Evaluations of explanations

• what are some strengths of the biological explanation of OCD?

  • scientific credibility- e.g. PET scans, brain imaging, genetic studies.
  • empirical support
  • reduction of stigma.
• what are some weaknesses of the biological explanation of OCD?

  • reductionist- ignores other factors, some psychologists suggest that OCD may be learnt through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning stimulus e.g. dirt
  • mixed treatment effectiveness- not all OCD sufferers respond positively to SSRIs which reduces the external validity of the theory.
  • cause and effect not established- is it dopamine/serotonin e.g. that causes OCD or are the levels just features of it?
• what are some strengths of the behavioural explanations of phobias?

  • real world applications, e.g. SD, VRET, flooding.
• what are some weaknesses of the behavioural explanations of phobias?

  • not all phobias can be traced back to a specific event, some develop gradually e.g. social phobias.
  • case/lab studies lack ecological validity and generalisation to a wider population.
• what are some strengths of the cognitive explanations of depression?

  application to therapy- cognitive explanations have been used to develop effective treatments for depression e.g. CBT, REBT etc.
• what are some weaknesses of the cognitive explanations of depression?

  • cause and effect not established- cognitive impairments lead to depression or depression leads to cognitive impairments?
  • reductionist- there are alternative explanations, e.g. biological- low levels of serotonin= anxiety/depression so SSRI's (antidepressants) used.
  • subjectivity of research- can only study through methods like self-report, no objective evidence, e.g. cognitive biases are a cause of depression.