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90 Cards in this Set
- Front
- Back
- 3rd side (hint)
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What is statistical deviation? |
Behaviours that are considered rare are abnormal |
Uses distribution curves |
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A limitation of the Statistical deviation definition of abnormality |
Some unusual characteristics can be positive. Makes the definition lack validity. |
E.g High IQ |
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What is another limitation of the Statistical deviation definition? |
Some common behaviours are actually abnormal. |
E.g Depression being common |
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What is a strength of the Statistical deviation definition? |
Good real world application, useful in psychiatric settings |
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Definition 2: Deviation from social norms |
Behaviour that goes against what society views as acceptable Going against the unwritten rules of society |
E.g Queuing |
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Why is Definition 2 of abnormality unreliable? |
Social norms change in context Makes it less consistently effective |
Shouting at a stranger vs shouting at a football match |
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Another limitation of Definition 2 for abnormality |
Sometimes breaking social norms can be good Therefore not all social deviance is abnormal |
E.g Not discriminating against Jewish People in Nazi Germany |
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3rd limitation of Definition 2 of abnormality |
If the definition is taken too literally then we would all be abnormal. Difficult to know which social norms have to be broken for them to be abnormal. |
E.g returning books to the library late |
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Definition 3: Failure to Function |
Abnormality through not being able to cope with everyday life |
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What are the 7 signs of the failure to function definition |
- Observer discomfort - Violation of moral and ideal standards - Vividness and unconventionality - Loss of control over emotion - Irrationality - Suffering - Maladaptiveness |
Maladaptiveness - failing to adjust to new situations |
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What is a limitation of of the Failure to Function definition? |
Subjective interpretation of the criteria makes in unreliable due to lack of consistence |
E.g.: Burping in public would cause observers discomfort but not all people |
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What's a positive of the Failure to Function definition?
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Takes into account the patient's point of view, not all definitions do this
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What's another limitation of the Failure to Function definition? |
Proposes a negative view of abnormality as it points out all the negative things - shows a more unhealthy view of mental illness |
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Definition 4: Deviation from ideal mental health |
The more you stray away from perfect mental health, the more abnormal you are |
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What are the signs of ideal mental health? |
- High self-esteem - Self-Actualisation - Adapting to the environment - Accurate perception of reality - Resistance to stress |
Self-Actualisation - achieving your potential in life
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What's a strength of the Ideal Mental Health definition?
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It is a comprehensive definition, makes it more reliable |
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What's one limitation of the Ideal Mental Health definition? |
It is affected by cultural relativism, therefore is not affective across different cultures |
Being autonomous in our society is expected, but less common in collectivist countries like Japan |
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What is another limitation of the Ideal Mental Health definition? |
If taken literally, we would all be abnormal |
Very few would meet all 6 criteria |
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What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?
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- Panic - Avoidance |
- Crying, screaming, running away - Not facing the object of your fear |
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Emotional characteristics of phobias? |
- Anxiety - Unreasonable emotional responses |
- Unpleasant state of high arousal - Disproportionate response to the threat |
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Cognitive characteristics of phobias? |
- Selective attention - Irrational beliefs |
- Ignoring other aspects of the situation and only focusing on their source of fear - Believing that the cause of fear is more dangerous than it actually is |
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Who proposed the two-process model of phobias? |
Mowrer (1960) |
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What is the two-process model of phobias? |
- They are acquired by classical conditioning and maintained by operant conditioning (avoidance) |
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What is classical conditioning? |
We learn things through association between two things. |
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What was the study done with the small child and rat on classical conditioning? |
Little Albert Study |
He became scared of rats and all fluffy things by association |
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:) |
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What is a strength of the two-process model for phobias? |
+ Good Practical Applications - Effective in therapy |
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What is a limitation of the two-process model for phobias? |
- Fails to take into account evolutionary basis of phobias |
(genes) |
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What is another limitation of the two-process model for phobias? |
- Phobias do not always follow trauma |
(trauma) |
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What is another limitation of the two-process model for phobias? |
- Fails to account for the cognitive aspects of phobias - Catastrophising |
(cognitive) |
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What is another limitation of the two-process model for phobias?
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- Avoidance behaviour is not just motivated by a reduction in anxiety |
(avoidance) |
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What is systematic desensitisation? |
A therapy based on classical conditioning that gradually exposes the sufferer to their fear |
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What are the three main processes of systematic desensitisation?
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1. Anxiety Hierarchy
2. Relaxation Techniques 3. Exposure to fear |
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What is a strength of the systematic desensitisation technique? |
+ Gilroy et al
- Arachnophobia patients being less fearful after 33 months compared to a group that just started - Effective long term |
(study) |
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What is a strength of the SD technique for phobias? |
It is more suitable for a wider range of patients |
(accessibility) |
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What is a strength of the SD technique for phobias? |
It is popular with patients as it does not traumatise them and is more enjoyable, less likely to drop out |
(popularity) |
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What is a limitation of the SD technique for phobias? |
More expensive for therapy sessions compared to flooding |
(price) |
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What is the flooding therapy technique? |
Immediately exposing the sufferer to the object of their fear for a long period of time - following ethical safeguards |
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What is a strength of the flooding technique? |
+ It is cheap, therefore more affordable |
(price) |
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What is a limitation of the flooding technique? |
- Not effective for all types of phobias |
(types of phobias) |
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What is a limitation of the flooding technique? |
- Flooding can be traumatic to patients, may drop out of the therapy |
(psychological harm) |
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Behavioural characteristics of depression?
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- Reduced activity levels
- Disruption to sleep (insomnia or hypersomnia) |
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Emotional characteristics of depression? |
- Lowered mood - Anger |
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Cognitive characteristics of depression? |
- Poor concentration - Absolutist thinking |
- Black & white thinking |
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What is Beck's negative triad? |
- Faulty information processing - Negative self-schemas - Negative views of themselves, the world, and the future |
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What is Ellis's ABC model of depression?
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A - Activating Event B - Belief C - Consequence |
- e.g (you fail an exam) - ("I will fail every exam in the future) - (You lose motivation and don't revise on other exams, then drop out of college). |
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What does the cognitive approach about depression suggest? |
It suggests that theperspective you take on life determines your abnormality
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What is a strength of the cognitive approach of depression?
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+ CBT therapy is effective at treating depression |
(therapy) |
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What is a strength of the cognitive approach of depression? |
+ Both of the cognitive explanations are supported by research into attachment |
(childhood relationships)
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What is a limitation of the cognitive approach of depression? |
- Both of the explanations cannot explain all types of depression |
(variation of depression) |
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What is a limitation of the cognitive approach of depression? |
- Puts blame on the patient as it assumes it was their faulty thinking that made them mentally ill |
(blame) |
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What is the Rational Emotive Behavioural Therapy (REBT)? |
A form of CBT that gets us to change our underlying thoughts and behaviours that are contributing to the depression |
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What are the three different ways of challenging irrational thoughts? |
- Logical disputing - Empirically disputing - Pragmatically disputing |
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What is logical disputing? |
Working out why the thoughts don't make sense |
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What is empirical disputing? |
Finding factual evidence against the negative thoughts |
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Pragmatic disputing |
Working out the consequence if you keep thinking irrationally |
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Strength of Cognitive therapy? |
March et al (2007) study |
(study) |
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What was the March et al study? (2007) |
The study found that CBT was just as effective as medication in terms of improving depressive symptoms, and even more effective when both are used. |
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Limitation of Cognitive therapy?
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- Success is dependent on the therapist rather than CBT itself |
(therapist) |
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Limitation of Cognitive therapy? |
- It requires a high level of motivation |
(homework assignments) |
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Limitation of Cognitive therapy? |
- Negative thoughts may not be the thing that causes the mental illness |
(e.g. unpleasant home situation) |
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Limitation of Cognitive therapy? |
- CBT is not suitable for everyone, especially those who can't articulate their feelings |
(suitability) |
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Behavioural characteristics of OCD? |
- Compulsions - Avoidance |
- Repetitive behaviours to reduce anxiety - Avoiding situations that may trigger anxiety |
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Emotional characteristics of OCD? |
- Anxiety - Guilt |
- Distress from obsessive thoughts - in relation to preforming immoral behaviour |
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Cognitive characteristics of OCD? |
- Obsessive thoughts - Cognitive strategies to deal with obsessions |
- Repetitive thoughts - Constantly thinking about evidence that may challenge those thoughts |
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What is the genetic explanation for OCD? |
OCD having a hereditary basis |
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What did the study by Lewis (1937) find about OCD? |
37% of patients had parents with OCD and 21% had siblings who also had it |
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What is the diathesis stress model? |
People inherit genetic vulnerability for OCD |
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What is genetic vulnerability? |
If you inherit it or develop it, then you are more likely to develop the disorder if you experience stressful life events |
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What is the candidate gene for OCD? |
5HT1-D Beta |
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What does the candidate gene for OCD do? |
It affects the transmission of serotonin across synapses which disrupts serotonin activity |
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OCD is polygenic, what does that mean? |
It is caused by several genes as opposed as to just one |
230 different genes that effect both serotonin and dopamine |
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OCD is aetiologically heterogenous, what does that mean? |
It means that it can be caused by different combinations of genes in different people. |
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Strength of the biological approach to OCD? |
+ Nesdadt et al (2010) - 68% of identical twins share OCD - 31% of non-identical twins share OCD |
(study)
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Limitation of the biological approach to OCD? |
- Twin studies fail to account the shared environment |
(environment) |
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Strength of the biological approach to OCD? |
+ Support for the diathesis stress model + Cromer et al (2007) Half of his patients experienced a traumatic event |
(study for diathesis stress model) |
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Limitation of the biological approach to OCD? |
- Too many candidate genes, not useful for predicting whenever someone will get OCD |
(genes) |
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What are the neural explanations for OCD? |
- Disruption in serotonin levels - Poor functioning of the lateral frontal lobes - Abnormal functioning in the left parahippocampal gyrus (unpleasant emotions) |
- Brain chemical go brrr - frontal lobe problems - very hard to pronounce word |
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Strength of neural explanations for OCD? |
+ research on SSRI antidepressants as they boost serotonin levels |
(SSRI) |
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Strength of neural explanations for OCD? |
+ Parkinson's patients also have OCD symptoms, and it has been linked to dopamine transmission |
(Parkinson's) |
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Limitation of neural explanations for OCD? |
- It oversimplifies the causes of OCD, lacks validity |
(linked to other brain areas or no areas at all) |
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Limitation of neural explanations for OCD? |
- Disruption in the brain could be a symptom of OCD rather than a cause |
(cause?) |
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Treating OCD: drug therapy |
- SSRIs - Tricylics - Clomipramine |
- Prevent the re-uptake of serotonin - Used when not responsive to SSRI - has more severe side effects |
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Strength of drug therapy for OCD? |
+ Soomro et al (2009) study, reviewed 17 studies and showed that the real drug is more effective than the placebo |
(placebo drugs study) |
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Strength of drug therapy for OCD? |
+ Drugs are less expensive than psychological therapies like CBT |
(price) |
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Limitation of drug therapy for OCD? |
- Side effects - E.g. Clomipramine - erection problems, tremors, and weight gain - can cause demotivation |
(side effects) |
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Limitation of drug therapy for OCD? |
- Unreliable evidence for effectiveness - Due to drug manufacturers who might be biased to sell their product |
(selling drugs) |
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Limitation of drug therapy for OCD? |
- Drugs may not be a completely suitable treatment as not all OCD is biological in origin |
(cause of OCD) |
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What are the side effects of Clomipramine?
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- erection problems, - tremors, - weight gain |
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What is the really difficult word to pronounce and remember? |
theleft parahippocampal gyrus
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(brain part responsible for unpleasant emotions)
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