Psychopathology Evaluation Flashcards
(29 cards)
Statistical Infrequency
-Limitation
-Some abnormal behaviours are desirable
-E.g. very few people have an IQ over 150 but this abnormality is desirable.
-Also, there are normal behaviours that are undesirable such as depression.
-This definition doesn’t allow us to distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviours.
Statistical Infrequency
-Limitation
-The cut-off point is subjective.
-We need to decide where to separate normality from abnormality.
-E.g. difficulty in sleeping - some might think abnormal sleep is less than 6 hours a night on average- some might think the cut off should be 5 hours.
Statistical Infrequency
-Limitation
-Cultural relativism
-Behaviours may be statistically infrequent in one culture but statistically frequent in another.
-E.g. hearing voices.
Deviation from Social Norms
-Limitation
-Susceptible to abuse - what is socially acceptable now may not have been socially acceptable 50 years ago.
-If we define abnormality in. terms of deviation from social norms, there is a danger of creating definitions based on prevailing social morals and attitudes.
Deviation from Social Norms
-Strength
-The definition does distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviours.
-Offers a practical and useful way of identifying undesirable and potentially damaging behaviour, which may alert others to the need to secure help for the person concerned.
Deviation from Social Norms
-Limitation
-Cultural relativism
-Bound by culture because social norms are defined by the culture.
-Classification systems such as the DSM are almost entirely based on the social norms of the dominant culture.
Failure to function adequately
-Limitation
-The definition is subjective as abnormality is dependent on who is judging and making the decision.
-E.g. those who behave violently are under the delusion that they are defending themselves or others from evil and therefore are functioning adequately.
-Failure to function adequately
-Limitation
-Cultural relativism - definitions of adequate functioning are specific to cultural ideas of how one’s life should be lived.
-The failure to function criteria is likely to result in different diagnoses when applied to people from different cultures.
Deviation from ideal mental health
-Strength
-It is a positive approach
-Definition focuses on the positives rather than the negatives.
-It offers an alternative approach that focuses on the ‘ideal’ -what is desirable rather than what is undesirable.
Deviation from ideal mental health
-Limitation
-Cultural relativism - Many of Jahoda’s mental health criteria are culture-bound.
-E.g. the goal of self-actualisation is relevant to members of individualist cultures but not collectivist cultures where people promote the needs of the group not themselves.
Behavioural Approach to explaining phobias - Two process model
-Limitation
-Incomplete explanation - Not all people who are bitten by dogs develop a phobia of dogs - could be explained by the diathesis stress model which proposes that we inherit a genetic vulnerability for developing mental disorders - a disorder will only manifest itself if triggered by a life event.
Behavioural Approach to explaining phobias - Two Process Model
-Limitation
-Ignores cognitive factors - the cognitive explanation proposes that phobias may develop as the consequence of irrational thinking. The value of this alternative explanation is that it leads to cognitive therapies such as CBT - may be more successful in treating phobias than flooding or systematic desensitisation.
Behavioural Approach to explaining phobias - Two-process model
-Strength
-Clear practical applications
-The model’s explanation of maintenance of phobias has implications for therapies because it explains why patients need to be exposed to the feared stimulus - once a patient is prevented from practising their avoidance the behaviour ceases to be reinforced and so it declines.
Behavioural Approach to treating phobias - Systematic Desensitisation
-Strength
-Evidence supporting its effectiveness
-Gilroy followed up 42 patients who had been treated fro spider phobias in three 45-minute sessions of SD
-A control group was treated by relocation without exposure -At both three months and 33 months after the treatments, the SD group were less fearful than the relaxation group.
Behavioural Approach to treating phobias - Systematic Desensitisation
-Limitation
-Not appropriate or effective or ALL phobias
-Ohman (1975) suggested that SD may not be as effective in treating phobias that have an evolutionary survival component (e.g. fear of the dark, fear of heights and fear of dangerous animals)
-SD is impractical in many senses - cannot touch a shark.
Behavioural Approach to treating phobias - Systematic Desensitisation
-Limitation
-The process is costly and long lasting
Behavioural Approach to treating phobias - Flooding
-Strength
-More cost-effective than other treatments for phobias such as CBT/SD
-Studies have found that flooding is highly effective and quicker than alternatives - often only requiring one session to cure a patients phobia.
Behavioural Approach to treating phobias - Flooding
-Limitation
-May not be appropriate or effective for everyone.
-Can be a highly traumatic procedure, not a gradual process so individuals can become severely distressed
Cognitive Approach to explaining Depression - Ellis’ ABC Model
-Strength
-Real world application - it has led to REBT which is effective for many clients by challenging irrational beliefs
Cognitive Approach to explaining Depression - Cognitive approach
-Limitation
-Not all irrational beliefs are irrational, they may simply seem irrational.
-Alloy & Abramson - suggested that depressive realists tend to see things for what they are and that normal people tend to view the world through rose-coloured glasses.
-They found that depressed people gave more accurate estimates of the likelihood of a disaster than normal people.
Cognitive Approach to explaining Depression - Beck’s Negative Triad
-Strength
-Supporting Evidence - Terry assessed 65 women of their cognitive vulnerability - finding that women that deemed to be more vulnerable were more likely to suffer postnatal depression
Cognitive Approach to explaining Depression - Cognitive Approach
-Strength
-Practical Application
-The basis of CBT is Beck’s theory - the components of the negative triad can be easily identified and challenged.
CBT - Treating Depression
- Strength
-Ellis claimed a 90% success rate for REBT (rational emotive behavioural therapy which focuses on resolving emotional and behavioural problems - a review of 75 studies done by Cuijper found that CBT was superior to no treatment.
Biological Approach to explaining OCD
-Strength
-Evidence of the genetic basis of OCD comes from studies of first-degree relatives and twin studies - Nestadt identified 80 patients with OCD and 343 of their first-degree relatives comparing it to 73 control patients - They found that people with a first-degree relative with OCD have a five times greater risk of having the illness themselves.
