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Summary AQA A-level Psychology - 4.1.4 Psychopathology
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AQA A-level Psychology - 4.1.4 Psychopathology
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4.1.4PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
,Content
Content
Content ....................................................................................................................................... 2
Definitions of Abnormality ........................................................................................................... 3
Statistical infrequency .........................................................................................................................3
Deviation from social norms ................................................................................................................4
Failure to function adequately ............................................................................................................5
Deviation from ideal mental health .....................................................................................................6
Phobias........................................................................................................................................ 7
Behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias.......................................................7
The behaviourist approach to explaining phobias ..............................................................................7
Treating phobias .......................................................................................................................... 9
Systematic Desensitisation ..................................................................................................................9
Flooding .............................................................................................................................................11
General evaluation of behavioural treatments .................................................................................12
OCD ........................................................................................................................................... 13
Behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of OCD ..........................................................13
Biological approach to explaining OCD..............................................................................................13
Treating OCD ............................................................................................................................. 16
Drug therapy ......................................................................................................................................16
Anti-depressants: SSRIs .....................................................................................................................16
Anti-anxiety drugs: BZs ......................................................................................................................16
Evaluation of Drug Therapy ...............................................................................................................16
Depression................................................................................................................................. 18
Behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of depression................................................18
Cognitive approach to explaining depression ...................................................................................18
Treating depression ................................................................................................................... 21
Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) .................................................................................................21
Techniques involved in CBT (3 Stages) ..............................................................................................21
, Definitions of Abnormality
Specification: Definitions of abnormality, including deviation from social norms, failure to function
adequately, statistical infrequency and deviation from ideal mental health.
4 definitions of abnormality that you need to know are:
1. Statistical infrequency
2. Deviation from social norms
3. Failure to function adequately
4. Deviation from ideal mental health
Statistical infrequency
Statistical A quantitative way of defining abnormality that states the behaviour that is
infrequency statistically unusual or rare.
• If the behaviour is rare or statistically unusual, this means abnormality.
• It is considered normal if it is closer to the average (within 2 S.D.)
• More than 2 S.D. away from the average is considered to be abnormal
(top 2.2% or bottom 2.2%).
Evaluation of statistical infrequency
Weakness: Some unusual behaviour is desirable.
Some unusual having an IQ over 150 is considered abnormal by this definition
behaviour is although having high IQ is not undesirable.
desirable
the definition does not distinguish between desirable and
undesirable behaviours.
doesn’t help us to identify behaviours in need of treatment.
Weakness Some abnormal behaviours are not rare.
Some abnormal Depression and anxiety are quite common.
behaviours are not 37% teenager girls report low mood and high level of stress.
rare This definition cannot identify more common mental health
conditions as abnormal.
Weakness The cut-off point between normal and abnormal is subjective.
Cut-off point = People will judge the same behaviour in different ways depending
subjective on how they draw the line.
How different is someone who just falls within 95.4% and
someone who falls just outside of this?
Strength – real life Real-life applications
application Mental illness assessment includes a measurement of how severe
Clinical/ mental their symptoms are compared to statistical norm.
illness assessment Statistical deviation is useful in clinical assessment of patients in
real world → objective nature of this definition.
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