Week 1 Chapter 2 Current Paradigms Summary CF

Question 1

What questions does the genetic paradigm focus on?

Answer 1

The genetic paradigm focuses on questions such as whether certain disorders are heritable &, if so, what is actually inherited

Question 2

What is heritability?

Answer 2

Heritability is a population statistic, not a metric (individual) of the likelihood a particular person will inherit a disorder

Question 3

How can environmental effects be classified?

Answer 3

Environmental effects can be classified as shared and non-shared. Non-shared are sometimes called unique

Question 4

What does the study of molecular genetics seek to identify?

Answer 4

The study of molecular genetics seek to identify differences in the sequence & structure of genes as well as gene polymorphisms, such as SNP’s that may be involved in psychopathology

Question 5

What has genetic research emphasised?

Answer 5

Research has emphasised the importance of gene-environment interactions

Question 6

What is meant by the concept of ‘genes via environment’?

Answer 6

• The genes do their work via the environment in most cases
• e.g.s of genetic influence being manifested only under certain environmental conditions include poverty - IQ and early maltreatment - depression
• Thus we must not look just for the genes associated with mental illness but also for the conditions under which these genes must be expressed

Question 7

What is the neuroscience paradigm concerned with?

Answer 7

The neuroscience paradigm is concerned with the ways in which the brain contributes to psychopathology

Question 8

Which neurotransmitters have been implicated in psychological disorders?

Answer 8

Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, norepinephrine, dopamine, and GABA have been implicated in a number of disorders

Question 9

A number of brain areas have also been implicated in psychological disorders, name them.

Answer 9

• the autonomic nervous system - the sympathetic & para-sympathetic nervous systems
• the HPA axis - which is responsible for the bosy’s response to stress

Question 10

What are the main biological treatments for different disorders and, what is the main limitation with them?

Answer 10

• Biological treatments, primarily medications, are effective in treating many disorders
• However, they are not necessarily treating the cause of the problems

Question 11

Why must we be careful of reductionism?

Answer 11

Although the brain plays an important role in our understanding of the causes of psychopathology, the brain cannot be taken in isolation from factors of the external environment, as this over-simplifiers complex interactions.

Question 12

What 5 structures are contained within the limbic system?

Answer 12

• hypothalamus
• anterior cingulate
• septal area
• hippocampus
• amygdala

Question 13

What does
a, the white matter in the brain consist of &
b, the grey matter in the brain consist of?

Answer 13

• The white matter consists of the tracts of myelinated fibres that connect cells
• The grey matter consists of the brains cells or neurons

Question 14

What are 2 of the neurotransmitters studied in psychopathology and what are their functions?

Answer 14

• Norepinephrine and GABA
• Norepinephrine can produce states of high arousal
• GABA inhibits nerve impulses

Question 15

What 3 structures are contained within the HPA Axis?

Answer 15

• Hypothalamus
• Pituitary Gland
• Adrenal cortex

Question 16

a. What influences are reflected in the cognitive behavioural paradigm?
b. Name an influential cognitive behavioural therapist

Answer 16

a. Behavioural therapy & cognitive science are influential on the cognitive behavioural paradigm
b. Aaron Beck is an influential cognitive behavioural therapist

Question 17

What are some of the treatment techniques still used in the cognitive behavioural paradigm today?

Answer 17

Treatment techniques designed to alter consequences or reinforcers of a behaviour, such as time out and exposure, are still in use today.

• e.g. research on implicit memory promoted acceptance of the ideas of unconscious influences on behaviour.
• cognitive behaviour therapy uses behavioural therapy techniques & cognitive restructuring.

Question 18

Which concepts form part of cognitive behavioural theories and treatments of psychopathology?

Answer 18

Cognitive science focuses on concepts such as schemas (a set or network of accumulated knowledge), attention, memory, and the unconscious

Question 19

why is it not surprising that disturbances in emotion figure prominently in many different forms of psychopathology?

Answer 19

Emotions influence how we respond to problems & challenges, they help us organise our thoughts & actions, and guide our behaviour.

Question 20

Emotions are comprised of a number of components, for instance, expressive, experiential and physiological components. When we consider psychopathology, it is important to consider which aspects of the emotional component is effected.
Give some examples of disorders where one or more component of emotion is disrupted.

Answer 20

• People with schizophrenia do not readily express their emotions outwardly, but report feeling emotions very strongly
• People with panic disorder experience excessive fear & anxiety when no actual danger is present
• People with depression may experience prolonged sadness & other negative feelings
• A person with antisocial personality disorder does not feel empathy

Question 21

What other factors can influence psychopathology?

Answer 21

Sociocultural factors, such as gender, race, culture, ethnicity and socio-economic status can all influence the development of psychopathology
Environmental factors can trigger, exacerbate, or maintain symptoms that make up different disorders

Question 22

What is social neuroscience attempting to understand?

Answer 22

Social neuroscience seeks to understand what happens to the brain during complex social situations.
*Gene-environment interaction studies are uncovering the ways in which the social environment in combination with certain genes can increase the risk for disorders.

Question 23

Name some other issues that have been shown to influence psychopathology

Answer 23

*The quality of relationship(s)
*Trauma
*Serious Life Event
*Stress
have all been found to influence psychopathology

Question 24

When functioning effectively, Interpersonal relationships have been found to be important buffers against stresses & have benefits for physical and mental health.
What types of support can be used to improve a person’s interpersonal relationships?

Answer 24

*Couples therapy
*Family therapy
Social psychologists use the ‘relational self’ (drawn from object relations & attachment theory) to emphasise the importance of interpersonal relationships

Question 25

What are the key components of the Diathesis-Stress paradigm, which integrates several points of view?

Answer 25

• It is an integrative paradigm that links genetics, neurobiological, psychological and environmental factors
• Possessing the diathesis for a disorder increases a person’s risk of developing it, but does not by any means guarantee that a disorder will develop
• Both the diathesis and the stress must be present for the disorder to develop
• Psychopathology is unlikely to develop from the impact of any single factor