THE ALTERNATIVE TO THE MEDICAL MODEL
Three explanations
• Behaviorist
o Phobias
• Cognitive
o Depression
• Psychodynamic
o Schizophrenia
The behaviorist explanation of MI proposes that MI is learned, much like any other behavior.
It assumes that mental illness is determined by external events, and is driven by past experiences or
anticipation of future outcomes.
Behaviorist Principles
Classical conditioning
• This is learning through association, this is demonstrated by Pavlov's dog
• This is when a an unconditioned response is triggered by a neutral stimulus reacting with an
unconditioned stimulus, therefore creating a conditioned stimulus and leads to a conditioned
response
Operant conditioning
• This is learning through reinforcement and punishment
• A stimulus that produces a desirable outcome is reinforced making it more likely that the
same behavior will be repeated in the future in anticipation of the same reinforcement
• A stimulus that produces an undesirable outcome is discouraged and is less likely to occur
again
Social Learning Theory
• Basically, if a person sees someone else being reinforced (or punished) for certain behaviors,
this may encourage (or discourage) them from imitating the observed behaviors
The behaviorist explanation of specific phobias
Classical conditioning- initiation
• Little Albert
, o The researchers conditioned the small baby (Albert) to develop a fear of white furry
objects through association with a loud noise
• This can be used to explain how a phobia develops
o E.g. phobias of dogs can be initiated from a child getting bitten by a dog
o The dog becomes a stimulus which creates the fear.
Operant conditioning- maintenance of a phobia
• This explains why individuals avoid a feared object or why they continue to feel fearful about
it
• This is explained in 2 ways:
o Positive reinforcement
• This can be used to explain why a person continues to feel fearful- when an
individual experiences the phobic and has an emotional reaction, they often
receive attention, sympathy or special treatment.
o Negative reinforcement
• This is used to explain why people avoid something unpleasant.
• By avoiding the object, the individual reduces their fear.
• This reinforces the continued avoidance of the object because it reduces the
unpleasant feeling.
The cognitive explanation of mental illness
Cognitive explanation of major depression,
There are two major cognitive principles, these include.
• Internal processes:
o It is not an external event itself that causes a mental illness, it is the individual’s
interpretation of that event that is key to understanding their mental illness.
o This explanation proposes that the way we think about ourselves and others, and
how we perceive our experiences, are the cause of mental illness.
• Irrational thinking
o This concludes that an explanation for mental illness is faulty and irrational thinking,
which are also the roots of abnormal behavior.
Three explanations
• Behaviorist
o Phobias
• Cognitive
o Depression
• Psychodynamic
o Schizophrenia
The behaviorist explanation of MI proposes that MI is learned, much like any other behavior.
It assumes that mental illness is determined by external events, and is driven by past experiences or
anticipation of future outcomes.
Behaviorist Principles
Classical conditioning
• This is learning through association, this is demonstrated by Pavlov's dog
• This is when a an unconditioned response is triggered by a neutral stimulus reacting with an
unconditioned stimulus, therefore creating a conditioned stimulus and leads to a conditioned
response
Operant conditioning
• This is learning through reinforcement and punishment
• A stimulus that produces a desirable outcome is reinforced making it more likely that the
same behavior will be repeated in the future in anticipation of the same reinforcement
• A stimulus that produces an undesirable outcome is discouraged and is less likely to occur
again
Social Learning Theory
• Basically, if a person sees someone else being reinforced (or punished) for certain behaviors,
this may encourage (or discourage) them from imitating the observed behaviors
The behaviorist explanation of specific phobias
Classical conditioning- initiation
• Little Albert
, o The researchers conditioned the small baby (Albert) to develop a fear of white furry
objects through association with a loud noise
• This can be used to explain how a phobia develops
o E.g. phobias of dogs can be initiated from a child getting bitten by a dog
o The dog becomes a stimulus which creates the fear.
Operant conditioning- maintenance of a phobia
• This explains why individuals avoid a feared object or why they continue to feel fearful about
it
• This is explained in 2 ways:
o Positive reinforcement
• This can be used to explain why a person continues to feel fearful- when an
individual experiences the phobic and has an emotional reaction, they often
receive attention, sympathy or special treatment.
o Negative reinforcement
• This is used to explain why people avoid something unpleasant.
• By avoiding the object, the individual reduces their fear.
• This reinforces the continued avoidance of the object because it reduces the
unpleasant feeling.
The cognitive explanation of mental illness
Cognitive explanation of major depression,
There are two major cognitive principles, these include.
• Internal processes:
o It is not an external event itself that causes a mental illness, it is the individual’s
interpretation of that event that is key to understanding their mental illness.
o This explanation proposes that the way we think about ourselves and others, and
how we perceive our experiences, are the cause of mental illness.
• Irrational thinking
o This concludes that an explanation for mental illness is faulty and irrational thinking,
which are also the roots of abnormal behavior.
