Causal Factors & Viewpoints Flashcards
Necessary cause
If disorder Y occurs, Cause X must have preceded
Down syndrome
Sufficient cause
If cause X occurs, then disorder Y will also occur
Contributory Cause
If X occurs, then the likelihood of Disorder Y increases
What is Diathesis (Diathesis-stress model)?
Predisposition or vulnerability to developing a disorder
can be biological, psychological, or sociocultural
ex: growing up in poverty, hostile home life
What is a stressor (Diathesis-stress model)?
proximal environmental contribution
ex: transition to college
Protective Factors
influence how an individual responds to environmental stress
College ex: utilizing mentors/advisors, good sleep, great friends, access to resources
Resilience
the ability to adapt/thrive in the context of adversity
can be shameful to house that in a person
Identifying the causes of abnormal behavior
multiple explanations, each viewpoint assists both research and treatment
Viewpoints (Identifying causes of abnormal behavior)
- Biological
- Psychological
- Behavioral & Cognitive
- Sociocultural (problem with society and not within individual)
Equifinality
many different pathways/factors may result in the same outcome
Example: childhood sexual abuse, controlling parents, peer rejection, can all result in eating disorders
Multifinality
The same pathway/factor may result in many different outcomes
Example: a traumatic event may result in an eating disorder, depression, or specific phobia
What does the Biological viewpoint assess?
- Neurotransmitter & hormonal abnormalities in the brain and CNS
- Genetic vulnerabilities
- Temperament
- Brain dysfunction and neural plasticity
How to study genetic influences?
- Family history/ pedigree
- twin method
- Adoption method
- linkage studies
- association studies
The humanistic perspective focuses primarily upon the capacity of an individual to…
engage in positive self-growth
Psychological Viewpoint
- Psychodynamic
- Ego Psychology
- Attachment Theory
- Interpersonal Theories
