Psychopathology

Question 1

Define Statistical infrequency (A01)(Definitions of abnormality)

Answer 1

Statistical infrequency is unusual behaviour which lies on the extreme parts of the spectrum. Behaviour that isn’t normal and seen in most people eg.intellectual disability disorder. 2 S.D from the mean accounts for the disorder

Question 2

Define Failure Function Adequately (A01)(Definitions of abnormality)

Answer 2

Individuals who fail to cope with their daily lives and can’t interact with other individuals. Features of failure to function: Maladaptive behaviour (behaving in ways which go against their long term goals), personal anguish (suffering from anxiety and distress, unpredictable behaviour, observer discomfort (making other people around them uncomfortable)

Question 3

Deviation from social norms(A01)(Definitions of abnormality)

Answer 3

Social norms are a set of behaviour accepted by society. These change depending on cultures and overtime.
Individuals who act differently deviate from these social norms. Such as anti-social behaviour disorder where individuals behave in a manner which is not accepted

Question 4

Deviation from Ideal mental health (A01)(Definitions of abnormality)

Answer 4

Jahoda’s ideal mental health criteria states the conditions required to have ideal mental health. These include
-Self-actualisation
-Environmental mastery: can individuals adapt to the new environment
-Autonomy: can individuals self-suffice
-Good self-esteem
- Can cope with stress
- Has an accurate perception of reality

Question 5

Statistical infrequency (A03)(Definitions of abnormality)(Real life application)

Answer 5

One strength of statistical infrequency is its usefulness. For example, it is used by psychologists and researchers to identify which behaviours can be classed as ‘normal’ and not. It can also be used to identify if individuals need help with a disorder, using it as an assessment tool. This shows that the value of statistical infrequency criterion is useful in diagnostic.

Question 6

Statistical infrequency (A03)(Definitions of abnormality)(cannot explain all unusual charateristics)

Answer 6

One limitation of statistical infrequency is that it can only be used to identify negative behaviours. For example when used for IQ to identify intellectual disabilities. Individuals with high and low IQ’s lie on both ends of the spectrum however, only having a low score is seen as bad although they are both extreme values. This means that statistical infrequency cannot be accurately used by itself as an assessment for a behaviour

Question 7

Deviation from Social norms(A03)(Definitions of abnormality)(Cannot be used across cultures)

Answer 7

One limitation of deviation from social norms is that it is subjective to each culture. For example, in Carribean culture, it is common for individuals to hear voices as it is a sign from their ancestors, however, in many other cultures this is not seen as a norm and can be classed as schizophrenia. This therefore suggests that the use of this definition of
abnormality may lead to some discrepancies in the diagnoses of mental health disorders,
between cultures.

Question 8

Behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 8

Failure to function, as you cannot focus on anything else but the object or situation
Avoidance- Keeping a distance between you and the object, physically adapting your normal behaviours 2
Panic- Uncontrollable physical response due to the sudden appearance of the object.

Question 9

Behavioural characteristics of Phobias

Answer 9

Failure to function- You cannot carry out tasks when the phobia is nearby
Avoidance- you will avoid the object which is causing you distress
Panic- uncontrollable physical response which involves crying,hyperventilating

Question 10

Emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 10

Fear- intense emotional state which arouses flight or fight
Anxiety- Physiological arousal which

Question 11

Cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 11

Irrational thoughts- you have exaggerated thoughts about the phobias
Reduced cognitive capacity- you cannot function and complete your other tasks because of the phobia

Question 12

Types of depression

Answer 12

Major depressive disorder- Severe, short term depression
Persistent depressive disorder- long-term recurring depression
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder- childhood temper tantrums
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder- disruption to mood prior to or during menstruation.

Question 13

Behaviour characteristics of depression

Answer 13

A change in appetite
Reduced social interactions
A change in behaviours (often becoming more aggressive to themselves or individuals)
A change in sleeping patterns

Question 14

Emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 14

Sadness- a persistent feeling of being down
Guilt- feeling of helplessness

Question 15

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 15

Poor concentration- cannot focus on any long term tasks
Negative schemas- of the world and themselves

Question 16

Behavioural characteristics of OCD

Answer 16

Compulsions
Avoidance
Social impairment

Question 17

Emotional characteristics of OCD

Answer 17

Anxiety: intense physiological arousal.
Depression: a state of sadness

Question 18

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 18

Selective attention- only focus on objects which are associated with the objects
Obsessions- intrusive, irrational and recurrent thoughts
Hypervigilance- constant state of awareness, looking out for the trigger of the obsession.

Question 19

What is the two-process model.

Answer 19

Phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning

Question 20

How are behaviours acquired through classical conditioning

Answer 20

A neutral stimulus has a neutral response. However, when the neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus, there is an unconditioned response. Through association, this unconditioned response becomes a conditioned response whenever the now controlled stimulus is around.

Question 21

Strength of explanation to phobias (AO3)(Exposure therapies)

Answer 21

One strength of the two-process model is real-life application to therapies. For example, the two-process model was used to understand and develop exposure therapies. Avoidance is a behaviour which negatively reinforces the phobias, so researchers can put clients in a situation where the phobia is present, it cannot be avoided therefore, there no experience of anxiety reduction and the behaviour declines. This shows that the two-process approach has credibility as it can be used to treat phobias.

Question 22

Limitation of two-process model (AO3)(Evolutionary explanations)

Answer 22

One limitation to the two-process model is that there are alternative explanations to the acquisition of phobias. For example, researchers proposed that we are predisposed to certain phobias such as deep water and fire. This is because our ancestors ran away from these stimuli to increase their chances of survival. Therefore, alternative theories can explain why some phobias are more frequent than other phobias.

Question 23

Limitation of two-process model (assumes there is a bad experience)

Answer 23

One limitation of the two-process model is that it assumes a bad experience must’ve occured. For example, many people have not seen a snake in real life or experienced trauma from them , but many people are still scared of them. Also not all scary experiences lead to phobias. This means that the association between phobias and experiences are not as strong as we would expect them to be.

Question 24

What is reciprocal inhibition ?

Answer 24

You cannot have opposite emotions at the same time eg. happiness and sadness, panic and calmness.

Question 25

Systematic desensitisation

Answer 25

Clients are gradually exposed to the object. -Work with the therapist to learn relaxation techniques -They write down a list of things which in relation to the phobia in increasing anxiety. -The client is then exposed to each of these at each individual level (however, the therapy is only successful if they are able to finish as if they stop, they reduce their anxiety and the therapy is successful. - if successful the client will the associate the phobia with relaxation.

Question 26

Flooding

Answer 26

Flooding is done by exposing the client to the phobia without an anxiety hierarchy. This causes extreme anxiety, however this requires alot of energy and eventually the client will become tired and calm down. When the client calms down in the presence of a phobia, then the phobia is gone.

Question 27

Strength of systematic desensitisation (AO3)(Evidence of effectiveness)

Answer 27

One strength of systematic flooding is evidence for its effectiveness. For example, researchers followed up on participants who had 3, 45 minutes of systematic desensitisation. Findings showed that both at 3 and 33 months, individuals who did SD were less fearful of their phobias compared to the control group treated with relaxation and no exposure. This shows that SD is likely to be helpful when treating people with phobias.

Question 28

Strength of systematic desensitisation (AO3)(Individuals with learning difficulties)

Answer 28

One strength of SD is that it is suitable for individuals with learning difficulties. For example, therapies for phobias usually require complex rational thought which most individuals with learning difficulties aren't able to do. However, SD is easy to operate compared to other methods, also not a traumatic experience. Therefore, SD may be the most suitable treatment for individuals with phobias.

Question 29

Strength of Flooding(AO3) (Cost effective)

Answer 29

One strength of flooding is that it is cost effective. For example, flooding can be done in one session unlike, SD which requires multiple sessions before being exposed to the phobia. This can be beneficial for organisations like the NHS where flooding is a more liable option. This means that Flooding is an option which is more widely available.

Question 30

Limitation of Flooding(AO3) (Traumatic)

Answer 30

One limitation of flooding is that it is a unpleasant experience. For example, being exposed to your phobia evokes extreme emotions which are significantly more stressful. This can be an ethical issue as there is harm and stressful caused to participants, this makes the attrition rates for Flooding higher. This means that although flooding can be an effective method for overcoming phobias, it is not a liable option for everyone.ma