42
Q
Referring to research, what is the genetic explanation for OCD?
A
- Some genes make people more vulnerable to OCD
- Lewis found 37% of people with OCD had parents with OCD and 21% had siblings
- The vulnerability to the condition is passed on and not the condition itself
- Diathesis-stress model - some genes leave people more likely to develop a disorder because of an environmental trigger
