Psychopathology

Cards (56)

  • 4 Definitions of Abnormality
    Statistical Infrequency
    Deviation of ideal mental health
    Deviation from social norms
    Failure to function adequately
  • Statistical Infrequency
    Definition states that any behavior that is uncommon or rare is considered abnormal.
    E.G. High / low IQ (top and bottom 2.5%)
  • Deviation from social norms
    Definition states that those who can't follow the norms accepted within a society, are considered as abnormal.
    E.G saying please and thank you
  • Deviation from ideal mental health
    Definition states that anyone that doesn't meet the characteristics of ideal mental health are considered as abnormal
    Jahoda's criteria
  • Failure to function adequately 

    Definition states that those who can't cope with day-to-day life situations are considered abnormal.
    E.G hygiene, holding a job / relationship
  • Strengths to Statistical infrequency
    Practical application E.G. IQ levels, uses statistical measure of standard deviation so has high reliability
  • weaknesses to statistical infrequencey
    Some abnormal behaviors are desirable E.G. IQ
    Subjective E.G. cut-off point so we cannot be sure of what point someone is abnormal
    Some wouldn't benefit from the diagnosis so could affect their daily lives and the way they feel about themself / the world
  • Strengths to deviation of social norms
    Distinguishes between desirable and non-desirable behaviors
  • Weaknesses to deviation of social norms
    Ethnocentric E.G. other countries will have different norms so it's not applicable to transfer these ideas from one country to another
    Social norms change over time E.G. women working so questions ongoing validity
    Subjective E.G. not clear who decides these norms
  • Strengths to deviation from ideal mental health
    Provides a comprehensive overview of the mental health criteria for patients to meet
  • Weaknesses of deviation from ideal mental health
    Characteristics are too idealistic E.G. Maslow's hierarchy of needs so it is hard to meet entire criteria
    Ethnocentric E.G. Western cultures so not applicable to other collectivist cultures
    Subjective judgment so affects accuracy and reliability
  • Strengths to failure to function adequately
    Allows mental health professionals to cater treatment around patient E.G. GAF patients so shows that people experience mental health problems differently
  • Weaknesses of failure to function adequately
    Subjective E.G. some people are aware and content with their situation
    May not be present indicators of abnormality E.G. some people my be 'stuck' in a situation so environmental factors may be more influential so affects validity
    Cultural relativism E.G. what's considered adequate in one culture may not be in other cultures
  • Phobias
    Irrational fear of an object or situation
  • Depression
    A mental disorder characterized by low mood and low energy levels
  • OCD
    A condition characterized by obsessions and compulsive (repetitive) behaviors
  • Emotional characteristics of Phobias, Depression and OCD
    PHOBIA - fear, anxiety
    DEPRESSION - anger, sadness, low self-esteem / confidence
    OCD - distress, anxiety
  • Behavioral characteristics of Phobias, Depression and OCD
    PHOBIA - avoidance
    DEPRESSION - low energy, sleep / eating disturbance
    OCD - repetitiveness, compulsive actions
  • Cognitive characteristics of Phobias, Depression and OCD
    PHOBIA - attentional bias towards feared objects, irrational thoughts
    DEPRESSION - reduced concentration, thoughts of death, attentional bias towards negative
    OCD - obsessive thoughts, knowledge of anxiety, awareness of irrational obsessions
  • Behavioral approach to explaining phobias
    Two-process model
    • Classical Conditioning - acquisition of phobia, associating a neutral stimulus with an unconditioned stimulus to create a conditioned response of fear
    • Operant Conditioning - maintaining the phobia, reinforced action of avoidance of fear which takes away the anxiety
  • Little Albert study (Phobia)
    9 month old infant, associated a loud clanging noise with a white rat.
    UCS (loud noise) = UCR (fear)
    NS (rat) = No response
    UCS + NS = UCR (repeated)
    CS (rat) = CR (fear)
  • Behavioral approach for treating phobias
    Systematic desensitization
    Flooding
  • Systematic Desensitization
    Attempts to reduce phobia anxiety through classical conditioning
    Stages:
    1. Anxiety hierarchy - list of least frightening situation to most frightening situation
    2. Relaxation techniques - client learns relaxation techniques like breathing
    3. Exposure - slowly working way through hierarchy, making sure client is completely relaxed after each step
  • Reciprocal Inhibition
    The idea that you can't experience anxiety and relaxation at the same time
  • Flooding
    Involves immediate exposure of phobia for a long period of time
    Aims to stop the phobic response quickly
  • Strengths to explaining phobias
    Supporting research, E.G. Little Albert experiment looked at the formation of Phobias and found that phobias can be formed though CC
    Shown to be successful in explaining phobias and how they are maintained
    Has application to real-life E.G. therapy so shows why patients need to be exposed to the phobia or the avoidance worsens
  • Weaknesses to explaining phobias
    Some develop phobias even if they haven’t had a bad experience
    Some phobias have an underlaying evolutionary survival components E.G. biological preparedness
    The two-process model ignores cognitive functions of developing and maintaining phobias
  • Strengths to treating phobias
    SD - Effective E.G. Gilroy treated people with spider phobia
    F - Cost effective, E.G. long session but only 1 needed
  • Weaknesses of treating phobias
    SD - Expensive and time consuming E.G. long and many sessions
    F - Not ethical E.G. causes extreme stress
  • Cognitive approach to explaining depression
    Suggest that depression is a result of a disturbance in 'thinking'
    They focus on an individuals negative thoughts, irrational beliefs and negative schema as a cause of depression
    • Beck's cognitive theory (negative triad)
    • Elli's cognitive theory (ABC model)
  • Beck's cognitive theory
    Negative triad - negative view of self, the world and the future
  • Ellis's cognitive theory
    Ellis's ABC model
    • A - Activating agent (trigger irrational beliefs)
    • B - Beliefs (irrational thoughts that are the cause)
    • C - Consequence (an emotional response, depression)
  • Mustabatory thinking
    A source of irrational thinking
    A belief that certain assumptions have to be true for an individual to be happy
  • Negative Schema
    A 'package' of ideas and information developed through negative experiences (E.G. losing a loved one)
    These act as a mental framework
  • Strengths of cognitive explanations to depression
    Supporting evidence E.G. Beck cognitive theory, helped other psychologist understand post-natal depression
    Becks theory is useful in CBT E.G. components of negative triad identified so increases reliability
    Ellis's theory is useful in CBT E.G. irrational beliefs and consequences
  • Weaknesses of cognitive explanations to depression
    Approach blames the patient not the situation so my further increase the depression
    Ellis's explanation is only partial E.G. only explains reactive depression so doesn't account for other factors
    Contrast in biological approach E.G. serotonin levels can cause mental illnesses so cannot be sure of cause and effect relationship
  • Cognitive approach to treating depression
    CBT
    • Becks cognitive therapy
    • Ellis's rational emotive behavior therapy
  • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
    Aims to challenge irrational thoughts thought processes
    Helps people to change how they think and what they do
    Helps break the vicious circle of maladaptive thinking, feelings and behaviour
  • Beck's cognitive therapy
    Identifies the automatic thoughts about the world, self and the future so they can be challenged after
    Helps patients test the reliability of their negative thoughts and beliefs
  • Ellis's REBT therapy
    Extends the ABC model to the ABCDE model
    • D - dispute
    • E - effective
    Identifies and disputes the patients irrational thoughts
    Proposes that it is not the events that take place in our lives but that causes the depression but the irrational thoughts that we hold
    Empirical and Logical disputing