AO3

• One weakness of the statistical infrequency definition is that it does not make it clear where the cut-off is between statistically frequent and statistically infrequent behaviours. In other words, it does not define exactly how numerically uncommon a behaviour must be to be considered statistically infrequent. For example, to be defined as statistically infrequent, should a behaviour be displayed by less than 10% of the population, or less than 5% of the population? The statistical infrequency definition does not make this clear, and is therefore incomplete.

   
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  The statistical infrequency definition has been criticised because not all statistically infrequent behaviours indicate the presence of a psychological disorder that requires treatment. For example, very few people have an IQ of over 150, but having such a high IQ is desirable. This is a serious limitation of the concept of statistical infrequency, and means that it can never be used alone to diagnose psychological disorders.
• The statistical infrequency definition has been criticised because not all abnormal behaviours are statistically infrequent. For example, approximately 10% of people will suffer from the symptoms of depression at some point in their lives, making it a relatively common psychological disorder that would not be recognised using the concept of statistical infrequency.  This is another serious limitation of the concept of statistical infrequency. 
• what are the weakness of Statistical infrequency?

  • 10% depression but common psych disorder
  • infrequent or frequent unclear
  • high IQ doesn't need treatment
• One weakness of the deviation from social norms definition is that social norms vary from culture to culture. For example, in the UK dogs are held in high regard as pets and beloved companions. If someone killed and ate a dog they would probably be labelled as abnormal by most people, as this behaviour goes against the norms of British society. However, dogs in China are seen as food and are widely eaten. This suggests that judgments about social deviance are related to culture, so behaviours considered abnormal in one culture may not be seen as abnormal in another
• One weakness of the deviation from social norms definition is that social norms change over time. For example, homosexuality was considered unacceptable and a criminal offense in the UK until 1963. This suggests that this definition does not provide a consistent picture of abnormality. 
• What are the weakness of devaition from social norms?

  • social norms vairies dogs
  • homosexluality leagalised in 1963
• One weakness of the failure to function adequately definition is that psychological disorders are not always accompanied by the failure to function
• One weakness is that definitions of adequate functioning are related to cultural ideas of how one’s life should be lived. What might be seen as a failure to function in one culture could be viewed as functioning adequately in another. This suggests that failure to function adequately cannot offer a complete definition of abnormality because it is related to culture
• What are the weakness of failure to function adaquately?

  • different cultures
  • harold shipman, appear normal
• What are Jahoda six criteria for ideal mental health?

  1.     Positive self-attitude:

  2.    Self-actualisation:

  3.    Resistance to stress:

  4.    Autonomy:

  5.    Accurate perception of reality

  6. Environmental mastery: 
• ·       According to Jahoda, the absence of these criteria indicates abnormality and potentially a psychological disorder
• One weakness of the deviation from ideal mental health definition is that it is unclear how many of the criteria need to be lacking before an individual is judged to be abnormal. If it the case that just one criteria needs to be lacking, then most of us are abnormal to some degree as very few individuals possess all six criteria. This suggests that the deviation from ideal mental health definition of abnormality is incomplete and requires clarification
• One weakness is that Jahoda’s criteria for ideal mental health are based upon the values of individualistic cultures. If we were to apply them to individuals from collectivistic cultures, we would be likely to find a higher incidence of abnormality. For example, self-actualisation is relevant to individualistic cultures, but not to collectivistic cultures, where individuals strive for the greater good of the community. This suggests that criteria for ideal mental health are related to culture. 
• What are the weakness of Jahoda's criteria?

  Western

  how many need ot be lacking
• Weakness of phobia explanation

  Not everyone who has a phobia can recall a specific traumatic incident when their phobia first appeared
• Social learning theory

  A neo-behaviourist explanation that can explain the weakness of phobia explanation
• Social learning theory

  • Phobias may be learnt through the observation and imitation of a role model, such as a parent
• Different phobias

  • Agoraphobics were most likely to explain their phobia in terms of a specific traumatic incident
  • Arachnophobics were most likely to cite modeling as the cause
• The two-process model cannot explain the acquisition of all phobias
• Not everyone who has a traumatic incident involving a neutral stimulus develops a phobia of the neutral stimulus
• Diathesis-stress model

  Individuals are born with a genetic vulnerability to developing a phobia, but the phobia will only manifest if triggered by a traumatic event
• It is not always possible to condition an individual to fear a neutral stimulus
• A traumatic event (e.g. dog bite)


  Only leads to a phobia in an individual born with the genetic vulnerability
• The two-process model does not offer a complete explanation of the acquisition of phobias
• Biological preparedness

  Humans are genetically programmed to acquire fears of things that would have been a source of danger in our evolutionary past (e.g. snakes, heights)
• Biological preparedness


  It is a problem for the two-process model, as it shows that there is more to acquiring phobias than conditioning
• One strength is that the two-process model has important implications for the treatment of phobias. It explains how phobias are maintained through the process of negative reinforcement and therefore explains why patients must be exposed to their feared object or situation in order to overcome their fear. This is a strength of the behavioural approach to explaining phobias.  

   
• One strength is that there is evidence that SD is an effective treatment for phobias. For example Gilroy et al. (2003) studied 42 arachnophobic patients who had received three 45-minute sessions of SD. These patients were compared to a control group who were taught relaxation techniques but did not experience exposure. At both 3 months and 33 months after the treatment ended, the SD group were less fearful than the control group. This suggests that SD is effective at treating phobias, and that the effects are long lasting. 
• One weakness is that there is evidence that SD is not effective at treating all phobias. For example, Ohman et al. (1975) found that SD is not as effective at treating phobias that have an underlying evolutionary survival component (e.g. fear of snakes, rats, heights). It is most effective at treating phobias that have been acquired through a traumatic incident. This is a weakness of SD as a treatment for phobias
• One strength is that there is evidence that flooding is an effective treatment. For example, Choy et al. (2007) reported that flooding is more effective than SD at treating phobias. Also, Ougrin (2011) found that flooding is more effective and quicker than cognitive treatments for phobias. This supports the use of flooding as a behavioural treatment for phobias.  
• One weakness is that flooding can be highly traumatic for patients. Patients are made aware of this beginning treatment, and give consent, however many fail to complete the treatment. This reduces the effectiveness of the treatment and means that time and money can be wasted preparing a patient for flooding only to have them refuse to start or complete the treatment. This is a weakness of flooding as a behavioural treatment for phobias. 
• What are the strength and weakness of SD

  + Gilgroy 42 aracnophobes 3 month 33 month

  • Not effective for evoltionary, more for trauma
• what are the strength and weakness of Flooding?

  + quicker than cognitve

  • lots of dropout $$
• One strength is that Ellis’ ABC model led to the development of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT). CBT is used as a treatment for depression, and involves the patient identifying and changing their irrational beliefs. There is an array of research evidence supporting the effectiveness of CBT as a treatment for depression, which in turn supports the ABC model as it suggests that irrational beliefs have a role in depression. 
• One weakness is that Ellis’ ABC model is only a partial explanation for depression. Some cases of depression do arise following negative activating events, such as failing exams, being made redundant or getting divorced. Psychologists call this reactive depression, and see it as different from depression that arises without any obvious cause, which they call endogenous depression. Ellis’ ABC model therefore only applies to some forms of depression, and as a result, it does not offer a complete explanation for the disorder. 
• what are the strenth and weakness of Ellis' ABC model?

  + lead to CBT

  • can't explain endogenous depression (no activating event)
• One strength is that there is research evidence to support the link between negative thinking and depression. For example, Lloyd & Lishman (1975) presented participants with depression with stimulus words. The participants were asked to recall a either pleasant or unpleasant experience from their past in response to each stimulus word. It was found that those participants with low-level depression responded faster when recalling pleasant memories than those with deeper depression. This supports the idea that individuals who suffer from depression experience automatic negative thinking. 
• The fact that there is a link between negative thinking and depression does not mean that negative thinking causes depression. It may be the case that a depressed individual develops a negative way of thinking because of their depression rather than the other way around. Research into the neurochemistry of depression suggests that depression may be caused by an insufficiency of the neurotransmitter serotonin, and drug treatments that increase levels of serotonin are often successful. This suggests that negative thinking could be a symptom rather than a cause of depression. 
• What are the strengths and weakness of Becks negative triad?

  + negative thinking depressed longer to think of pleasant memory

  • negative thinking symtom not a cause, low levels of serotionin