A complete revision summary of the AQA A level psychology topic Psychopathology. Covering all the bullet points made on the AQA specification for AO1. Also includes AO3 for each of these points. Made by a student who achieved A* in their A level.
The behavioural approach to phobias Treating phobia – based on classical conditioning.
- an irrational fear of an object of situation. - Counterconditioning which is learning a new response
- 2 process theory; acquirement & maintenance. - Breaking the association of CS with CR, and replacing the response
Specific phobia – phobia of an object with antagonistic response - relaxation.
Social phobia – phobia of a social situation Systematic Desensitisation
Agoraphobia - phobia of being outside/ public space 1. Therapist and client great an anxiety hierarchy
Behavioural (act) Emotional (feel) Cognitive (think) 2. The client is taught relaxation techniques.
Panic Anxiety (unpleasant Selective attention 3. Reciprocal inhibition – idea you cannot feel afraid & relaxed
Avoidance state of high arousal) Irrational beliefs simultaneously.
Endurance Unreasonable Cognitive distortions 4. The client is exposed to the lowest level of anxiety while in a
Explaining phobias relaxed state.
Acquired by Classical Conditioning 5. Once anxiety is extinct, the client gradually moves up the
Watson & Rayner
- UCS (noise) = UCR (fear) anxiety hierarchy
(1920) – associating
- NS (rat) + UCS (noise). repeatedly associated striking hammer Strength Weakness
- CS (rat) = CR (fear) with rat on Little Gilroy 2003 – patients who used SD & Does not address cause -
- Condition generalised to similar objects Albert exposure had better reduction in Exposure may reduce
Maintenance by Operant conditioning phobia than those just taught symptoms of anxiety, but
- Reinforcement increases frequency of behaviour relaxation techniques with no the cause remains &
- -ve reinforcement = avoids phobia = escape anxiety = reinforces exposure therapy. symptoms may resurface.
avoidance - Spider phobia measured by - Freud - little Han’s
Strength Weakness questionnaire. phobia of horses cured
De Gallo – 20% of people in traumatic car Not all phobias SD is well applicable – those with when he accepted
accident developed phobia of travelling in follow trauma learning difficulties can engage in it, feelings about father
cars. - Phobias developed they do not need reflect (as in CBT) Time consuming,
- What CC would predict by SLT? or subject to harm they may not increases costs, reducing
- What about other 80%? Rias & Dessler – understand (flooding). wide scale distribution.
Explanatory power - 2 process theory experiment on mice Flooding
- Ignores evolutionary factors e.g., phobia found phobias could be 1. The client is exposed immediately to the highest phobic stimulus
to sharks & not to new objects (guns) inherited. for an extended length of time.
2. The patient cannot avoid the stimulus and is forced to learn a
new response – that it is harmless.
Requires informed consent.
Strength Weakness
Flooding is cost Flooding = Traumatic
effective – only 1 or 2 - Patients refuse to finish therapy
sessions needed compared - Waste of time & money.
to CBT. - Can leave patient worse
, The cognitive approach – treating depression
Depression – mood disorder of low mood & low energy levels
CBT: Becks cognitive therapy
Major depressive disorder – sever but short-term depression
- Based on the idea thoughts influence emotions & behaviour
Persistent depressive disorder – longer term/ recurring depression
- Aims to challenge the validity of the present thoughts.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder – childhood temper tantrums
1. Thought catching - identification of negative thoughts.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder – disruption to mood prior/during
2. Data gathering e.g. keeping a diary.
menstruation
3. Hypothesis testing - ‘Patient as scientist’ – seeking out
Behavioural (act) Emotional (feel) Cognitive (think)
situations, active discovery of patient to prove belief wrong.
Low energy/ agitation Lowered mood Poor concentration
4. Cognitive reconstruction – is the reinforcement of +ve
Insomnia/ hypersomnia Anger Attending the negative
thoughts
Appetite ↑/↓ Lowered self- Absolutist thinking
5. Behavioural activation – encouragement to engage in
Verbal/ physical aggression esteem Irrational thoughts
previously enjoyed activities to increase mood.
The cognitive approach– how internal mental processes cause depression
CBT: Elli’s rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)
Becks Negative triad – why some people are more vulnerable to depression
- ABCDE – (D) dispute & (E) effect
due to their cognitions.
- Uses a rational argument to dispute the irrational beliefs
3 parts to having cognitive vulnerability:
- Shame attacking exercises
Faulty Selective attention to negative aspects 1. Vigorous argument – to change belief & break the link
info Enhance minor issues out of proportion & overgeneralise. between -ve events & depression.
processin ‘black and white’ processing. o Empirical argument - is there actual evidence?
g
o Logical argument – is the belief logical/ from facts?
-ve self- Package of info we have about ourselves, acquired in childhood.
2. Behavioural activation – encouragement to be active &
schema A negative self-schema causes us to interpret all info about
engage in enjoyable activities to provide evidence of the
ourselves negatively.
irrational nature of the belief.
Negative Have an automatic dysfunctional view, regardless of reality
Strength Weakness
triad Negative view of; self future world.
March - as effective as drugs, Active role but ↑avolition -
Ellis’s ABC Model
improvement rates = 81% Token economy may be more
- Good mental health = rational thoughts, happy, and free of pain
CBT, 81% Drug, 86% both motivating or drugs may
- Irrational thoughts (illogical & unrealistic) interfere with us being happy
Long term - transfer of increase motivation.
(A) Activating event – an external event out of our control e.g., fired at
thinking to future situations Rosenzweig –success is due to
work
when CBT is not currently patient & client relationship.
(B) Beliefs which are irrational – triggered by the event, those with -ve
active - CBT itself may be secondary
attitudes about themselves develop irrational beliefs. Healthy minded
- better than drug therapy
individuals will have a rational explanation which does not lead to
depression.
REBT CBT
- Masturbatory thinking – must always achieve perfection
- Testing of cognitive beliefs
- Utopianism – life is always meant to be fair
- Behavioural assignments
- I-can’t-stand-it-it is – major disaster when something doesn’t go smoothy
Rational confrontation Reframe negative thoughts
(C) consequences – emotional response to the belief (depression).
Empirical/ logical argument Data gathering ot test the validity
Strength Weakness
Shame attacking exercises of irrational thoughts
Terry 2000 - women with high cognitive Ignores biological evidence
Patient as scientist.
vulnerably more likely to suffer post-natal - Aggression/ mania cannot be
Stresses quality of therapeutic
depression caused by only cognitions
relationship
Ainsworth attachment styles would suggest - Biological evidence
Directive, persuasive, Encourages client to self-discover
those insecurely attached are more likely to suggests neurochemical
confrontational argument ‘patient as scientist’
develop depression. This aligns with Beck’s imbalances cause
theory, as they are less likely to receive
depression & drugs
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