Psychopathology Flashcards
Define deviation from social norms.
Abnormal behaviour is classified in this way as any behaviour that goes against societal expectations about how to and not to behave. Often these social expectations are rooted in a desire to make society more pleasant- for example, being polite.
Describe the emotional, behavioural and cognitive characteristics of depression.
• Emotional- 5 symptoms are required for a diagnosis of major depressive disorder, these include feelings of intense sadness and often worthlessness. But, there are some that report feelings of anger.
• Behavioral- Depressed individuals experience either increased or reduced levels in activity. Sleeping hours may be reduced, whereas others might experience agitation and restlessness. Appetite is also affected with some experiencing diminished appetite and others increased appetite.
Changes in activity levels - lack of energy
Disruption in sleep - insomnia or sleeping too much
Disruption appetite - eating too much or too little
Aggression - towards self or others
• Cognitive- Negative thoughts cause the negative emotions associated with depression.
These thoughts are irrational and include negative expectations and thoughts of worthlessness. In some cases these thoughts can be self-fulfilling- belief that you’ll fail an exam leads to reduced studying that causes failure.
How are phobias initiated through classical conditioning?
A neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus (that causes fear) so that it eventually takes on the properties of this stimulus to produce a conditioned response- of fear.
Describe systematic desensitisation.
This is a treatment for phobias that attempts to replace the association between fear and the phobic stimulus with an association between relaxation and the phobic stimulus (counterconditioning).
This is reciprocal inhibitio - can’t feel afraid and relaxed at same time, one emotion prevents other
Patients are exposed to scenarios that progressively cause more anxiety than the last stage in their hierarchy.
Teach relaxation techniques, focus on breathing + progressive muscles relaxation techniques
Why is systematic desensitisation preferred to flooding?
This is because flooding is not a viable form of treatment for all phobic individuals, no matter how effective it is, this is because it can be a highly traumatic form of treatment. Although patients are aware of this before beginning treatment, many find themselves unable to complete the treatment, limiting its overall effectiveness at treating phobias
Describe the diathesis-stress model.
The diathesis stress model suggests that certain genes create a vulnerability for mental disorders, and that after an activating event or trauma, mental disorders develop in these individuals.
What is a negative triad?
This is a cognitive approach to understanding depression, focusing on how expectations (schema) about the self, world and future lead to depression.
Define failure to function adequately.
Abnormality is defined in this way as an inability to cope with everyday life, especially if this is causing the individual or others around them distress. In some instances, the individual may not be aware that their behaviour is causing distress to others, like if they are schizophrenic.
How does the SLT explain phobias?
The social learning theory suggests that phobias may be acquired through modelling the behaviour of others. If a child sees an adult react fearfully to a dog, they are likely to imitate the behaviour themself because the behaviour is rewarding- it gets them attention.
Describe the emotional, behavioural and cognitive characteristics of OCD.
Emotional- Feelings of anxiety and shame are associated with both the obsessions and the compulsions, as they are aware that their behaviour is excessive.
Behavioural- Compulsive behaviours are carried out the alleviate the anxiety caused by obsessions. These are repetitive and unconcealed, and often not connected in any way with the object of their obsession. Some compulsions are carried out in the absence of an obsession.
Cognitive - Obsessive thoughts = persistent and intrusive
Insight into irrationality and excessive behaviour
E.g. germs
How are phobias maintained by operant conditioning?
If a behaviour produces a favourable outcome, it is likely to be repeated- in the case of phobic individuals, avoidance of their phobic stimulus reduces anxiety, so they are likely to continue to avoid it. This is an example of negative reinforcement.
How does the cognitive theory explain depression?
Depression is due to irrational thinking, and cognitions that are skewed towards negative thoughts.
Define statistical infrequency.
Abnormality is defined in this way as behaviour which is extremely rare, or as characteristics not displayed by many people.
How does the biological theory explain OCD?
OCD is caused by abnormal levels of dopamine and serotonin, and a non-functioning worry circuit in which signals about potentially worrying things from the OFC are not suppressed by the caudate nucleus.
Describe the emotional, behavioural and cognitive characteristics of phobias.
• Emotional- Anxiety associated with phobic disorders, and is triggered by the presence of the phobic stimulus. The level of anxiety caused by the stimulus is often out of proportion to the actual threat posed by it.
• Behavioural- Phobic individuals often avoid all situations that could potentially involve their phobic stimulus. But the response of freezing in the face of their stimulus is also common. Phobias interfere with the individual’s daily life, distinguishing phobias from normal fears.
• Cognitive- The thoughts of a phobic individual are irrational and the anxiety they cause is not reduced by reasoning. The individual is aware that their thoughts are irrational, distinguishing between phobias and disorders like schizophrenia.
