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Psychology Paper 1 > Psychopathology > Flashcards

Psychopathology Flashcards

(41 cards)

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1
Q

Define statistical infrequency

A
  • Abnormal behaviour are rare + diff, found in few people
  • eg. IQ : average is 100
  • 2% below 70, statistically abnormal so diagnosed w/ intellectual disability disorder
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2
Q

Evaluate statistical infrequency

A

(+) Real life application - assessment of patient w/ mental disorder is compared w/ statistical infrequency eg. intellectual disability disorder - useful in clinical assessment

(-) Some abnormal behaviour is desirable - eg. IQ of 150 is abnormal but desirable + doesnt require treatment

(-) Not everyone benefits from labels - someone w/ low IQ may be living normal + happy life - -ve effect on their view

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3
Q

Define deviation from social norms

A
  • Abnormal behaviour is someone who deviates from socially created norms, act diff from expectations
  • eg. antisocial personality disorder: failure to conform to lawful + culturally normative ethical behaviour, abnormal bc they’re impulsive + aggressive
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4
Q

Evaluate deviation from social norms

A

(-) Culturally relative - person from 1 culture may label someone as abnormal using their standards eg. hearing voices

(-) Social norms vary over time - eg. homosexuality considered mental disorder but now socially acceptable

(-) Deviance is related to behaviour’s context - eg. wearing few clothes on beach is normal but not at funeral, no clear line btw abnormal deviation + eccentricity

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5
Q

Define failure to function adequately

A
  • Abnormal if they can’t cope w/ everyday life
  • Not functioning adequately causes distress + suffering for person + others
  • eg. low IQ is statistical infrequency but intellectual disability disorder shows FTFA bc unable to cope w/ everyday life
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6
Q

Evaluate failure to function adequately

A

(+) Recognises patient’s perspective - acknowledges experience of patient’s is important - useful for assessing abnormality

(-) Some abnormal behaviour can be functional - depression may lead to extra attention for individual, attention is rewarding - incomplete definitions

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7
Q

Define deviation from ideal mental health

A
  • Abnormality is deviating from ideal +ve mental health, defined in terms of Jahoda’s criteria, absence of criteria indicates abnormality
  • Criteria: no symptoms of distress, accurate self-perception, self-actualisation, ability to cope w/ stress, realistic view of world, good self esteem + independent
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8
Q

Evaluate deviation from ideal mental health

A

(+) Comprehensive - covers wide range of criteria for mental health

(-) Culturally relative - Specific to western cultures eg. self atualisation would be considered self indulgent in collectivist cultures

(-) Unrealistic - few people satisfy criteria, so most are abnormal

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9
Q

Define Phobias

A

An irrational fear of an object or situation

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10
Q

Phobias: behavioural

A
  • Panic - crying, screaming, running away
  • Avoidance - avoid phobic stimulus
  • Endurance - remains in presence of stimulus but exp anxiety
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11
Q

Phobias: emotional

A
  • Anxiety - unpleasant state of high arousal, unable to relax
  • Fear - immediate + unpleasant response, leads to anxiety
  • Unreasonable emotional responses - disproportionate to danger posed
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12
Q

Phobias: cognitive

A
  • Selective attention
  • Irrational belief
  • Cognitive distortions - alters perception of phobic stimilus
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13
Q

Outline the behavioural approach to explaining phobias

A
  • 2 process model
  • Classical conditioning - phobias are acquired
  • eg. Little Albert: rats + loud noise
  • Operant conditioning - phobias are maintained: fear is lowered by avoiding phobic stimulus (-ve reinforcement)
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14
Q

Evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias

A

(+) Good explanatory power - Provides exp of acquiring phobias, important implications for therapies bc explains y patients need to be exposed

(-) Doesn’t explain the development of all phobias - some cant remember incident leading to development of phobia

(-) Phobia doesn’t always develop after traumatic incident - people bitten by dogs don’t develop phobia. Diathesis stress model- inherit genetic vulnerability + triggered by life events

(-) Cognitive aspects - person who thinks they’ll die in lifts may trigger phobia, irrational thinking involved in development of phobias

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15
Q

Outline systematic desensitisation as a behavioural approach to treating phobias

A
  • Uses counterconditioning to replace fear w/ relaxation
  • Based on reciprocal inhibition - cant be relaxed + afraid at same time
  • Make anxiety hierarchy - fearful stimuli ordered least to worst frightening
  • Taught relaxation techniques - deep breathing + meditation
  • Works through hierarchy in relaxed state
  • Several sessions - gradual exposure
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16
Q

Evaluate systematic desensitisation as a behavioural approach to treating phobias

A

(+) Effective - Gilroy followed up 42 patients who had SD for spider phobia in 3 45min sesh, less fearful compared to group w/o exposure

(+) Suitable for diverse range of patients - alt treatments is flooding, not suitable eg.those w/ learning difficulties won’t understand whats happening

(+) Acceptable to patients - doesn’t cause same degree of trauma, low attrition rates

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17
Q

Outline flooding as a behavioural approach to treating phobias

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A
  • Single exposure to most feared situation
  • Learns relaxation techniques + exposed for 2-3 hrs
  • Learn through extinction - patient learns phobic stimulus is harmless
18
Q

Evaluate flooding as a behavioural approach to treating phobias

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A

(+) Cost effective - quicker than alt techniques

(-) Less effective for some phobias - eg. social phobias have cognitive aspect, cognitive therapies tackle irrational thinking

(-) Traumatic - high attrition, time + money wasted

19
Q

Define depression

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A

Mental disorder characterised by low mood + low energy levels

20
Q

Depression: behavioural

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A
  • Reduced energy levels
  • Disruption to sleep + eating behaviour
  • Aggressive behaviour
21
Q

Depression: emotional

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A
  • Lowered mood - feeling worthless
  • Anger
  • Low self esteem
22
Q

Depression: cognitive

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A
  • Poor conc levels
  • Adding to + dwelling on -ve
  • Absolutist thinking
23
Q

Outline Beck’s cognitive theory of explaining depression

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A
  • Due to faulty info processing
  • Roots lying in traumatic childhood experiences, developing -ve schema
  • Depressed people have -ve self schema - interpret info about themselves in -ve way
  • Negative triad: world, future + self
24
Q

Evaluate Beck’s cognitive theory of explaining depression

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A

(+) Supporting evidence - Grazoili et al assessed 65 pregnant women for cognitive vulnerability + depression before + after birth. High vulnerability most likely suffer post natal depression

(+) Practical application - forms basis of CBT, -ve triad challenged in CBT

(-) Doesn’t explain all aspects of depression - some suffer hallucinations + delusions they’re zombies

25
Outline Ellis ABC model to explaining depression
* Depression arises from **irrational thoughts** * **Activating event** * -ve event **triggers irrational beliefs** eg. **musterbation**'must always succeed', **utopianism** * When beliefs triggered, there are **emotional** + **behavioural consequences**: depression
26
Evaluate Ellis ABC model to explaining depression
**(+) Practical application** - forms basis of **CBT**, **challenges irrational thoughts** **(-) Doesn't explain all aspects of depression** - some suffer **hallucinations** + **delusions** they're zombies **(-) Ignores biological exp** - **low** levels of **serotonin** in **depressed people**
27
Define CBT
**Treating mental disorders** based on both **cognitive** and **behavioural** techniques. **Cognitive** therapy **challenges -ve thoughts** also includes **behavioural techniques** such as **behavioural activation**
28
Outline Beck's cognitive therapy
* **Identify automatic thoughts** about **-ve triad** * Thoughts **challenged** by being **set hw** (**patients as scientists)** used in **futures** sesh to **disprove -ve automatic thoughts**
29
Outline Ellis' rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)
* Aims to turn **irrational** to **rational thoughts** * D - **dispute** irrational beliefs * E - **effects** of disputing * **Focuses on** vigorous arguement to dispute: **logical** (follow facts), **empirical** (evidence) + **pragmatic**
30
Define behavioural activation
**Encourage** patients to be **more active** + **engage** in **enjoyable activities**
31
Evaluate the cognitive approach to treating depression
**(+) Effective** - **March et al** compared effect of **CBT** w/ **AD** in **327 depressed teens**, after **36 weeks**, **81% CBT**, **81% AD** + **86% CB**T + **AD sig improved** **(-) Individual diff influences effectiveness** - **Less suitable** for when people's irrational thoughts are rigid, so **severe** they need AD first **(-) Emphasises importance of cognition** - **minimises importance** of **circumstances** eg. someone suffering abuse needs to **change situation**
32
Define OCD
Condition characterised by **obsessions** and/or **compulsive behaviour**
33
OCD: behavioural
* **Compulsive behaviour** - **repetitive** + **reduces anxiety** * **Avoidance** - **situations** that **trigger anxiety**
34
OCD: emotional
* **Anxiety** - **obsessive thoughts** are **unpleasant** * **Depression** * **Irrational guilt** + **disgust** - over **minor moral issues** + **self**
35
OCD: cogntive
* **Obessive thoughts** - exp **90%** of **sufferers** * **Insight** into own **excessive anxiety**
36
Outline the genetic explanations to explaining OCD
* **Lewis** observed **37% patients** w/ OCD had **parents** w/ OCD + **21%** had **siblings** w/ OCD - **runs in families** * **Candidate genes**: **5HT1-D** implicated in **efficiency** of **transport** of **serotonin** across synapses * **Polygenic**: **several genes involved** (**230**) * **Aetiologically hetrogeneous**: group of genes causes OCD in 1 person but other set of genes in another person
37
Evaluate the genetic explanations to explaining OCD
**(+) Supporting evidence** - **Nestadt** reviewed **twin studies** + found **68% MZ** shared OCD as opposed to **31% DZ** **(-) Too many candidate genes identified** - 230 genes - provides l**ittle predictive value** **(-) Ignores env factors** - not born w/ OCD but **learnt from env**
38
Outline neural explanations to explaining OCD
* Explained by **reduction** in **functioning** of **serotonin system** - NT that r**egulates mood**, low = **normal transmission** of **mood-relevant info btw neurones doesn't take place** * **Hoarding disorder** associated w/ **impaired decision making** due to **abnormal brain functioning** of **lateral frontal lobes** - responsible for decision making * **Left parahippocampal gyrus** associated w/ **unpleasant emotions** + **functions** **abnormally** in **sufferers**
39
Evaluate neural explanations to explaining OCD
**(+) Supporting evidence** - **AD** work purely on **serotonin system**, **inc NT levels** **reduces** OCD **symptoms** **(-) Correlation doesn't mean causation** - **bio abnormalities** could be **result** of **OCD** than cause
40
Outline the biological approach to treating OCD
* SSRI (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor) antidepressants
41
Evaluate the biological approach to treating OCD
**(+) Effective** - **Soomro** et al reviewed **17 studies** comparing **SSRIs** to **placebo**, all showed better results than placebo **(+) Cost effective + non-disruptive** - **psychological therapies** are **time consuming**, SSRIs can be taken any time **(-) Side effects** - **SSRI**: **headaches** + **insomnia**, **tricylic**: **hallucinations** + **irregular heartbeat**, causes patients to stop taking it **(-) Evidence is unreliable** - evidence favouring drug is **biased** bc **sponsored** by **drug companies** who don't report all evidence

Psychology Paper 1 (4 decks)

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