Psychopathology AQA A-level QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS

Psychopathology AQA A-level QUESTIONS WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS4 ways of defining abnormality in psychology 1. statistical infrequency 2. failure to function adequately 3. deviation from social norms 4. DEVIATION FROM IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH Statistical Infrequency - How often psychological phenomenon occurs in a population - If it's numerically common, then it's considered normal. If numerically uncommon then seen as abnormal. - Considers behaviours which fall into a normal distribution - e.g. IQ Positives of Statistical Infrequency Application to real-life abnormality in diagnosing intellectual disability disorder. - All assessments of patients includes some form of measurement of how severe their symptoms are in comparison to statistical norms. - Useful part of clinical assessments Negatives of Statistical Infrequency - Some infrequent behaviours may be positive e.g having an IQ over 130 and is not undesirable. - Problem with labelling and someone is living a fulfilled life. If they're able to hold down a job/not be distressed then being labelled as abnormal isn't doing them any favours. Deviation from Social Norms any behaviour that violates a social norm. (implicit or explicit rules/laws for behaviour in a society. - 'ACCEPTED IN SOCIETY' don't use 'MOST PEOPLE' - dress codes for ages, queueing etc. - If someone deviates then they're considered psychologically abnormal - e.g. bulimics Negatives of Deviation of Social Norms - Human rights abuse (too much reliance on them can lead to systematic abuse e.g. maintain control over minority ethnic groups and women). - Era-dependency (varies over time e.g. homosexuality). - Culturally relative (social norms different for every culture). Positive of Deviation of Social Norms - Has real-life application in diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. Failure to Function Adequately Person may be abnormal if 1. They're unable to hold down a job (if they're of working age) 2. May be unable to do normal things e.g. use public transport, walk down a street. * Observer discomfort * Unpredictable * Maldaptive * Irrational Observer Discomfort Abnormal behaviour may cause others to feel upset, threatened etc. and disrupts social interaction Unpredictable Behaviour doesn't fit the situation Irrational If a person's behaviour doesn't make sense to others e.g. someone who washes their hands 50 times. Maldaptive Person can't adjust appropriately to sitaution e.g. someone who is fearful of crowds and can't go shopping. Positives of Failure to Function Adequately - Includes person's subjective experience and can gain a deeper understanding of their abnormality rather than applying a theory that doesn't suit everyone. Negatives of Failure to Function Adequately - Risks limiting personal freedom because someone may be living an alternate lifestyle, discriminating against minority groups - Cause and effect: some people fail to function adequately because of a psychopathology and some people with psychopathologies can function at a very high level - Maldaptive doesn't always mean abnormality: Ghandi and hunger strike Deviation from Ideal Mental Health Jahoda identified factors that were necessary for 'optimal living'. Presence would mean psychological health and absence means not. Jahoda's elements 1. self-actualisation 2. positive view of self 3. accurate perception of reality 4. PERSONAL AUTONOMY 5. ENVIRONMENTAL MASTERY 6. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS Self-actualisation realising one's full potential and developing to the full Personal Autonomy ability to act independently, make own decisions. Environmental Mastery ability to be resistant to stress and having good coping strategies Accurate perception of reality not looking at the world in rose-coloured glasses or seeing pessimistically. seeing the world in realistic terms. Positive Relationships ability to form close, warm relationships. Positive view of self self-acceptance and positive self-esteem Positives of Deviation from Ideal Mental Health - a positive approach and doesn't focus on the negatives - a broad range of criteria and is a good tool when considering mental illness Negatives of Deviation from Ideal Mental Health - unrealistically high standards and very few people achieve all of Jahoda's criteria so whole world labelled as abnormal. - culturally relative. in collectivistic cultures self-actualisation would be considered self-indulgent. Can't generalise to all cultures Phobia definition Characterised by fear. When it negatively impacts on a person's everyday life. Phobias are irrational - fear isn't proportional to risk. Behavioural characteristics of phobias - panic, avoidance, endurance - fight or flight Emotional characteristics of phobias - intense fear and emotional upset - anxiety Cognitive characteristics of phobias keeping attention on phobia Behavioural Explanation of Phobias All behaviour is learned as a result of interactions with environment 2 PROCESS MODEL: classical conditioning (how phobias are acquired) & operant conditioning (how phobias are maintained) Classical Conditioning (association) - Watson and Raynor with Little Albert. Conditioned a 10 month old to fear white rats. - Managed to generalise his fear to similar things/situations e.g. rabbit, cotton wool. - Can be extinguished if conditioned stimulus presented enough times without unconditioned stimulus. Operant Conditioning (consequence) when a phobic avoids their phobic object, NEGATIVE REINFORCEMENT occurs. When unpleasant experience is avoided, reinforces phobia. Steps of operant conditioning of phobias 1. have an unpleasant experience in the presence of a spider 2. associate spider with fear and develop arachnophobia 3. avoid spiders to avoid anxiety' 4. negative reinforcement 5. can be extinguished by unlearning it Positives of Behavioural Approach to Explain Phobias - Scientific approach and has testable concepts. High control of variables and high internal validity. - Successful in behavioural therapies.