,Definitions of Abnormality:
- Statistical Infrequency = is where behaviour is seen as abnormal if it is
statistically uncommon or it isn’t seen often enough in society. E.g. the average
IQ is 100, getting below 70 is seen as abnormal.
- Strengths – This method of defining abnormalities uses an objective measure,
therefore its reliable.
- Weakness – criticised for cultural bias as what’s considered as normal in culture
may be abnormal in another.
- Deviation from Social Norms = is where behaviour is seen as abnormal if it
violates social norms about what’s accepted in a particular society. E.g. walking
into a shop and skipping the queue.
- Strengths – helps people as the definition allows society to get involved in the
individuals abnormal behaviour and help them, when they may not be able to
seek the help that they need.
- Weakness – criticised for cultural differences as the definition doesn’t make it
clear how to deal cultural differences in normal and abnormal behaviour.
- Failure to Function Adequately = when a person is seen as abnormal if they’re
unable to cope with the demand of everyday life or experience personal
distresses. E.g. excessive smoking or drinking.
- Strengths – provides individuals with a practical checklist to check their
behaviour.
- Weakness – the definition discriminates against those cultures who make
different life choices e.g. travellers.
- Deviation from Ideal Mental Health = Suggests abnormal behaviour should be
defined by the absence of ideal characteristics. E.g. a person may not have
achieved environmental mastery but may be happy with their situation.
- Strengths – its holistic as the definition looks at the whole person rather than
focusing on single behaviours.
- Weakness – definition doesn’t account for changes which occur overtime e.g.
behaviours that were once seen as normal are now abnormal and vice versa.
Characteristics of Phobia
- A phobia is a persistent and unreasonable fear towards a particular object,
situation or place. Phobias are characterised by excessive fear and anxiety
caused by the object, situation or place.
- The DSM (Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) recognise specific
phobia, social phobia and agoraphobia. Symptoms of phobias can be
characterised by
1. Behavioural characteristics – panic, avoidance, endurance
2. Emotional characteristics – emotional responses, anxiety, fear
3. Cognitive characteristics – selective attention, cognitive distortion
, - Specific phobia = phobia of a specific object or situation (needles or spiders)
- Social phobia = phobia of being put in social situations (public speaking)
- Agoraphobia = phobia of being outside (public crowded spaces)
Behaviourist Explanation of Phobias
- The behaviourist approach believe that phobias are learned via the Two Process
Model:
1. Acquisition by classical conditioning – neutral stimulus is presented with the
unconditioned stimulus, which produces an unconditioned response. Then
the neutral stimulus is associated with the unconditioned stimulus and the
phobia occurs when the neutral stimulus is present.
2. Maintenance by operant conditioning – if a person avoids the phobic object,
situation or place then, anxiety is greatly reduced which acts as a reward for
the individual.
Case Study: Little Albert
- Watson and Raynor - at the start of the experiment, Albert showed no worries
or anxiety towards the objects, and he even tries to play with the white rat. When
the rat is presented to Albert, a long banging noise is made near his ear. The
bang is the unconditioned stimulus which created a fear response. When the rat,
the neutral stimulus, were put together, they created a fear response. Albert
displayed fear when he saw the rat. The rat became the conditioned stimulus
which produced a conditioned response; therefore, the phobia had started.
When Albert was shown other white, fluffy objects he showed severe distress.
His phobia had become generalised. However, the experiment wouldn’t take
place today due to the ethical guidelines and psychological harm which Albert
was put under.
EVALUATION:
- Strengths = The Two Process Model has real-world application as it explains
using two distinctive elements, how behaviours are created and maintained.
Watson and Raynor’s Little Albert study supports the Two Process Model as they
show how a frightening experience can be conditioned.
- Weakness = the Two Process Model doesn’t take into account the cognitive
processes associated with phobias. Behavioural explanations focus on the
cause of behaviour while cognitive components play a significant role in why
someone has a phobia. It’s also deterministic as the model suggests when an
individual experiences a traumatic event and draws an association between the
unconditioned response and the neutral stimulus, they will develop a phobia.
This is a weakness because it suggests that were programmed by our
environmental experiences and ignores individual free will.
Behavioural Treatments of Phobias
Treatment 1: Systematic Desensitisation
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