Summary AQA A-level Psychology - 4.1.4 Psychopathology

4.1.4
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

,Content

Content
Content ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Definitions of Abnormality ........................................................................................................... 3
Statistical infrequency .........................................................................................................................3
Deviation from social norms ................................................................................................................4
Failure to function adequately ............................................................................................................5
Deviation from ideal mental health .....................................................................................................6
Phobias........................................................................................................................................ 7
Behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias.......................................................7
The behaviourist approach to explaining phobias ..............................................................................7
Treating phobias .......................................................................................................................... 9
Systematic Desensitisation ..................................................................................................................9
Flooding .............................................................................................................................................11
General evaluation of behavioural treatments .................................................................................12
OCD ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of OCD ..........................................................13
Biological approach to explaining OCD..............................................................................................13
Treating OCD ............................................................................................................................. 16
Drug therapy ......................................................................................................................................16
Anti-depressants: SSRIs .....................................................................................................................16
Anti-anxiety drugs: BZs ......................................................................................................................16
Evaluation of Drug Therapy ...............................................................................................................16
Depression................................................................................................................................. 18
Behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of depression................................................18
Cognitive approach to explaining depression ...................................................................................18
Treating depression ................................................................................................................... 21
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) .................................................................................................21
Techniques involved in CBT (3 Stages) ..............................................................................................21

, Definitions of Abnormality
Specification: Definitions of abnormality, including deviation from social norms, failure to function
adequately, statistical infrequency and deviation from ideal mental health.

4 definitions of abnormality that you need to know are:

1. Statistical infrequency
2. Deviation from social norms
3. Failure to function adequately
4. Deviation from ideal mental health

Statistical infrequency
Statistical A quantitative way of defining abnormality that states the behaviour that is
infrequency statistically unusual or rare.

• If the behaviour is rare or statistically unusual, this means abnormality.
• It is considered normal if it is closer to the average (within 2 S.D.)
• More than 2 S.D. away from the average is considered to be abnormal
(top 2.2% or bottom 2.2%).



Evaluation of statistical infrequency
Weakness: Some unusual behaviour is desirable.
Some unusual  having an IQ over 150 is considered abnormal by this definition
behaviour is although having high IQ is not undesirable.
desirable
 the definition does not distinguish between desirable and
undesirable behaviours.

 doesn’t help us to identify behaviours in need of treatment.

Weakness Some abnormal behaviours are not rare.
Some abnormal  Depression and anxiety are quite common.
behaviours are not  37% teenager girls report low mood and high level of stress.
rare  This definition cannot identify more common mental health
conditions as abnormal.

Weakness The cut-off point between normal and abnormal is subjective.
Cut-off point =  People will judge the same behaviour in different ways depending
subjective on how they draw the line.
 How different is someone who just falls within 95.4% and
someone who falls just outside of this?

Strength – real life Real-life applications
application  Mental illness assessment includes a measurement of how severe
Clinical/ mental their symptoms are compared to statistical norm.
illness assessment  Statistical deviation is useful in clinical assessment of patients in
real world → objective nature of this definition.