Psychopathology

Question 1

State four definitions of abnormality

Answer 1

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

Question 2

Describe deviation from social norms

Answer 2

Behaviour violates unwritten rules

Doesn’t fit in with social expectations

Question 3

Describe statistical infrequency

Answer 3

Objective way of defining abnormality

Eg intelligence

Uses normal distribution graphs

Question 4

Describe failure to function adequately

Answer 4

Unable to cope with the demands of everyday life

Question 5

Describe conditions of ideal mental health

Answer 5

Mastery of environment,
Resistance to stress,
Self actualisation

Question 6

Give 3 types of phobias

Answer 6

Social phobias
Agoraphobia
Specific phobias

Question 7

State physical symptoms of phobias

Answer 7

Avoidance behaviours

Fight or flight response

Increased heart rate, sweat

Question 8

Give examples of behavioural characteristics for depression

Answer 8

Difficulty falling asleep
Fatigue
Weight loss, gain

Question 9

Give examples of emotional characteristics for depression

Answer 9

Extreme sadness
Worthlessness
Guilt

Question 10

Give examples of cognitive characteristics for depression

Answer 10

Difficulty concentrating
Suicidal ideation
Poor self-esteem

Question 11

What is the DSM diagnosis for depression

Answer 11

Must show five or more of the symptoms
For most days in a two week period or more

Question 12

Give examples for cognitive characteristics of OCd

Answer 12

Obsessions
Persistent thoughts

Question 13

Give examples for behavioural characteristics for OCD

Answer 13

Compulsions

Repeated and extensive hand washing, cleaning, checking and ordering

Question 14

Give examples of emotional characteristics for OCD

Answer 14

Severe anxiety and distress
Guilt

Question 15

Describe the Little Albert experiment

Answer 15

Albert saw an animal and simultaneously heard a loud scary noise,

Through classical conditioning he learned to fear the animal that he had previously liked

Question 16

Describe the two process model

Answer 16

Mowrer(1947)

Origins of phobias are a combination of classical and operant conditioning

Classical,
Initial learning associated with a previously neutral stimulus

Operant,
When avoiding the stimulus, person feels calmer

Question 17

Describe counter conditioning

Answer 17

Client learns a new response to a stimulus that has previously caused undesirable behaviour

Aversive conditioning
Exposure therapy

Question 18

Give two types of treatment for phobias

Answer 18

Flooding

Systematic desensitisation

Question 19

Describe flooding

Answer 19

Exposure therapy

Exposes the person to the fear,
Changing the association they have with classical conditioning

Taught relaxation skills
Exposed to the highly feared stimulus
Become very distressed
Use relaxation
Feel less stressed

Can be distressinh

Question 20

Describe systematic desensitisation

Answer 20

Tries to change persons associations

Create hierarchy
Exposed to first
Use relaxation techniques
Move onto next level

Question 21

Describe a study that supports behavioural therapy

Answer 21

Ost et al(1991)

Retrospective studies

81 blood phobics and 56 needle phobics asked to complete a questionnaire on their memories of origins of their phobias

52% conditioning experiences
24% vicarious experiences
7% instruction,information
17% couldn’t remember

Question 22

Describe a study that supports behavioural explanation for phobias

Answer 22

Barlow and Durand(1995)
50% of people with phobia for driving could remember a specific incident that triggered the fear.
Supports that phobias are learnt

50% couldn’t remember

Bandits and Rosenthal(1966’

Model acted as if in pain when buzzer sound.

Ps observed this, showed emotional reaction to buzzer, demonstrating an acquired fear

Question 23

What was Beck’s theory of depression

Answer 23

Result of negative thoughts and views of the world

Depressive people have depressive schemas
Prompt dysfunctional thoughts about
Negative triad

Self
World
Future

Believes they develop in childhood

Question 24

What is cognitive therapy

Answer 24

How you think determines how you feel and act

Therapists help their clients change dysfunctional thoughts to relieve distress

Help a client see how they misinterpreted a situation

Question 25

What is a cognitive bias

Answer 25

An error in how we process information about ourselves Can lead us to focus on the negatives of experiences and block positive memories

Question 26

What is the concordance rate of OCD among identical twins identical twins and fraternal twins

Answer 26

Identical 57% Fraternal 22%

Question 27

Describe Ellis's ABC model

Answer 27

Aims to alter a persons beliefs so that events have different consequences Activating event Belief Consequences

Question 28

Describe neural explanations for OCD

Answer 28

Orbits-frontal cortex observes the world and sends experiences to the thalamus. An ordinary brain would have a caudate nucleus to suppress anxieties. However otherwise the thalamus becomes very aware and starts obsessing, making the OFC overactive.

Question 29

Give examples of drugs given to OCD patients

Answer 29

Valium Increases levels of GABA in the brain, Helps to calm people down

Question 30

Give evidence for genetic factors of OCD

Answer 30

billet et al(1998) MZ twins were twice as likely to develop OCD if their twin had it Suggests genetic explanation for OCD However concordance rates were never 100% Shared environment may be better exolanation

Question 31

evaluate statistical infrequency

Answer 31

Objective, good for practitioner. Some abnormalities are desirable Common problems go misdiagnosed, e.g depression because it is classed as normal

Question 32

Evaluate deviation from social norms

Answer 32

social norms change over time and culture Takes into account situational norms, some behaviours aren't appropriate in certain contexts

Question 33

Evaluate failure to function adequately

Answer 33

Could lead to misdiagnosis- someone could have the same symptoms but they don't affect their lives Subjective personal experience- takes into account thoughts/feelings

Question 34

Evaluate deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 34

Unrealistic criteria- not many people are self-actualised and it is common to be stressed. Positive criteria- others say if you are these you have these, you're abnormal. Positive outlook

Question 35

Provide evidence for the neural explanations of OCD

Answer 35

Beucke et al Compared brains of OCD patients on or no medication Those who didn't have more active OFC. Severity of symptoms correlated with severity of over activity.

Question 36

Evaluate the biological explanation for OCD

Answer 36

Pracyical apps- treatment Research found lowered serotonin leads to OCD Therefore development of SSRI drugs