Psyc 238 Lecture 1.2: Causes of Maladaptive Behaviors

What is a Paradigm?

A set of shared foundational assumptions in a field about:

• The substance of a theory

• How scientists should collect data and test theoretical propositions.

that dictates the accepted theories, standards, and research methods.

Example: If it is a widely accepted paradigm that depression is a problem that originates in the brain, the research I will do will likely focus on MRI scans

What are the Four Basic Psychological Paradigms?

• Psychodynamic

• Cognitive-Behavioral

• Humanistic

• Biological

Psychodynamic Paradigm

Founded by Sigmund Freud, a therapy approach aimed at bringing unconscious patterns into conscious awareness to foster change; it says that symptoms can be based on thoughts and desires that are not in awareness of the client.

Says that the mind consists of the id (primitive drives), ego (rational, reality-oriented part), and superego (moral conscience).

Cognitive-Behavioral Paradigm

Founded by B.F Skinner, says that behavior is directed by reinforcements and punishments.

Humanistic Paradigm

Founded by Carl Rogers, peoples behavior is determined by satisfaction of emotional needs.

Coined ‘The Self-Concept & Congruence’, Rogers divided the self into three parts:

• Real Self: Who you actually are at your core.

• Ideal Self: Who you aspire to be.

• Perceived Self: How you view yourself (which is often shaped by subjective experience).

Mental health and high self-esteem are achieved when there is significant overlap (congruence) between the real self and ideal self. A large gap between the two causes incongruence, leading to maladjustment, anxiety, and a negative self-image.

Said that healing is only possible via Unconditional Positive Regard: a state of being completely accepted and valued by others without any strings attached.

Biological Paradigm

Focuses on biological functions and structures like neuro-circuits and neurotransmitters

Which Paradigm is correct?

Impossible to know. Like the blind men looking at an elephant, problems can occur when we only consider one paradigm on its own. All can be correct on their own, but it is better to look at the whole elephant.

Biopsychosocial or Systems approach

Looking at biological, psychological, and social systems all together. Believes in Holism: the idea that the whole picture is greater than the sum of its individual parts

What is the Diathesis-Stress Model?

A model that attempts to explain what leads to the outcome of developing a disorder (ex. alcoholism)

Diathesis: an existing vulnerability that precedes stressor (ex. genetic predisposition to addiction)

Stress: any event that triggers the onset of disturbance (ex. A divorce or death in the family)

*A diathesis may or may not be biological, and a stressor may or may not be environmental

Equifinality

There can be different causes for the same disorder/result

Multifinality

There can be different disorders or results from the same causal factor (ex. both children experience a parents divorce, but one develops depression, and the other develops anxiety)

Reciprocal causality

causality is bidirectional (ex. child has poor behavior, parent then yells at them, which causes child to have more poor behavior)

Risk Factors

• Something that has been shown to prospectively predict a psychopathological outcome

Maintenance Factors

• Something that predicts the continuation of symptoms over time among those who are symptomatic

Protective factors

• Something that reduces the effects of a risk factor