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Psychopathology Flashcards

(51 cards)

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1
Q

What are the four definitions of abnormality

A

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

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2
Q

Outline statistical infrequency

A

Individual has a less common characteristic e.g more depressed or IQ (2% below 70)

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3
Q

Evaluate statistical infrequency

A

-Real world application: Useful in assessing severity and practical in giving help to those who need it
-Unusual characteristics can be positive: some unusual characteristics would not be judged abnormal e.g high IQ

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4
Q

Outline deviation from social norms

A

Social judgments of what is acceptable by culture specific

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5
Q

Evaluate deviation from social norms

A

-Real world application: use to diagnose some disorders e.g antisocial and schizotal personality disorder
-Cultural and situational relativism: different standards between cultures so hard to make social judgements (e.g hearing voices)

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6
Q

Outline failure to function adequately

A

Inability to cope with demmands of everyday life e.g non conformity to social rules, personal distress, severe danger or distress to self or others

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7
Q

Evaluate failure to function adequately

A

-Represents a sensible threshold for professionals to identify when someone needs help
-Failure to function may not be abnormal e.g bereavement is normal behaviour due to circumstances

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8
Q

outline deviation from ideal mental health

A

Deviating from Jahoda’s set of criteria on idea mental health including a lack of symptoms, rationality, self actualisation, coping with stress, realistic world view

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9
Q

Evaluate deviation from ideal mental health

A

-A comprehensive definition: includes most of the reasons why someone may seek health
-Extremely high standards that few people will ever meet
-Cultural bias

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10
Q

What approach is used to treat and explain phobias

A

Behavioural approach

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11
Q

What approach is used to treat and explain depression

A

Cognitive approach

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12
Q

What approach is used to treat and explain Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A

Biological approach

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13
Q

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD

A

Compulsions are repetitive and performed to reduce anxiety avoiding situations that trigger anxiety

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14
Q

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD

A

Anxiety and distress created by compulsions/obsessions accompanied by depression and guilt and distrust

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15
Q

What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD

A

-Obsessive thoughts e.g germs
-Insight into excessive anxiety
-can be countered using cognitive coping strategies

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16
Q

What is the genetic explanation of OCD

A

-OCD caused by genetic vulnerability plus enviroment and regulation of seratonin
-OCD is polygenic (Taylor 230 genes involved in OCD) and associated with dopamine
-Genes causing OCD vary from person to person

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17
Q

Evaluate the genetic explanation of OCD

A

-Research support: 68% MZ twins 31% DZ twins have OCD (Nestadt et al)
-Enviromental risk factors: over half OCD clients in sample experienced traumatic event and OCD more severe
-Support from candidate genes in mice COUNTERPOINT: lacks generisability to humans

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18
Q

What is the neural explanation of OCD

A

-Low levels of seratonin linked to OCD
-Decision making systems e.g frontal lobe and parahippocampus may be malfunctioning

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19
Q

Evaluate the neural explanation of OCD

A

-Research support: Antidepressants work on the seratonin to alleviate OCD
-Biological conditions e.g parkinsons have similar symptoms to OCD
-The apparent seratonin link may be just co morbidity with depression as depression disrupts seratonin

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20
Q

What are SSRI’s

A

Antidepressants that increase levels of seratonin at a synapse e.g fluoxetine

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21
Q

What are SSRI’s often combined with

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A

CBT to increase effectiveness, plus maybe other drugs

22
Q

What are two alternatives to SSRI’s

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A

-Tricyclis e.g Chlorpromazine act on various systems including seratonin, serious side effects so used for people who don’t respond to SSRIs
-SNRIS act on neurotransmitter noradrenaline and increase seratonin levels, used on those who don’t respond to SSRIs

23
Q

Evaluate drug therapy as a treatment of OCD

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A

-Research support: 17 studies showed SSRIs more effective than placebos
-Serious side effects: indigestion, blurred vision, loss of sex drive, so may do more harm then good
-Cost effective: relatively cheap for NHS and doesn’t involve going to therapy sessions
-Biased evidence: drug researchers sponsored by drug companies

24
Q

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression

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A

-Activity levels lethargic or agitated
-Sleeping/eating decreases or increases abnormally
-Agression to self or others increases

25
What are the emotional characteristics of depression
-Lowered mood -Anger to self and others -Lowered self esteem -Self loathing
26
What are the cognitive characteristics of depresssion
-Poor concentration -Negative schema -Absolutist thinking: either black or white
27
What are the key aspects of Beck's negative triad
-Faulty information processing: focusing on negatives of a situation -Negative self schema -Negative triad: negative views of the world, self and future occurring automatically regardless of the situation
28
Evaluate Beck's negative triad
-Real world application: identify cognitive vulnerability to screen those at risk of depression then target vulnerabilities in CBT -Partial explanation: cannot explain extremes of anger or hallucinations and delusions -Research shows cognitive vulnerability preludes depression
29
Name the aspects of Ellis's ABC model
-Activating event -Beliefs -Concequences
30
What are activating events
Negative life event triggers an irrational response e.g failing at a test
31
what are beliefs in Ellis's ABC model
Beliefs that lead us to overreact to the activating event e.g life must always be fair or we must always suceed
32
What are concequences in Ellis's ABC model
depression results when we overreact to negative life events
33
Evaluate Ellis's ABC model
-Real world application: irrational thoughts can be identified and challenged by a therapist -Only explains reactive depression, does not explain cases that do not follow an activating event (endogenous depression) -ABC model places responsibilities on the depressed person (victim blaming)
34
What is used to treat depression
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
35
Describe the two elements of CBT
-Cognitive element: client and therapist work together to identify goals and how to achieve them, central task is to identify where negative or irrational thoughts will be Behaviour element: working to change negative and irrational thoughts placing more effective behaviours
36
What is Beck's cognitive therapy
Aims to identify negative thoughts (negative triad) and challenge them (client as a scientist)
37
Outline Ellis's rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)
-ABC plus D (dispute) and E (effect) -Aims to identify and challenge irrational beliefs through impirical argument
38
What is behavioural activation
Encouraging the depressed person to engage in more enjoyable activities
39
Evaluate CBT as a treatment for depression
-CBT is effective as antidepressants and most effective combined (81% vs 86% March et al) -May not be suitable for severe depression and people with learning disabilities -Benefits short term as 42% relapsed after 6 months so may need repeating
40
What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias
-Panic: scream or run away -Avoidance: conscious effort to avoid -Endurance: may stay and bare it
41
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias
-Anxiety: unpleasant high arousal disproportionate to threat -Fear: short lasting, more intense
42
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias
-Selective attention: can't look away -Irrational beliefs -Cognitive distortions
43
What is the two process model
-Classical conditioning for onset of phobias -Operant conditioning for maintaining phobias
44
Outline aquistion of phobias through classical conditioning
UCS linked to NS, then both produce UCR (fear) turning into the CR
45
Outline maintenance of phobias through operant conditioning
Avoidance of phobia stimulus negatively reinforced by anxiety reduction so phobia is maintained
46
Evaluate the behavioural explanation of phobias
-Real world application: phobias successfully treated by preventing avoidance as suggested by the model -Fails to account for cognitive aspects of phobias e.g irrational fears -Little Albert study illustrates how a frightening experience involving a stimulus can lead to a phobia of that stimulus
47
What are the two ways of treating phobias
Systematic desensitisation and Flooding
48
What is systematic desensitisation
-Anxiety hirearchy: a list of situations ranked for how much anxiety they produce -Relaxation: reciprocal inhibtion as relaxation and anxiety cant happen at the same time -Includes imagery and breathing techniques -Exposure to phobic stimulus whilst relaxed at each level of anxiety hirearchy
49
Evaluate systematic desensitisation
-SD best for people with learning disabilities: CBT requires complex and rational thought and flooding may be traumatic -Time consuming so may not be practical -More effective than relaxation done after 33 months (Giroy et al)
50
Describe flooding as a treatment of phobias
-Flooding exposes clients to a very frightening situation without a buildup -Works by extinction of the conditioned fear response -Clients must give informed consent and be prepared for flooding
51
Evaluate flooding as a treatment of phobias
-Cost effective as only takes 1 to 3 sessions -Can be traumatic as is far more stressful than SD -Does not work for social phobias

psychology (12 decks)

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