PSYC1002: Abnormal Psychology
Empirical method - ANSWER-- Description/Causation/Treatment
- need to classify the difference between normal and abnormal behaviour
Why is it important to know the difference between different diagnoses? - ANSWER-- The treatment
that is used is influenced by the diagnoses and classification of the illness
What is classified as 'abnormal'? - ANSWER-- Deviant/Distressing/Dysfunctional
thoughts/behaviours/feelings
- Very ambiguous - cultural relativity? Very context heavy, times and context - where it does happen
and is not relevant
How do we classify and diagnose mental illnesses? - ANSWER-- DSM-5
Currently: how do we define 'abnormal' psychology? And why is it so hard to define it? - ANSWER--
not as readily definable as physical illnesses
- psychological abnormality exists on a continuum
- reflective of cultural values and social norms at the time
- changing definitions of disorders in the different DSM's through categorical checkboxing
- Rosenham: DSM is constantly evolving to incorporate new thinking
Main models of 'mental illness' - ANSWER-- SUPERNATURAL
- BIOLOGICAL
- PSYCHOLOGICAL
- SOCIOCULTURAL
- integrative: BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL MODEL.
Supernatural model - ANSWER-- Cause: spirits, stars, moon, being punished by God
- Treatment: exorcism, prayer
Biological model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: internal physical problems such as biological
dysfunction, structural abnormality in brain etc
- Treatment : bleeding out, diet and exercise, rest, medication
Psychological model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: beliefs, perceptions, values, goals, motivations,
and psychological abnormalities
Treatment: talking therapy, psychotherapy
Sociocultural model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: poverty, prejudice, cultural norms - social issues
creating social issues for individual, e.g., no access to services create worsening effects
- Treatment: social work, fixing social ills
First view of mental illness - ANSWER-- mental illness was first seen as 'madness' and focused on
more psychopathic characteristics of mental illness
Ancient Greece and Rome view on mental illness - ANSWER-- focused on thoughts and emotions
Middle Ages view on mental illness - ANSWER-- Supernatural and God's punishment
- decreased in the 17th and 18th century and evolved into seeing it as "INVISIBLE GERMS"
Current biological model: - ANSWER-- DOMINANT MODEL IN PSYCHIATRY
, - Mental health illness diagnosed similarly to physical illness and designed to fix neurochemical
imbalances
- Psychological disorders explained in terms of BIOLOGICAL DISEASE process, e.g., structural brain
abnormalities etc
- TREATMENT: target biological deficiencies - medication and electroconvulsive therapy
Criticisms/Limitations of Biological Model - ANSWER-- Extreme reductionism - there are other factors
influencing psychological illness, nature/nurture, context etc
- Overextrapolation of animal research - no external validity?
- Correlation does not = causation --> presumption of treatment efficacy
- More than 1 type of anxiety/depression/bi-polar disorder etc
Psychological Models - ANSWER-- Psychoanalytic
- Humanistic
- Behavioural
- Cognitive
Psychoanalytic model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: Repression of unresolved conflict
Treatment: Insight
Humanistic model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: Thwarted self actualisation
- Treatment: Empathy, unconditional positive regard
Behavioural model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: Learned associations (stimuli elicits a response)
- Treatment: Learn new associations
Cognitive model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: Negative core beliefs, biased thinking
- Treatment: Cognitive restructuring
Psychoanalytic model - ANSWER-- ID strives for desire without thinking about the impact on anyone
else - self driven, impulsive
- EGO: realistic between ID and SUPEREGO
- SUPEREGO: navigates in the world where we follow cultural and social norms and consequences
Maladjustment in Psychoanalytic Model and treatment - ANSWER-- unresolved conflict > anxiety >
defence mechanisms > symptoms (e.g., Oedipus complex)
- when you are feeling distress, the ego puts defence mechanisms in place to cope with the anxiety
- Treatment through INSIGHT, psychoanalyst tells individual to build insight into the urges that they're
having and the defence mechanisms that they're using
Criticisms/Limitations of Psychoanalytic Model - ANSWER-- Lacks evidence as it's only based around
case studies
- Unfalsifiable
- Not open to empirical evaluation
Humanistic model - ANSWER-- Wanted to start looking at psychological health
- Belief that we all start psychologically healthy, but we meet particular road blocks that make us
psychologically healthy
- Self actualisation is good psychological health
Maladjustment in Humanistic Model and treatment - ANSWER-- Self actualisation is thwarted
- Environment imposes conditions of worth, as a result of listening to others needs - we become
distressed and roadblocks occur
- e.g., creativity
- Treatment through providing empathy and constant validation in order to meet goals and be a fully
functioning person
Empirical method - ANSWER-- Description/Causation/Treatment
- need to classify the difference between normal and abnormal behaviour
Why is it important to know the difference between different diagnoses? - ANSWER-- The treatment
that is used is influenced by the diagnoses and classification of the illness
What is classified as 'abnormal'? - ANSWER-- Deviant/Distressing/Dysfunctional
thoughts/behaviours/feelings
- Very ambiguous - cultural relativity? Very context heavy, times and context - where it does happen
and is not relevant
How do we classify and diagnose mental illnesses? - ANSWER-- DSM-5
Currently: how do we define 'abnormal' psychology? And why is it so hard to define it? - ANSWER--
not as readily definable as physical illnesses
- psychological abnormality exists on a continuum
- reflective of cultural values and social norms at the time
- changing definitions of disorders in the different DSM's through categorical checkboxing
- Rosenham: DSM is constantly evolving to incorporate new thinking
Main models of 'mental illness' - ANSWER-- SUPERNATURAL
- BIOLOGICAL
- PSYCHOLOGICAL
- SOCIOCULTURAL
- integrative: BIO-PSYCHO-SOCIAL MODEL.
Supernatural model - ANSWER-- Cause: spirits, stars, moon, being punished by God
- Treatment: exorcism, prayer
Biological model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: internal physical problems such as biological
dysfunction, structural abnormality in brain etc
- Treatment : bleeding out, diet and exercise, rest, medication
Psychological model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: beliefs, perceptions, values, goals, motivations,
and psychological abnormalities
Treatment: talking therapy, psychotherapy
Sociocultural model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: poverty, prejudice, cultural norms - social issues
creating social issues for individual, e.g., no access to services create worsening effects
- Treatment: social work, fixing social ills
First view of mental illness - ANSWER-- mental illness was first seen as 'madness' and focused on
more psychopathic characteristics of mental illness
Ancient Greece and Rome view on mental illness - ANSWER-- focused on thoughts and emotions
Middle Ages view on mental illness - ANSWER-- Supernatural and God's punishment
- decreased in the 17th and 18th century and evolved into seeing it as "INVISIBLE GERMS"
Current biological model: - ANSWER-- DOMINANT MODEL IN PSYCHIATRY
, - Mental health illness diagnosed similarly to physical illness and designed to fix neurochemical
imbalances
- Psychological disorders explained in terms of BIOLOGICAL DISEASE process, e.g., structural brain
abnormalities etc
- TREATMENT: target biological deficiencies - medication and electroconvulsive therapy
Criticisms/Limitations of Biological Model - ANSWER-- Extreme reductionism - there are other factors
influencing psychological illness, nature/nurture, context etc
- Overextrapolation of animal research - no external validity?
- Correlation does not = causation --> presumption of treatment efficacy
- More than 1 type of anxiety/depression/bi-polar disorder etc
Psychological Models - ANSWER-- Psychoanalytic
- Humanistic
- Behavioural
- Cognitive
Psychoanalytic model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: Repression of unresolved conflict
Treatment: Insight
Humanistic model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: Thwarted self actualisation
- Treatment: Empathy, unconditional positive regard
Behavioural model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: Learned associations (stimuli elicits a response)
- Treatment: Learn new associations
Cognitive model (overview) - ANSWER-- Cause: Negative core beliefs, biased thinking
- Treatment: Cognitive restructuring
Psychoanalytic model - ANSWER-- ID strives for desire without thinking about the impact on anyone
else - self driven, impulsive
- EGO: realistic between ID and SUPEREGO
- SUPEREGO: navigates in the world where we follow cultural and social norms and consequences
Maladjustment in Psychoanalytic Model and treatment - ANSWER-- unresolved conflict > anxiety >
defence mechanisms > symptoms (e.g., Oedipus complex)
- when you are feeling distress, the ego puts defence mechanisms in place to cope with the anxiety
- Treatment through INSIGHT, psychoanalyst tells individual to build insight into the urges that they're
having and the defence mechanisms that they're using
Criticisms/Limitations of Psychoanalytic Model - ANSWER-- Lacks evidence as it's only based around
case studies
- Unfalsifiable
- Not open to empirical evaluation
Humanistic model - ANSWER-- Wanted to start looking at psychological health
- Belief that we all start psychologically healthy, but we meet particular road blocks that make us
psychologically healthy
- Self actualisation is good psychological health
Maladjustment in Humanistic Model and treatment - ANSWER-- Self actualisation is thwarted
- Environment imposes conditions of worth, as a result of listening to others needs - we become
distressed and roadblocks occur
- e.g., creativity
- Treatment through providing empathy and constant validation in order to meet goals and be a fully
functioning person
