Questions and Answers
Which of the following are the four broad theories explaining the causes of psychological disorders?
What is a Paradigm?
A set of shared assumptions that includes both the substance of a theory and beliefs about how scientists should collect data and test the theory.
General paresis is caused by a viral infection.
False
What symptoms characterize General Paresis?
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What is Meehl’s Stress-Diathesis Model?
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What do twin studies indicate regarding heritability?
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Which psychologist is associated with the Psychodynamic Paradigm?
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The three parts of the mind according to Psychoanalytic theory are the ____, ____, and ____.
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What does classical conditioning involve?
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Study Notes
Causes of Abnormal Behavior
- Four main theories explain psychological disorders: biological, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic paradigms.
- A paradigm is a set of shared assumptions that encompasses both theoretical substance and beliefs regarding data collection and testing.
Biological Paradigm
- Emphasizes internal biological factors as causes of abnormal behavior, including brain diseases, injuries, or genetic disorders.
- General paresis, resulting from syphilis, exemplifies biological causes; it leads to chronic dementia and may result in death within 2-3 years.
- Symptoms of general paresis include personality changes, memory loss, poor judgment, psychosis, depression, and mania.
- Meehl’s Stress-Diathesis Model posits that genetic predispositions to disorders manifest only when triggered by environmental stressors.
- Twin studies demonstrate heritability; higher concordance in monozygotic twins supports genetic influences.
- Adoption studies show a greater prevalence of alcoholism among adoptees with alcoholic biological parents.
- Molecular genetics seeks to identify specific genes associated with disorders, such as the HD gene linked to Huntington’s disease.
Psychodynamic Paradigm
- Rooted in Freud’s work, it proposes that unconscious mental conflicts from early childhood experiences lead to abnormal behavior.
- Hysteria presents with physical symptoms, such as "hysterical blindness," not linked to organic dysfunction, resolving after emotional issues are addressed.
- Freud noted hysterical patients did not consciously associate their symptoms with emotional distress; conflicts were converted unconsciously into physical symptoms.
- The mind is divided into three parts:
- Id: Seeks immediate gratification of desires without regard for reality.
- Ego: Mediates demands of the Id and constraints of reality.
- Superego: Represents moral conscience.
- The mind also consists of three levels of awareness:
- Conscious: Current thoughts and awareness.
- Preconscious: Easily recalled thoughts.
- Unconscious: Thoughts inaccessible without extreme situations.
Cognitive-Behavioral Paradigm
- Focuses on observable and learned behaviors rather than internal processes.
- Key figures include Ivan Pavlov and B.F. Skinner, who contributed to learning theory through:
- Classical Conditioning: Learning through association, involving elements like unconditioned stimuli and responses.
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Description
This quiz explores the various theories behind abnormal behavior, focusing on biological, psychodynamic, cognitive behavioral, and humanistic paradigms. Designed for students of psychology, it delves into the shared assumptions and explanations that guide understanding in this field.
