Download revision and overview - The Grange School Blogs

Individual differences
Definitions
• Deviation from social norms
– Set of rules we have, don’t follow them. E.g. queuing
• Failure to function adequately
– Daily routine/normal pattern of behaviour. Especially
if cause observer discomfort, are unpredictable, are
irrational or personal distress.
• Deviation from ideal mental health
– Jahoda. 6 characteristics; self actualisation,
autonomy, integration (resistant to stress), self
attitudes, perception of reality, adaptability
Evaluating
• Deviation from social norms
– Until 1980 homosexuality considered a disorder. What about
desirable behaviour? Where is the cut off? Cultural differences.
Some ‘abnormal’ behaviour quite common i.e. mild depression
• Failure to function adequately
– Context of behaviour. Cultural differences. Some disorders can
have periods where they seem ‘normal’. Could be due to
circumstance/situation out of persons control.
• Deviation from ideal mental health
– Culturally bias –rooted in western culture i.e. autonomy. Does
anyone actually match this ideal mental state? Some elements
very subjective –how do we measure self attitudes? Ask
someone? Will this be correct?
Biological
• Mental illness similar to physical illness
• Caused by at least one of the following
– Genetics
– Huntington’s
– Neurotransmitters
– Schizophrenia and dopamine
– Infection
– Syphilis
– Brain injury
– Phineas Gage
Biological treatments
• Drugs
• Antidepressants (selective serotonin reuptake
inhibitors e.g. Prozac), antipsychotics
(Chlorpromazine which blocks dopamine at
synapses), mood stabilisers.
• Electroconvulsive therapy
• Electric shock, fraction of a second long to the
brain, induces a seizure similar to epilepsy.
• Psychosurgery
• Frontal lobotomy, now electric current or laser
used
Strengths of biological approach
• Research shows that it is possible there is
a genetic link
• It is scientific
• No blame –it is not the fault of the
individual
• Treatments can work
Limitations of biological
approach
•
•
•
•
•
Not a complete explanation
Reductionist
Drugs don’t always work
Patients could become passive
Focus on curing symptoms not stopping the
cause
• Ethical problems –addiction to drugs,
suppressing rather than curing symptoms
Psychodynamic
• Conscious and unconscious
• Personality
– ID, Ego, Superego. Ego balances demands of other
two, abnormal if can’t.
• Psychosexual development
– Stages of development. If become fixated at a stage
causes abnormality. Oral, anal, phallic, latency,
genital.
Defence mechanisms used, repression,
displacement and denial.
Psychodynamic treatments
• Free-association
– Client is allowed to talk freely about their past
and analyst interprets what they say
• Dream analysis
– Keep a diary of dreams and analyst interprets
them.
• Hypnosis (optional)
Evaluation
• Its unique
• Client can understand he cause of their problem
• Focus on there being psychological issues
•
•
•
•
•
Subjective interpretations
Not scientific
Time consuming and expensive
Reliability on memory
Focus on past not current symptoms.
Behavioural
• Classical conditioning
– Association
• Operant conditioning
– Positive and negative reinforcement
Behavioural treatments
•
•
•
•
Aversion therapy
Systematic desensitisation
Flooding
Token economy
Evaluation
• Scientific and testable
• Therapies can be effective
•
•
•
•
•
Ignores genes and biology
Ignores cognition
Don’t always work –schizophrenia
Ethics
Doesn’t deal with cause just behaviour
Cognitive model
• Thoughts and beliefs
• Ellis
– ABC, activating event, belief, consequence.
Rational or irrational belief
• Beck
– Cognitive triad, self, world, future. Negative
thoughts about self go round and round.
Cognitive treatments
• Cognitive behaviour therapy
• Ellis
– Change irrational thought to rational
• Beck
– Change negative thought to more realistic and
positive.
Evaluation
•
•
•
•
Useful for depression
Considers thoughts and beliefs
Successful treatments
Allows client to take control
•
•
•
•
Thoughts may not be the cause
Time consuming and expensive
Blaming the person
Sometimes works better when mixed with other
treatments e.g. drugs.
Questions on individual differences
1. Give one definition of abnormality (1mark)
2. Describe two criteria you would expect in someone who was psychologically
healthy (4 marks)
3. Outline one weakness of defining abnormality in terms of mental health (2
marks)
4. Outline two definitions of abnormality (6 marks)
5. Identify one definition of abnormality and explain one limitation associated
with this definition (3 marks)
6. Explain one limitation of the behavioural approach to psychopathology
(2marks)
7. Outline what is involved in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (3 marks)
8. Describe the key features of the behavioural approach to psychopathology
(4 marks)
9. Outline on limitation of the behavioural approach to psychopathology (2
marks)
10. Describe the use of ECT in treating abnormality (4 marks)
11. Explain how a therapist might use systematic de-sensitisation to help
Hamish overcome his phobia (6 marks)