Psychopathology
sychologist names =Red
P
Statistics =Purple
Examples =Green
Important terminology/ information =Orange
,Psychopathology
Characteristics of phobia
Characteristics of depression
Characteristics of OCD
Outline and evaluate two or more definitions of abnormality. (16)
Outline and evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias. (16)
Outline and evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias. (16)
Outline and evaluate the cognitive approach to explaining depression. (16)
Outline and evaluate the cognitive approach to treating depression. (16)
Discuss the biological approach to explaining OCD. (16)
Outline and evaluate the biological approach to treating OCD. (16)
,Characteristics of phobia
Cognitive - I rrational beliefs- thoughts that are illogical anddon't make sense.e.g. a pigeon could kill me
- Cognitive distortions- the perception of the phobiais distorted.
- Selective attention- If a person sees a phobic stimulus,it's difficult to look away. Individuals may
find it difficult to concentrate.
Emotional - Anxiety- unpleasant state of high arousal. It's unreasonableand excessive
Behavioural - anic- a person may freeze or cling in the presenceof the phobic stimulus
P
- Avoidance- They make a conscious effort to avoidthe phobic stimulus
- Endurance- The sufferer remains in the presence ofphobic stimulus but experiences high levels of
anxiety
Characteristics of depression
Cognitive - bsolutist thinking- When a situation is unfortunate,people with depression view it as an absolute
A
disaster
- Poor concentration- Difficult to focus, have an impairedability to think. This could lead to
indecisiveness
- Dwelling on the negative- Sufferers of depressiontend to focus on the negative aspects of a
situation and ignore the positives
Emotional - L ow mood- patients describe themselves as worthlessand have an overwhelming sense of
hopelessness
- Reduced pleasureand enjoyment in most activities
- Lowered self-esteem- sufferers of depression mayhate themselves
Behavioural - ggression and self-harm- sufferers are irritableand can become verbally or physically aggressive.
A
- Disruption to sleep and eating behaviours- This canlead to weight gain or loss. Insomnia (reduced
sleep) or hypersomnia (increase in sleep)
- Activity levels- reduced levels of energy and feelinglethargic may lead to being withdrawn from
work and social life. The opposite may occur:psychomotoragitation(a state of restlessness and
anxiety that results in repetitive and unintentional movements)
Characteristics of OCD
Cognitive - bsessive/ intrusive thoughts- Thoughts that recurover and over again. They experience
O
catastrophic thoughts about the worst-case scenarios, and this may result in anxiety being justified.
- Insight into excessive anxiety- People sufferingfrom OCD are aware of their obsession, and
compulsions are not rational. Tend to behypervigilant;they maintain constant alertness for
potential hazards.
Emotional - nxiety/ Distress- Obsessive thoughts are unpleasantand frightening; the anxiety can become
A
overwhelming
- Guilt/ Disgust- Irrational guilt, for example,thosewho have a fear of germs may feel guilty if they
don't continuously wash their hands
Behavioural - ompulsions- They reduce/manage anxiety and completerepetitive activities.For example, hand
C
washing is a response to an obsessive fear of germs.
- Avoidance- OCD sufferers may avoid triggering situationsthat may cause anxiety. For example,
sufferers who wash compulsively may avoid coming in contact with germs. This can interfere with a
normal life,e.g. emptying rubbish bins.
, Outline and evaluate two or more definitions of abnormality. (16)
A01 eviation
D - orms are the standards of acceptable behaviour set by social groups; they are culturally
N
from social and era-dependent.
norms - Deviation from these rules are undesirable, and people are labelled abnormal.
- e.g. A person with OCD may wash their hands 50x a day, however, the norm is typically 5
times a day
A03 Usefulness - T his can lead to individuals getting help, as society would notice when something doesn’t fit
in with social norms, it means that individuals who may not get help themselves can be
identified.
- For example, people with Schizophrenia are not in touch with reality, and this means they
often don’t feel they have a problem.
orms vary
N - omosexuality was included in the American classification system for psychiatric disorders
H
over time until 1960.
- However, views towards homosexuality have changed.
- Thus, deviation from social norms does not provide an absolute definition for abnormalities
as it's era-dependent and lacks temporal validity.
- However, this means the definition adapts to current societal norms, thus, making the
definition more accurate and applicable
A01 F ailure to - F ocuses on the everyday behaviour of an individual (e.g. morning routine).
function - When someone deviates from their normal pattern of functioning, they could be considered
adequately - to fail to function adequately
Rosenhan - E.g. A person with severe depression or Agoraphobia - a fear of open spaces.
and - Would be afraid to leave their house, thus affecting their daily routine
Seligman - Rosenhan and Seligmanidentified traits associatedwith FFA (MOULD), such as:
- Maladaptive behaviour- (behaviour that prevents youfrom making adjustments that are in
your own best interest,e.g. heavy drinking to dealwith the loss of a family member.
- Observer discomfort
- Unconventional behaviour- unpredictable
- Loss of Control- uncontrollable
- Distress/ suffering- The more of these behavioursdisplayed, the more they are classed as
abnormal
A03 onsiders
C - It recognises the patient's perspective; it acknowledges the experiences of the patient and
individual who may be impacted.
differences - If someone feels they are struggling, they will be deemed abnormal and can get help.
- Behaviour is observable by others through observer discomfort, and people can be directed
to get help; hence, it's easy to get support and this definition of abnormality is easily
identifiable.
S ubjective - S omeone has to judge whether a patient is distressed, the diagnosis will vary depending on
judgement each psychiatrist's personal scale/ judgement.
- Nevertheless, there are methods for making judgements as objective as possible, including
theGlobal Assessment of Functioning Scale.
sychologist names =Red
P
Statistics =Purple
Examples =Green
Important terminology/ information =Orange
,Psychopathology
Characteristics of phobia
Characteristics of depression
Characteristics of OCD
Outline and evaluate two or more definitions of abnormality. (16)
Outline and evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias. (16)
Outline and evaluate the behavioural approach to treating phobias. (16)
Outline and evaluate the cognitive approach to explaining depression. (16)
Outline and evaluate the cognitive approach to treating depression. (16)
Discuss the biological approach to explaining OCD. (16)
Outline and evaluate the biological approach to treating OCD. (16)
,Characteristics of phobia
Cognitive - I rrational beliefs- thoughts that are illogical anddon't make sense.e.g. a pigeon could kill me
- Cognitive distortions- the perception of the phobiais distorted.
- Selective attention- If a person sees a phobic stimulus,it's difficult to look away. Individuals may
find it difficult to concentrate.
Emotional - Anxiety- unpleasant state of high arousal. It's unreasonableand excessive
Behavioural - anic- a person may freeze or cling in the presenceof the phobic stimulus
P
- Avoidance- They make a conscious effort to avoidthe phobic stimulus
- Endurance- The sufferer remains in the presence ofphobic stimulus but experiences high levels of
anxiety
Characteristics of depression
Cognitive - bsolutist thinking- When a situation is unfortunate,people with depression view it as an absolute
A
disaster
- Poor concentration- Difficult to focus, have an impairedability to think. This could lead to
indecisiveness
- Dwelling on the negative- Sufferers of depressiontend to focus on the negative aspects of a
situation and ignore the positives
Emotional - L ow mood- patients describe themselves as worthlessand have an overwhelming sense of
hopelessness
- Reduced pleasureand enjoyment in most activities
- Lowered self-esteem- sufferers of depression mayhate themselves
Behavioural - ggression and self-harm- sufferers are irritableand can become verbally or physically aggressive.
A
- Disruption to sleep and eating behaviours- This canlead to weight gain or loss. Insomnia (reduced
sleep) or hypersomnia (increase in sleep)
- Activity levels- reduced levels of energy and feelinglethargic may lead to being withdrawn from
work and social life. The opposite may occur:psychomotoragitation(a state of restlessness and
anxiety that results in repetitive and unintentional movements)
Characteristics of OCD
Cognitive - bsessive/ intrusive thoughts- Thoughts that recurover and over again. They experience
O
catastrophic thoughts about the worst-case scenarios, and this may result in anxiety being justified.
- Insight into excessive anxiety- People sufferingfrom OCD are aware of their obsession, and
compulsions are not rational. Tend to behypervigilant;they maintain constant alertness for
potential hazards.
Emotional - nxiety/ Distress- Obsessive thoughts are unpleasantand frightening; the anxiety can become
A
overwhelming
- Guilt/ Disgust- Irrational guilt, for example,thosewho have a fear of germs may feel guilty if they
don't continuously wash their hands
Behavioural - ompulsions- They reduce/manage anxiety and completerepetitive activities.For example, hand
C
washing is a response to an obsessive fear of germs.
- Avoidance- OCD sufferers may avoid triggering situationsthat may cause anxiety. For example,
sufferers who wash compulsively may avoid coming in contact with germs. This can interfere with a
normal life,e.g. emptying rubbish bins.
, Outline and evaluate two or more definitions of abnormality. (16)
A01 eviation
D - orms are the standards of acceptable behaviour set by social groups; they are culturally
N
from social and era-dependent.
norms - Deviation from these rules are undesirable, and people are labelled abnormal.
- e.g. A person with OCD may wash their hands 50x a day, however, the norm is typically 5
times a day
A03 Usefulness - T his can lead to individuals getting help, as society would notice when something doesn’t fit
in with social norms, it means that individuals who may not get help themselves can be
identified.
- For example, people with Schizophrenia are not in touch with reality, and this means they
often don’t feel they have a problem.
orms vary
N - omosexuality was included in the American classification system for psychiatric disorders
H
over time until 1960.
- However, views towards homosexuality have changed.
- Thus, deviation from social norms does not provide an absolute definition for abnormalities
as it's era-dependent and lacks temporal validity.
- However, this means the definition adapts to current societal norms, thus, making the
definition more accurate and applicable
A01 F ailure to - F ocuses on the everyday behaviour of an individual (e.g. morning routine).
function - When someone deviates from their normal pattern of functioning, they could be considered
adequately - to fail to function adequately
Rosenhan - E.g. A person with severe depression or Agoraphobia - a fear of open spaces.
and - Would be afraid to leave their house, thus affecting their daily routine
Seligman - Rosenhan and Seligmanidentified traits associatedwith FFA (MOULD), such as:
- Maladaptive behaviour- (behaviour that prevents youfrom making adjustments that are in
your own best interest,e.g. heavy drinking to dealwith the loss of a family member.
- Observer discomfort
- Unconventional behaviour- unpredictable
- Loss of Control- uncontrollable
- Distress/ suffering- The more of these behavioursdisplayed, the more they are classed as
abnormal
A03 onsiders
C - It recognises the patient's perspective; it acknowledges the experiences of the patient and
individual who may be impacted.
differences - If someone feels they are struggling, they will be deemed abnormal and can get help.
- Behaviour is observable by others through observer discomfort, and people can be directed
to get help; hence, it's easy to get support and this definition of abnormality is easily
identifiable.
S ubjective - S omeone has to judge whether a patient is distressed, the diagnosis will vary depending on
judgement each psychiatrist's personal scale/ judgement.
- Nevertheless, there are methods for making judgements as objective as possible, including
theGlobal Assessment of Functioning Scale.
