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Psychopathology Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the definition for deviation from social norms?

A

Behaviour is different from what is considered normal.

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2
Q

What is the definition for statistical infrequency?

A

Occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic compared to the population. Deviation from the average.

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3
Q

What is the definition for deviation from ideal mental health?

A

A person fails to meet Jahoda’s criteria for ideal mental health.

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4
Q

What is the definition for failure to function adequately?

A

Abnormal if a person has the inability to cope with everyday life. Develop maladaptive coping strategies.

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5
Q

What are the 6 points listed in Jahoda’s criteria?

A

1) Having a positive attitude towards the self
2) self actualisation of ones potential
3) Resistance to stress
4) Personal autonomy
5) Accurate perception of reality
6) Environmental mastery

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6
Q

What are the strengths of deviation from social norms as a definition for abnormality?

A

Real life application in diagnosing anti social personality disorder

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7
Q

What are the limitations of deviation from social norms as a definition for abnormality?

A

Social norms change with time
Subjective - vary between cultures
Norms change depending on context
Ethics - can be used as a form of social control

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8
Q

What are the strengths of statistical infrequency as a definition for abnormality?

A

Objective - based on statistics
Real life application- diagnosing intellectual disability disorder

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9
Q

What are the limitations of statistical infrequency as a definition for abnormality?

A

Some statistically infrequent behaviour can be desirable
Not all mental health issues are statistically infrequent
How do you decide how uncommon something needs to be to be abnormal?

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10
Q

What are the strengths of deviation from ideal mental health as a definition for abnormality?

A

Considers wide range of factors

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11
Q

What are the limitations of deviation from ideal mental health as a definition for abnormality?

A

Jahoda’s criteria may be unrealistic- not likely anyone will meet all six criteria
Subjective
Cultural bias - in collectivist cultures personal autonomy is less important.

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12
Q

What are the strengths of failure to function adequately as a definition for abnormality?

A

Takes into account distress
Inability to cope is a sensible threshold for getting help

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13
Q

What are the limitations of failure to function adequately as a definition for abnormality?

A

Those who choose alternative lifestyles eg travellers may be wrongly labelled.
Lots of people engage in unhealthy behaviours
How do we measure distress?

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14
Q

What are phobias?

A

A persistent anxiety disorder, which interferes with daily life includes irrational fears and avoidance.

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15
Q

What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?

A
  • Persistent and excessive fear in response to or in anticipation of the feared object/situation.
  • Fear from exposure
  • Fear is unreasonable
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16
Q

What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?

A
  • Avoidance behaviour
  • Freeze response
  • Disruption of function (avoidance means everyday functions are effected)
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17
Q

What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?

A
  • Selective attention to the stimulus
  • Irrational beliefs
  • Recognition of exaggerated anxiety
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18
Q

What is depression?

A

A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels.

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19
Q

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

A
  • Low mood (describe themselves as worthless or empty)
  • Anger (can led to aggression)
  • Low self esteem
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20
Q

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

A
  • Low activity levels (withdraw from school or work/ psychomotor agitation, can’t relax)
  • Disruption to sleep or eating
  • Verbally or physically aggressive
  • Self harm
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21
Q

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

A
  • Poor concentration
  • Dwell on negatives (pay attention to and have bias to recalling the negatives)
  • Absolutist thinking
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22
Q

What is OCD?

A

A condition characterised by obsessions and/or compulsive behaviour.

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23
Q

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

A
  • Obsessive thoughts cause anxiety + urge to repeat behaviour
  • Depression
  • Irrational guilt
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24
Q

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Study These Flashcards
A
  • Compulsions are repetitive eg hand washing, counting and tidying
  • Compulsions reduce anxiety
  • Avoidance
25
What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?
- Unpleasant obsessive thoughts eg worried about being contaminated - Develop cognitive coping strategies eg praying - Aware their obsessions and compulsions are not rational
26
What process can be used to explain phobias?
The Two Process Model by Mowrer (1947)
27
According to the Two Process Model how does the acquisition of phobias occur?
Directly through classical conditioning or indirectly through SLT.
28
According to the Two Process Model how does the maintenance of phobias occur?
Through operant conditioning where avoiding or escaping the feared object/situation acts as a negative reinforcer.
29
How can the Two Process Model be used to describe how Little Albert developed a phobia of the white rat?
Before: white rat = no response loud noise = fear During: white rat + loud noise = fear After: white rat = fear His association caused the acquisition of a phobia.
30
What does generalisation mean in regards to phobias?
When a conditioned response is produced to stimuli that are similar to the conditioned stimuli.
31
How was Little Albert's phobia of the white rat genearlised?
Showed fear to other white fluffy things
32
How can phobias be reinforced?
- Avoidance (negative reinforcement) - Attention (positive reinforcement)
33
Evaluate the behavioural explanation of phobias (strengths)
Support - Little Albert Usefulness - Treatment
34
Evaluate the behavioural explanation of phobias (weaknesses)
Conflicting evidence - Ohman study for preparedness ( Fear relevant and fear irrelevant stimuli paired with electric shock - fewer shocks needed to condition fear to fear relevant) Other explanations - Freud may say phobias are result of supressed childhood trauma or Diathesis stress model explains how we inherit a genetic vulnerability for developing mental disorders triggered by a life event. Testability - unethical to create phobias, lab experiments
35
What are the two ways phobias can be treated?
Flooding or systematic desensitisation
36
What is flooding?
Placing someone into a situation where they can't escape their fear so they confront it directly.
37
Why does flooding work?
Your body can't sustain a state of anxiety and so eventually it will relax and calm down, therefore you will eventually associate the fear with relaxation.
38
How is systematic desensitisation different to flooding?
- more gradual - given relaxation techniques
39
How is systematic desensitisation similar to flooding?
Draws on the same principles of association
40
How does systematic desensitisation work?
Uses a desensitisation hierarchy which gradually leads up to exposing someone to their fear. The patient doesn't move on to the next stage until they're ready.
41
What is a desensitisation hierarchy?
a list of most feared to least feared situations related to their phobia
42
During systematic desensitisation what does the therapist do before exposing the patient to their fear?
Teach them relaxation techniques
43
Why does systematic desensitisation work?
After each stage the patient associates the fear with relaxation.
44
Which treatment for phobias causes more distress? Why?
Flooding - client is forced into an extreme situation
45
How can the distress of flooding be justified?
The short term distress will eliminate their phobia making them happier long term.
46
Why in flooding are clients not allowed to withdraw?
It will negatively reinforce their phobia.
47
How can the lack of withdrawing be made ethical in regard to flooding?
Ensure they have been fully informed and consent to the treatment. Explain the high levels of distress and clearly state they can't withdraw. Give the opportunity to ask questions and give written permission.
48
Give some limitations of treating phobias
- Neither treatment tackle the underlying problem (deal with the symptoms not the cause) - cause high distress levels - Alternative treatments (anti anxiety meds or CBT)
49
Give some strengths of treating phobias
- ethical issues can be overcome with informed consent - research support (75% of patients treated successfully with SD)
50
What is a schema?
Framework of knowledge and expectations based on prior experiences.
51
What is the main concept of the negative triad?
Negative schema + negative biases = negative triad
52
If people have a negative triad what negative thoughts do they have? What does this lead to?
Negative thoughts about the world, the future and the self which leads to depression
53
When does Beck say negative schemas develop?
Childhood and adolescence when authority figures place unreal demands on the individual and are highly critical of them.
54
What fuels negative schemas?
Cognitive biases
55
What is Ellis' ABC model?
A) an activating event causes C) an individual's belief which results in C) a consequence
56
How does the ABC model link to depression?
If beliefs are subject to cognitive biases then they can cause irrational thinking which can produce undesirable behaviours.
57
Evaluate cognitive explanation for depression (strengths)
- Practical application - CBT developed based on ABC model and challenges irrational beliefs - Individual control - can be empowering as it gives people a sense they're able to help themselves
58
Evaluate cognitive explanation for depression (weaknesses)
- Other explanations - biological (chemical and hormone imbalances, low serotine), humanistic (lack of congruence not meeting hierarchy) - Blames patient's way of thinking - Evidence uses correlations - Have to rely on inference when studying brain function

Psychology (7 decks)

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