Question

Models of Psychological Abnormality

Answer 1

Note: This is a reference for educational/studying purposes, not a question, please save all comments or questions for the end.

Answer 2

\({\bf{Biological}}\)

- psychological problems can be traced to problems with brain functioning/chemistry
- chemical messengers (neurotransmitters) travel between nerves, across the synapse between nerve ends to the receptors on the dendrites
- specific mental disorders linked to excess/deficit of certain neurotransmitters (ex. depression linked to low serotonin/epinephrine)
- endocrine system: controls release of hormones, ex. adrenal glands secrete cortisol which is a stress hormone
- some disorders/predispositions may be genetic
- evolution as a possible source of certain behaviors like aggression and anxiety which may have contributed to survival
- viral infections have been linked to certain disorders like schizophrenia, esp in childhood/early adulthood

Answer 3

\({\bf{Biological~Treatments}}\)

- psychotropic medications (antianxiety, antidepressants, antipsychotic, antibipolar)
- electroconvulsive therapy (brain seizure is triggered through electrodes)
- psychosurgery/neurosurgery: operations on the brain (note: lobotomies, which sever the connection between the frontal lobes and lower brain regions, were used in the past but are only very rarely used now)

Answer 4

\({\bf{Psychodynamic}}\)

- view that person's behavior is caused by unconscious conflicts, esp. in childhood
- determinism: no behavior is accidental, all determined by past experiences
- id/ego/supergo: id = instinctual needs "pleasure principle"; ego: conscious needs "reality principle", develops ego defense mechanisms to control id impulses, ex. repression; "superego" higher reasoning, "morality principle"
- people can be fixated at certain stages where id/ego/supergo are in conflict, named after the body area most important to a child at that stage of development
- Ego theory: emphasizes role of ego more than Frued did
- Self theory: the self/unified personality is most important
- Object relations theory: people are motivated by their need to have relationships with others, problems in developing relationships esp. in childhood causes psychological abnormality

Answer 5

\({\bf{Psychodynamic~Treatments}}\)

- free association: the patient is free to describe any thoughts that come to mind, often revealing unconscious events
- resistance: patient (unconsciously) does not participate fully in therapy
- transference: patient acts towards the therapist the same way they act in their real lives
- dreams are seen as "road to unconscious". manifest content = what people remember; latent content: symbolic meaning of dreams
- catharsis: reliving repressed feelings to work through internal conflicts
- working through: reinterpretation of feelings + overcoming problems
- dynamic focus: single problem to work on
- relational psychoanalytic therapy: the therapist plays an active role in the patient's life, talks about their own problems/reactions, "equal relationship" with patients

Criticisms: cannot be proven, limited evidence/research support

Answer 6

\({\bf{Behavioral}}\)

-normal behavior and abnormal behavior can be explained through conditioning
- operant conditioning: behavior linked to rewards/lack of punishment is more likely to be repeated
- classical conditioning: two events that occur closely can be induced to give the same response
- modeling: individual learns by imitating others' behavior

Answer 7

\({\bf{Behavioral~Treatments}}\)

- systematic desensitization: clients are repeatedly exposed to phobic objects/situations to help them react calmly instead of fearfully
- fear hierarchy: list of objects/situations inducing fear, starting from least fear-inducing to most fear-inducing

Criticisms: difficult to prove that condition is really the cause of abnormal behavior; laboratory conditions may not reflect the way people behave/react in real life; too simplistic

Answer 8

\({\bf{Cognitive}}\)

- abnormal functioning can be caused by: assumptions, illogical thinking processes, overgeneralizations, maladaptive attitudes
- Ellis and Beck developed the cognitive model

\({\bf{Cognitive~Treatments}}\)

- recognizing negative thoughts, interpretations, logical fallacies that override logical thinking and cause feelings of anxiety/depression/etc.
- new wave cognitive therapies: ACT: acceptance and commitment therapy, allows clients to accept problematic thoughts as just thoughts; mindfulness meditations, urges individuals to pay attention to thoughts/feelings but not judge them

Criticisms:
- difficult to establish causality (perhaps the negative cognitions are the result of rather than the cause of the disorder)
- changing cognitions may not be enough to combat serious disorders
- only addresses one area of human functioning

Answer 9

\({\bf{Humanistic-Existential}}\)

-humanists: humans born to tendency to self-actualize
-existentialists: also agree that humans must live meaningful authentic lives to be happy, but people are still not inclined to live positively, are likely to give up responsibility
- unconditional positive regard: good thoughts/feelings that don't have to be earned
- conditions of worth: standards that tell people they can only be accepted under certain conditions, causes people to acquire distorted views of themselves/their feelings

Treatments:

- client-centered therapy: warm/supportive, emphasizes empathy and acceptance of patients and their problems
- gestalt therapy: challenges/causes frustrations in clients to help them see their own manipulative/maladaptive behaviors; use of role playing, rules
- combination with spirituality/religion which may have positive effects for clients
- existential therapy: patients accept responsibility for their lives

Criticisms: difficult to research, many practitioners even reject the idea of research

Answer 10

\({\bf{Family-Social}}\)

- family-social perspective: social labels, social networks, family structure are the predominant forces that shape behavior
- social labels: abnormal functioning influenced by the labels/roles assigned to people, ex. "on being sane in insane places"
- social connections/supports: lack of social support networks can contribute to people becoming depressed/stressed
- family systems theory: a family is a system of parts that interacts with each other according to rules/comunication patterns; enmeshed if family members are overly involved with each other; disengaged if the opposite

\({\bf{Family-Social~Treatments}}\)

- group therapy: lead by clinician, groups people with similar problems
- couples therapy/family therapy
- community treatment: often offer day programs/residential services
- self-help groups: not lead by professional

Answer 11

\({\bf{Multicultural}}\)

- race/technicity/gender/culture, etc. affect one's tendency to develop psychological abnormality
- racial minorities and economically disadvantaged people at higher risk
- discrimination on race/gender/sexuality, etc. risk factor

\({\bf{Multicultural~Treatment}}\)

- culture-sensitive/gender sensitive therapy: practioners are given training in a client's cultural values + knowledge of their prejudices/hardships faced by their cultural group

Criticisms: research findings are difficult to interpret, cannot always establish causality, cannot always predict why certain members of a cultural group develop a disorder and others don't

Answer 12

Anyway, that's all for this topic, I hope it was of use to you! If you have any questions I will address them to the best of my ability (you may have better luck contacting me on my main account, Vocaloid)

Source: Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, Eighth Edition, Ronald J. Comer