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PSYCHOPATHOLOGY (1) (Definitions crazy (Failure to Function Adequately…
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY (1)
Definitions
Failure to
Function Adequately
Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) proposed signs
Experiences personal distress
Behaviour irrational or dangerous
Breaks interpersonal rules eg. maintaining personal space
Eg. intellectual disability disorder - may have low IQ plus failure to function adequately in order to get the diagnosis
Inability to cope with everyday living e.g.. do job, maintain relationships, basic nutrition & hygiene
Evaluation
Strength - Recognises patient's perspective
Limitation - may simply be a deviation from social norm e.g.. new age travellers
Limitation - Subjective judgement e.g.. psychiatrist
2) Deviation from
Social Norms
Few behaviours considered universally abnormal so definitions related to cultural context including historical difference within same society e.g.. homosexuality
Example:
antisocial personality disorder APD
- one symptom is failure to conform to lawful & culturally normative ethical behaviour, deviate from social norms or standards & lack empathy.
Abnormality is based on social context e.g.. societies & social groups have "correct" behaviours
Evaluation
Limitation - Deviation from social norms is not sole explanation of abnormality though useful for diagnosing APD in real-life
Limitation - culturally relative - norms vary from one community to another & one generation to another
Limitation - could lead to human rights abuses if too much reliance on this definition
1) Statistical
Deviation
Example: IQ & Intellectual Disability Disorder -average IQ is 100, only 2% have IQ below 70 so diagnosed as abnormal.
Behaviour rarely seen is judged as abnormal
Defines abnormality in terms of statistics
Evaluation
Real life application
Limitation - Unusual characteristics can also be +ve
Not everyone unusual benefits from a label
Deviation from
Ideal Mental Health
Jahoda
listed
8 criteria
- ideal = no symptoms or distress, rational about selves, can self-actualise, cope with stress, realistic view of world, good self-esteem & lack guilt, independent of other people, can work love & enjoy leisure
Overlap between ideal mental health & failure to function adequately e.g.. failure to keep job may be failure to cope with work pressures or deviation from ideal
Changing the emphasis - defining normal then identifying anyone who deviates
Evaluation
Strength - comprehensive definition
Limitation - may only be culturally relative
Limitation - unrealistically high standard for ideal mental health so most of us abnormal!
Behavioural Approach
to Explaining Phobias
2-process model
Acquisition by 1)
Classical conditioning
(dog bite) & maintained by 2)
Operant conditioning
(avoid dog so negative reinforcement)
Little Albert
- Watson & Raynor (1920)
classically conditioned
little boy to be afraid of white rats by making frightening noise when playing with white rat (repeated several times)
Fear generalised
- Albert afraid of other white furry objects eg. fur coat & Santa Claus mask
Evaluation
Limitation - other explanations for avoidance e.g..
agoraphobia
may be motivated by more +ve feelings of safety
Limitation - incomplete explanation eg.
evolutionary past
re snakes or dark -
biological preparedness
Strength - good explanatory power
Mental Disorders
Depression
Emotional - low mood, anger
Cognitive - poor concentration, absolutist thinking (black & white thinking)
Behavioural - reduced energy & activities, disruption to sleep & eating
OCD
Emotional - anxiety, guilt & disgust (morals, dirt)
Cognitive - obsessive thoughts (germs), recognise their anxiety is irrational
Behavioural - compulsions (hand washing), avoidance (may avoid germs)
Phobias
Emotional - anxiety & fear, emotional responses unreasonable
Cognitive - selective attention to phobic stimulus, irrational beliefs e.g.. social "if I blush they'll think I'm weak"
Behavioural - Panic & avoidance
Behavioural Approach
to Treating Phobias
Systematic
Desensitisation
Anxiety hierarchy
from least to most frightening eg. cartoon of spider
Relaxation practised
(deep breathing/meditation) then exposed to each level over several sessions
Based on
classical conditioning, counterconditioning
(relaxation replaces fear) &
reciprocal inhibition
(one cancelled out by other)
Evaluation
Strength - suitable for diverse range of patients (flooding & cognitive therapies don't suit some)
Strength - patients prefer it to flooding
Strength - effective
Flooding
Quick learning through extinction - exhaustion of fear response leads to realisation that phobic object harmless
Ethical safeguards - patients give informed consent as unpleasant experience
Immediate exposure to phobic stimulus eg. spider on hand
Evaluation
Limitation - less effective for complex phobias e.g.. social phobias
Limitation - traumatic
Strength - cost effective for specific phobias
