Questions and Answers
What does the DSM definition of abnormality typically consider?
Why is depression classified as abnormal despite its common occurrence?
What does a dimensional view of mental health and illness imply?
What were the primary purposes of mental asylums during their peak usage?
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How does psychodynamic theory explain the cause of mental illness?
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What ethical consideration is essential when defining personal distress in terms of abnormality?
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What significant change in treatment philosophy did Hippocrates introduce?
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Which aspect of Person-Centered Therapy remains crucial in contemporary psychology?
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What best defines 'stimulus generalization'?
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In classical conditioning, what is an unconditioned stimulus?
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What is 'extinction' in learning terms?
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What does retest reliability measure?
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Which of the following is an example of positive reinforcement?
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What is indicated by heart-rate variability?
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What does the term 'polygenic' refer to?
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What is the function of the neuron’s dendrites?
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Study Notes
Introduction to Psychopathologies
- DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) defines abnormality based on clinical significance, cultural context, and duration/severity of symptoms.
- Statistical definition of abnormality considers behaviors or traits that are statistically rare in a population.
- Although common, depression is considered abnormal due to its debilitating effects on functioning and quality of life.
- Defining abnormality based on social norms can lead to stigmatization or exclusion of those who do not conform.
- Personal distress may not be relevant when behavior is adaptive or accepted socially, such as in certain cultural practices.
- Benefits of using DSM include standardized diagnosis, improved communication among professionals, and guiding treatment decisions.
- Drawbacks of classifying mental illnesses include potential oversimplification, labeling, and neglect of individual experiences.
- Evidence-based treatment refers to interventions grounded in empirical research demonstrating efficacy and effectiveness.
- Mental illness can be viewed categorically, meaning specific disorders are identifiable with defined criteria.
- Dimensional view suggests mental health exists on a spectrum rather than as distinct categories.
- Psychologists study behavior and mental processes, conducting assessments and providing therapeutic interventions.
- Psychologists differ from counselors and social workers primarily in training and focus, with counselors often centering on specific problems.
- "Psychologist" can refer to those with general training, whereas "clinical psychologist" specifies expertise in mental health assessment and treatment.
- AHPRA (Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency) registration ensures adherence to professional standards, enhances credibility, and protects public interests.
- A psychologist applies scientific principles, whereas a psychologist scientist focuses primarily on research and contributions to the body of knowledge.
Ancient Approaches to Psychology
- Ancient Egyptian and Greek physicians practiced empirical science by observing symptoms and outcomes as part of treatment.
- Trepanation involved drilling holes into the skull to relieve pressure or release spirits, an early surgical practice.
- Hippocrates shifted the view of illness from supernatural to natural causes, emphasizing observation and diagnosis.
- Hippocrates’ four humours (blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile) were thought to affect temperament and health.
- In the Middle Ages, mental illness was often seen as demonic possession, leading to cruel treatment methods.
- Mental asylums were created to isolate the mentally ill from society, often providing poor living conditions and little care.
- The psychological tradition focuses on behavior and mental processes, contrasting with supernatural beliefs and purely biological explanations.
- Drug therapies can effectively alleviate symptoms but may have side effects, risks of dependence, and lack of long-term solutions.
- Freud introduced psychoanalysis, emphasizing the unconscious mind and childhood experiences, differing from preceding theories.
- Psychodynamic theory posits that unresolved conflicts from childhood lead to mental illness.
- Freud’s psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital) suggest that fixation at any stage can cause adult disorders.
- Freud proposed resolving conflicts through therapy, exploring unconscious motivations and behaviors.
- Psychodynamic theory's decline is due to its lack of empirical support and foundation in anecdotal evidence.
- "Self-actualizing" refers to achieving personal potential and self-fulfillment in humanistic psychology.
- Person-centred therapy emphasizes empathy, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity, remaining vital in modern approaches.
Learning Theories
- Classical and operant conditioning are termed "associative learning" as they involve learning through association.
- Unconditioned stimulus (US) elicits an unconditioned response (UR); Conditioned stimulus (CS) is associated with the US to produce a conditioned response (CR).
- Stimulus generalization occurs when responses are triggered by stimuli similar to the CS.
- Extinction in learning refers to the reduction of a conditioned response when the CS is presented without the US.
- Reliability refers to consistency in results, while validity relates to the accuracy of a measure.
- Retest reliability assesses consistency over time; inter-rater reliability measures agreement among different evaluators.
- Positive reinforcement involves adding a rewarding stimulus, negative reinforcement removes an aversive stimulus; both increase behavior.
- Positive punishment introduces an unpleasant stimulus, while negative punishment removes a pleasant stimulus to reduce behavior.
- Collecting multiple physiological measures enhances data reliability and provides a comprehensive view of emotional states.
- Heart-rate variability reflects autonomic nervous system balance and emotional regulation capability.
- Facial EMG may not accurately depict emotions due to facial muscle constraints or conscious suppression of feelings.
- fMRI correlates brain activity with emotional states, revealing neurological patterns associated with specific feelings.
- "Necessary" brain activation means specific regions must function for a behavior to occur, while "sufficient" implies activation alone can produce behaviors.
- Moral therapy faced issues like inconsistent treatment approaches and inadequate facilities for care.
- Electroconvulsive shock therapy (ECT) is used for severe depression, inducing seizures to relieve symptoms when other treatments fail.
Genetics and Neuroscience
- Identical twins share the same genetic material but can differ in environments and experiences, affecting traits and disorders.
- Gene influence on eye color is more straightforward than on complex traits like personality, which involve multiple factors.
- PS1, PS2, and APP are genes associated with Alzheimer's and different from those affecting mental illness, focusing on specific pathways.
- Diathesis-Stress Model posits that predisposed individuals may develop mental illnesses when exposed to stressors.
- Gene-Environment Correlation Model suggests individuals may seek environments that reinforce their genetic tendencies, impacting mental health.
- Bullying can serve as an environmental stressor that interacts with genetic vulnerabilities in developing mental disorders.
- Polygenic refers to traits influenced by multiple genes, often leading to complex variations in mental health.
- Epigenetics involves gene expression changes influenced by environmental factors, demonstrated by rat studies linked to maternal care.
- Neurons consist of dendrites (receive signals), cell bodies (process signals), and axons (transmit signals).
- Neurons communicate through synapses using neurotransmitters to relay signals to adjacent neurons.
- The nervous system is divided into central (brain and spinal cord) and peripheral (nerves throughout the body), organized into somatic and autonomic systems.
- HPA axis regulates stress response, involving interactions between the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and adrenal glands.
- Increased licking by a mother rat enhances the pups' grooming behaviors and alters their genetic expression positively.
- Reuptake process involves neurotransmitters being reabsorbed into the presynaptic neuron after transmitting a signal, impacting availability in the synapse.
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Description
This quiz covers the key concepts from the first week of the Psychopathologies course. It addresses the DSM definition of abnormality, the statistical and social norms related to psychological conditions, and the implications of these definitions. Test your understanding of the classification system with questions that explore its benefits and drawbacks.
