psychopathology Flashcards
(14 cards)
the definitions of abnormality
- statistical infrequency
limitation : uusual characteristics can be positive, IQ scores over 130 are abnormal.
strength : RL application, useful part of clinical assessment. - deviation from social norms
limitation : social norms are culturally relative. Hearing voices acceptable in africa but not UK/US.
strength : reliance on deviation.. can lead to abuse of human rights. Black slaves trying to escape. - failure to function adequately
limitation : Hard to tell if someone is deviating from social norms or failing to function.
strength : recognises patients perspective, CBT. - deviation from ideal mental health
limitaiton : hearing voices..
strength : comprehensive, range of criteria for mental health (jahoda) - makes it a good tool for thinking abt mental health.
phobias
behavioural : panic, avoidance
emotional : anxiety and fear, responses are unreasonable (responses are dispropotionate to threat posed)
cognitive : attention to phobic stimulus (hard to look away)
irrational beliefs
depression
behavioural : activity levels decrease, disruption to sleep and eating behaviour
cognirive : poor concentration
obsessive comulsive disorder (OCD)
behavioural : compulsions (repeating actions), avoidance
emotional : anxiet and distress, guilt and disgust (in themselves or externally, like dirt)
cognitive : obsessive thought, aware of excessive anxiety (know that thoughts/behaviours are irrational)
the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
- phobias are learned by classical conditioning (association) and maintained by operant conditioning.
- a study showed that whenever ‘‘little albert’’ was plpaying with a rat and a loud noise was played, he associated the rat with the axiety from noise.
- little albert generalised his fear to other white furry objects (e.g. fur coat)
-negative reinforcment esures phobias are maintained (because they are avoided)
evaluation explanation of pobias
strength : 2 process model has RL application. Studys using classical conditioning to develop phobias has had important implications to therapy. They make sure patients do not avoid phobia.
limitation : the 2 process model is incomplete explanation, we alos aquire phobias from our evolutionary past. This is biological preparedness - we are innately repared to fear some things.
limitation : not all bad experiences can lead to phobias, conditioning alone cannot explain phobias.
the behavioural approach to treating phobias
- SYSTEMATIC DESENSITISATION : phobia is learned so that phobic stimulus produces fear, conditioned stimulus is paired with relaxation and this becomes the new conditioned response.
- patient and therapist make anxiety hierarchy, then relaxation is practiced at each level.
- FLOODING involves bombardig patiet with phobic stimulus, no build up. Then patient learns stimuls is harmless.
evalutation : treating phobias
- systematic desensitisation is effective, it was found patients where less fearful of spiders when exposed to them rather than without exposure.
- strength is SD is preferred over flooding by patients and it tends to be most affective. This is relfectied in low amount of patients dropping out of SD.
- flooding is traumatic for patients, patients are unwilling to see stimulus through to the end, treatment is not effective (time money also wasted).
the cognitive approach to explaining depression
becks cognitive theory : people are more prone to depression when they think i a flawed way. Depressed people half negative self schemas. The negative tried (negative views of the worlds, future and self).
Ellis’s ABC model : A - acting event, depression arises from irrational beliefs. B - beliefs, musterbation and utopianism. C - consequences to irrational beliefs ( depression).
evaluation : explanation of depression
- has practical application in therapy. Negative triad is challenged in CBT.
- becks theory doesnt explain all aspects of depression. Complex - patients suffer extreme anger, hallucinations. Only focuses on aspect of disorder.
- has supporting evidence, it was found women where most likely to experience post natal depression. Beck may be right abt cognition causing depression.
cognitive approach to treating depression
- patient and therapist work together to clarify patients problems
- challenging negative thoughts relating to negative triad.
- patients are encouraged to test their irrational beliefs.
- patients are encouraged to face difficult situatuions to avoid isoation (e.g. exercising)
- CBT is effecive, It was found that patients taking antidepressants and doing CBT was more effective that just antidepressants.
- CBT may not work for severe cases of deoression. Patients cannot motivate themselves to do the tasks.
-
th biological approach to explaining OCD
genetic explanations : people may genetically have moore/ less seretonin or dopamine whch affects mood.
- OCD is caused by several genes.
neural explanations : low levels of seretonin lowers mood, some cases of OCD are associated with impaired decision making, this happens in the abnormal functioing of the frontal lobes.
- parahippocampal gyrus is associated with OCD aswell.
evaluation of approach to explaining OCD.
- there is supporting evidence in twin studies. More identical tiws shared OCD that non idetical, showing there is genetic influence.
- another limitation is psychologists have found too many genes associated with OCD, even if its by a fraction. The genetic explanation provides little predictive value.
-envirometal factors also play a role in OCD. It was found over half OCD patients had a traumatic event.
the biological approach to treating OCD and evaluation
drug therapy : changes levels of neurotrasmitters, SSRIs prevent reabsorption of seretonin. Combining SSRIs with CBT can be more effective.
drugs can have side effects, such as blurred vision, loss of sex drive indigestionn. Reduce effectivennness ppl stop taking medication.
drug therapy is effective, It was found in a study that SSRIs are much more effective than placebos. Bets when paired with CBT.
- drugs are cost effective, much cheaper than psychological treatments. Good value for NHS, non disruptive to patients lives.
