Psychopathology descriptions

Question 1

1. Social norms
2. explicit norms
3. implicit norm

Answer 1

1. acceptable standards or behaviour created by society
2. written rule/ law eg. can’t use phones when driving
3. unwritten rule eg. eating dinner with cutlery

Question 2

failure to function adequately

Answer 2

people are unable to continue with normal everyday activities eg. going to work, washing etc.

Question 3

4 definitions of abnormality

Answer 3

Deviation from social norms
Failure to function adequately
Statistical infrequency
Deviation from ideal mental health

Question 4

Features of failure to function adequately

Answer 4

Rosenham + Seligman
-Personal distress
-Observer discomfort
-Unpredictability
-Irrationality
-Maladaptiveness

Question 5

Statistical infrequency

Answer 5

defines abnormality as a behaviour that deviates from the average.
If your behaviour if more than 2 SD from the mean, it is considered abnormal

Question 6

Deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 6

we are abnormal if we don’t meet the criteria for ideal mental health

Question 7

Characteristics of ideal mental health

Answer 7

Jahoda
-positive attitude towards oneself
-self actualisation = experiencing personal growth/development
-autonomy = being independent
-resisting stress
-accurate perception of reality
-environmental mastery = competent in all aspects of life

Question 8

Phobia definition

Answer 8

persistent fear which is disproportional to the danger the object actually poses

Question 9

Behavioural approach to explaining phobias

Answer 9

Uses two process model- phobias are learnt through classical conditioning and reinforced by operant conditioning via negative reinforcement

Question 10

Little albert

Answer 10

Watson + Rayner
-little albert had a fear of loud noises
-paired a loud noise (UCS) with a white rat (NS) to cause a CR of fear to the white rat

Question 11

3 stages of systematic desensitisation

Answer 11

-Fear hierarchy
-Relaxation techniques
-Exposure

Question 12

Reciprocal inhibition

Answer 12

it is impossible to feel fear and relaxation at the same time, so therapy is used to make relaxation the dominant emotion to counter condition a phobia

Question 13

2 ways exposure can be done

Answer 13

-Vivo = in real life, eg. a real spider
-Vitro= imagines exposure to phobic stimulus eg. virtual reality

Question 14

How many sessions does SD take on average

Answer 14

6-8

Question 15

Flooding

Answer 15

individual is exposed to the phobic stimulus for one long session, until the individual feels fully relaxed.
during flooding the phobic stimuli is experienced without the UCS and so patient stops feeling fear (CR) and is replaced with a new CR of relaxation

Question 16

Negative triad
-who proposed the triad
-why people are depressed
-what is the triad

Answer 16

Beck
-people become depressed due to seeing the world negatively because of negative schemas
-the triad is a pessimistic and irrational view of 3 key elements in a person’s belief systems
1.view of self
2.view of future
3.view of world

Question 17

5 cognitive errors

Answer 17

1.catastrophizing - the worst will occur and there’s nothing I can do
2.all or nothing- I can’t do it perfectly do I won’t do it
3.over generalisation- I never do anything right
4. selective abstraction- only focusing on the negatives of the day
5.global judgements- I’ve made a mistake, I’m useless

Question 18

ABC model

Answer 18

Ellis
People who are suffering from depression mistakenly blame external events for their unhappiness. The irrational way they interpret these events is what causes depression
A= activating event eg. low grade on test
B= beliefs eg. feel a failure
C= consequences eg. feel worthless

Question 19

Mustabatory thinking

Answer 19

thinking certain ideas or assumptions must be true in order for an individual to be happy
3 most important irrational beliefs proposed by Ellis is
-I must be approved or accepted by people
-I must do very well, otherwise I’m worthless
-The world must give me happiness

Question 20

CBT

Answer 20

Aim- challenge irrational thoughts within the negative triad and make them more rational. If we change irrational thinking, maladaptive behaviour will also change,
Works by:
-challenges irrational thinking, looks for evidence
-alters dysfunctional behaviours, by overcoming cognitive obstacles stopping them from doing something

Question 21

REBT (rational emotive behaviour therapy)

Answer 21

Aim- change irrational beliefs into rational beliefs so individuals react to events in healthy ways
Works by:
-tackling mustabatory thinking, so people accept themselves with their faults
-Challenging irrational thoughts, extended ABC model to D,E for dispute + effect.

Question 22

Biological approach to explaining OCD
5 explanations

Answer 22

Twin study- Miguel et al tested if OCD had higher concordance rates in MZ or DZ twins. Found 53% chance of MZ twins to both have OCD compared to 22% for DZ twins
Family study- Lewis found 37% of OCD sufferers had parents with OCD

COMT gene- involved in production of dopamine. People with OCD have less active COMT genes, therefore, produce more dopamine

SERT gene- affects transmission of serotonin. SERT less active, causing less serotonin, causing more anxiety

Epigenetics- people may have gene for OCD but is only expressed due to outside factors. It’s this activation that causes mental illnesses

The brain- specifically orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) for OCD. OFC sends signal to basal ganglia. If basal ganglia damaged, it doesn’t stop minor worries meaning the thalamus is alerted. This causes the impulse to be brought to your attention

Question 23

Biological approach to treating OCD

Answer 23

Drug therapy
-SSRIs (selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors)
-act as an inhibitor, to prevent re-uptake of serotonin
-this means serotonin stays in synapse for a longer period of time
-so impulses can pass to post synaptic neuron smoothly

-SNRIs (Serotonin-noradrenaline re-uptake inhibitors)
-similar to SSRIs but also inhibit adrenaline meaning serotonin and adrenaline levels are increased