Psychology- Psychopathology

• Characteristics of OCD

  Behavioral- compulsions

  Emotional- intense anxiety, feeling foolish

  Cognitive- obsessive irrational thoughts
• Characteristics of depression

  Behavioral- avoid social events

  emotional- low mood

  cognitive- irrational negative beliefs
• characteristics of phobias

  Behavioral- avoid phobic stimulus

  emotional- terror and dread

  cognitive- irrational beliefs about phobic stimulus
• What is deviation from social norms

  Behavior is abnormal if it goes against what society would consider normal
• Evaluate deviation from social norms

  -culturally relative= social norms vary

  -era dependant- change over time. -context dependent- depends on situation being judged in may be eccentric
• What is failure to function adequately

  Behavior is abnormal if it prevents a person from leading a normal life
• When is behaviour abnormal

  -maladaptive —irrational

  -observer discomfort -unpredictable
• Evaluate failure to function adequatety

  -subjective

  -culturally relative

  -not a defining feature of abnormality
• What is deviation from ideal mental health

  behavior is abnormal if it lacks signs of what people consider to be ideal
• Evaluation of deviation from ideal mental health

  -positive approach= focuses on what is helpful behaviours

  -subjective —unrealistic
• What is statistical infrequency

  Behavior is abnormal if it’s considered rare or uncommon in general population
• What did Jahoda propose

  Six characteristics of optimal living -self actualization

  -positive attitude towards self

  -accurate perception of reality

  -resistant to stress
• evaluate statistical infrequency

  -more objective= clear guidelines -not necessarily a defining feature= some behavior considered normal

  -era dependent= some statistically rare behaviors common today
• Key assumptions of behavioral approach to explaining phobias

  1: all phobias are learned

  2: phobias are learned through process of conditioning

  3:classical conditioning suggest phobias are learned through association

  4: operant suggests behavior is learned through reinforcement of behavior including avoidence
• Classical conditioning

  Before:

  UCS- UCR

  NS- NR

  During:

  UCS + NS - UCR

  After

  CS - CR
• Summary of Little Albert

  Before:

  UCS (loud noise) - UCR (fear)

  NS (rat) - NR

  During:

  UCS (loud noise) + NS (rat) - UCR (Fear)

  After:

  CS (rat) - CR (fear)
• process of operant conditioning

  -individual feels reduced anxiety when avoids phobic stimulus -avoidance results in removal of the unpleasant anxiety -avoidance acts as negative reinforcement

  -the person leaves place of phobia they feel reduction in anxiety -leaving has reinforced by reduction in panic

  -avoidance and escape negatively reinforce phobia so is repeated
• Evaluation of Behavioral approach for phobias

  -supporting evidence = fear genralized to other similar objects -reductionism

  -contradic evidence= association between neutral stimulais and fearful situation
• Key assumptions for treating phobias

  1: phobias can be treated using process of classical conditioning

  2:replace learnt fear with relaxation response

  3: gradual exposure SD

  intense exposure flooding
• Process of Systematic de sensitization

  1: taught relaxation techniques

  2:construct fear hierarchy

  3: gradually exposed to each stage
• Evaluation of systematic desensitization

  -effective = 60% to 90% success rate

  -only suitable for certain therapies = not suitable for phobias that’s haven’t been learnt

  -fast and easy

  -more ethical
• What is flooding

  forced and prolonged exposure to fear in one session

  unable to avoid stimulus
• Evaluation of flooding

  -more effective and quicker —other therapy may be better for more complex phobias

  -practical advantage -unethical
• Cognitive approach explaining depression 


  -depression is caused by faulty cognitions and thought processes
• Ellis ABC Model 


  activating event --- belief ---emotional consequence
• Becks negative triad


  negative views about the world -- negative views the future -- negative views oneself
• evaluation of cognitive explanation for depression

  -supporting evidence= Lewinsohn -not necessary the cause of the depression -reductionist -practical applications
• cognitive approach to treating depression

  -treated with CBT -Through identification of irrational beliefs coping strategies for depression can be developed leading to behavioural change
• evaluation treatments of depression 


  -evidence effectiveness -practical advantages -CBT may not be suitable
• key assumptions biological approach to explaining OCD


  -OCD is inherited and that individuals receive genes -abnormal levels of neurotransmitters can cause OCD
• What are the two genes involved in OCD

  COMT genes SERT genes
• What is the COMT gene 


  Regulates dopamine level. High levels of dopamine has been linked to symptoms of OCD
• What is the sert gene 


  Responsible for the transport of serotonin. A mutation of this gene affects the transport of serotonin between neurons
• what is the relationship between dopamine and OCD


  OCD can be caused by abnormally High levels of dopamine. Excitatory neurotransmitter so high levels influence concentration and creates the inability to stop obsessive thoughts
• What is relationship between serotonin and OCD 


  Low levels of serotonin are linked with symptoms of OCD. Anti depressants increase levels of serotonin and reduce OCD symptom. Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter so low levels mean might not switch off obsessive thoughts
• What part of the brain is thought to cause OCD 


  An overactive prefrontal cortex
• What does an overactive Orbitofrontal cortex cause 


  Exaggerated worry signals that are sent to thalamus to prepare for threat
• What does the basal ganglia do normally and how does it differ for OCD 


  Suppress the worry signal if they were minor. In OCD it sends a signal of threat when there is none because it cannot suppress the signals
• What happens after the the threat signal is in the basal ganglia in OCD sufferers 


  The threat signal is sent back to the OFC which responds by increasing compulsive behaviours to create a worry circuit
• Strength of the biological approach to explaining OCD 


  -supporting evidence for genetic explanation = Lewis found that 37% with OCD had parents who suffered and 21% had siblings

  -supporting evidence for neural explanations= used MRIS to find that OCD patients had reduced grey matter In the OFC