Abnormal Psychology

PS: Phobic Stimulus | BA: Behaviourist Approach | SI: Statistical Infrequency | FFA: Failure to Function Adequately | CIMH: Criteria for Ideal Mental Health | SP: Specific Phobia | SA: Social Anxiety | TPM: Two-Process Model | SD: Systemic Desensitisation

What is statistical infrequency (SI)?

The fewer times we see something, the less normal we perceive them to be ∴ uncommon is seen as abnormal.

AO3 of statistical infrequency

Strengths:

• RWA: Useful part of clinical assessment

Weaknesses:

• Unusual characteristics can be positive

• Labelling can be harmful. If someone is living happily, labelling them as abnormal won’t help them, regardless of how abnormal they are.

Deviation from social/cultural norms

When a person strays from acceptable behaviour, and is therefore labelled as abnormal

What is the DSM-V ASA?

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders- Fifth Edition, The American Psychological Association

What is failure to function adequately? (FFA)

Circumstances where a person can no longer face the demands of everyday life

Signs of FFA (Rosenhan & Seligman 1989)

• No longer conforming to standard interpersonal rules

• Severe personal distress

• Behaviour becomes irrational/dangerous to themselves or others

AO3 of FFA

Strengths:

• Acknowledges the patient’s perspective, also captures the experience of many people who need help- suggesting it’s useful in assessing abnormality

Weaknesses:

• Is it simply a deviation from social norms?

• Subjective. Someone has make a judgement on whether or not the patient is functioning adequately.

Criteria for Ideal mental health (Marie Jahoda 1958)

• No symptoms of distress

• Rational and able to perceive ourselves accurately

• We self-actualise

• We can cope with stress

• We have a realistic view of the world

• We have good self-esteem and lack of guilt

• We are independent of other people

• We can successfully work, love, and enjoy our leisure time

AO3 of Criteria for ideal mental health

Strengths:

• It’s a comprehensive definition: Covers a broad range of criteria for mental health, likely covers most of the criteria someone would seek mental health for

Weaknesses:

• Cultural relativism

• Subjective

• Sets an unrealistically high standards for mental health

What is a phobia?

An irrational fear of an object or situation that evokes a biological response.

What categories of phobia and related anxiety disorders are recognised in the DSM-V?

• Specific Phobia: Object, animal, body part, situation

• Social Anxiety: Social situations

• Agoraphobia: Outside, public places

DSM-V Diagnostic features of phobias

• Intense, persistent, irrational fear of a particular object, event, or situation

• Response is disproportionate and leads to avoidance

• Fear is severe enough to interfere with functioning

• Condition may or may not be accompanied by panic attacks

Behavioural characteristics of phobias

• Panic: Crying, screaming, running away

• Endurance: stays, but with very high levels of anxiety

• Avoidance: Limit on what they can do, often involves changing routine/action

Emotional Characteristics of phobias

• Anxiety: Unpleasant state of high arousal. Prevents relaxation and positive emotion.

• Fear: Immediate, extremely unpleasant response we feel.

Cognitive Characteristics of phobias

• Selective attention: PS is hard to look away from

• Irrational beliefs: Will hold irrational beliefs in relation to PS

• Cognitive distortion: The sufferer’s perception of the stimulus is distorted (bigger than reality)

Behaviourist Approach to explaining phobias

Emphasises role of learning in the acquisition and maintenance of behaviour- PEA

Mowrer’s Two-Process Model (TPM) (1960)

Phobias are acquired via classical conditioning (Neutral Stimulus + Fear) and maintained through operant conditioning (Negative Reinforcement through Avoidance)

AO3 of Mowrer’s TPM

Strengths:

• Real World Application: The model led to effective behavioural therapies, such as SD and flooding

• Internal Validity: CC and OC’s mechanisms are easily observable and testable in controlled conditions.

Weaknesses:

• Ignores Cognition: Only focuses on behaviour, ignoring cognitive aspects like irrational thoughts or cognitive distortions that contribute to phobias, which Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) often addresses better.

• Reductionist/Deterministic: Reduces complex human behaviour to simple stimulus-response mechanisms and assumes all, or at least many, traumatic events lead to phobias, which is not true

What are the two behavioural treatments of phobias?

1. Systemic Desensitisation (SD)

2. Flooding

What is Systemic Desensitisation?

Counter-Conditioning to unlearn the maladaptive response to the phobia

What are the 3 components of SD?

1. Fear Hierarchy

2. Relaxation Training

3. Exposure

What are the DETAILS of the components/steps in SD?

1. Establish Anxiety Hierarchy

   • C+T (Client and Therapist) rank phobic situations from least to most terrifying/anxious

2. Relaxation Techniques

   • C taught relaxation techniques, such as breathing exercises and mental imaging techniques.

   • Can also use drugs such as Valium

   • According to SD, you cannot be both relaxed and anxious at once, so the relaxation will eventually take over.

3. Exposure

   • C is exposed to phobic stimulus while in relaxed state

   • Takes place over several sessions

   • Finished when relaxed in all stages

AO3 of SD

Strengths:

• Gilroy et al Arachnophobia study (ADD MORE DETAIL)

• SD is suitable for a diverse range of participants. Alts aren’t always suitable, e.g, if a C has a learning disability and can’t rationalise flooding

• Less traumatic than flooding. Relaxation techniques can be enjoyable

Weaknesses:

• Time consuming and costly

What is flooding?

Patient cannot escape their phobia through continuous exposure, wait until anxiety decreases. More extreme than SD. (Shove someone in a room full of clowns and hope for the best- Don’t write that, though)

What are the two types of flooding?

1. In Vivo- Actual, real life exposure

2. In Vitro- Imaginary Exposure