ch. 2 integrative approach to psychopathology: behavioural perspectives

social learning theory

Albert bandura

• people can learn by observing what happens to someone else

• modelling /observational learning

behaviourism perspective

a neutral stimulus can be conditioned to have a biological response if repeatedly paired with an unconditioned stimulus

classical conditioning

learning involving paired associations between previously neutral stimuli and unconditioned stimuli creates involuntary reflexes of emotional responses

operant conditioning definition

most voluntary behaviour is controlled by the consequences that follow the behaviour

operant conditioning is composed of

reward and consequence

positive reinforcement

a stimulus is introduced following the behaviour that strengthens the behaviour

negative reinforcement

something aversive is removed following the behaviour that strengthens the behaviour (relief)

positive punishment

adds something and decreases behaviour

negative punishment

takes something away and decreases behaviour

respondent stimulus generalization

how a fearful event can result in a fear of similar events

learned helplessness

when someone learns that their behaviour has no effect whatsoever in their environment; give up attempting to cope

• become depressed when they believe that have no control over life’s stressors

prepared learning

genetic endowments influence what we learn

• evolution caused our brains to already fear some sort of danger

cognitive science and the unconscious

humans are able to process and store information and act on it, without having conscious awareness of it

implicit memory

when someone acts based on things that have happened in the past, but can’t remember the events

implicit cognition

unobservable unconscious processes

• eg: stroop colour test

CBT

the idea that all components of behaviour (cognition, emotion, behaviour and symptoms) are all influenced by each other

fight or flight emotion

a rush a adrenaline in events of extreme danger to mobilize us to escape or fight

physiology of fear

cardiovascular system, blood vessels constrict causing higher pressure and decreasing blood flow to extremities. excess blood goes towards skeletal muscles to vital organs that are needed in an emergency

• results in a tremble or hair sticking up, shivering

breath becomes faster to provide oxygen to rapidly circulating blood to the brain, stimulate cognitive processes and sensory functions

glucose is released from liver into blood for energy

emotion

short lived, temporary states lasting minutes to hours

affect

the momentary emotional tone that accompanies what we say or do

mood

more persistent period of affect or emotionality

antecedent-focused strategies: before the emotion

• situation selection

• situation modification

• attentional deployment

• cognitive change

situation selection

choosing to go on a date with someone

situation modifcation

im in this situation and im going to make a choice where I sita

attentional depolyment

how im paying attention to my date or if im daydreaming

cognitive change

ok red flag I don’t like my date

• conscious of the thought

influence of gender roles in psychopathology

women are more likely to seek treatment than men, more socially acceptable for women to show emotion like fear or anxiety

multifinality

various outcomes may stem from similar beginnings

eg: of multifinality

someone had a bad childhood and they develop a disorder in later life OR they might have normal adjustment

equifinality

similar outcomes stem from different early experiences and developmental pathways

eg: of equifinality

when someone has a genetic component, family influence or environmental features that lead to a disorder