Six Models of Abnormality PDF

1 Overview We’re Six - Models of Abnormality The Biological Model The Psychodynamic Model Cognitive Behavioral Models of Abnormality Matrix “Help! I’m being held prisoner by my heredity and environment.” Dennis Allen The Models of Abnormality Models or paradigms used...

1 Overview We’re Six - Models of Abnormality The Biological Model The Psychodynamic Model Cognitive Behavioral Models of Abnormality Matrix “Help! I’m being held prisoner by my heredity and environment.” Dennis Allen The Models of Abnormality Models or paradigms used by scientists and clinicians to treat abnormality ○ They explain events and basic assumptions ○ Guide treatment techniques and principles ○ Involve several models to explain abnormality A Model is… A set of assumptions and concepts that help scientists explain and interpret observations. Also called a paradigm. Models influence: ○ what investigators observe, ○ the questions they ask, ○ the information they seek, ○ and how they interpret this information.  Sometimes in conflict, each model focuses on one aspect of human functioning No single model can explain all aspects of abnormality. The Biological Model Has biological basis and medical perspective Considers illness to be brought about by malfunctioning parts of the organism Points to problems in brain anatomy or brain chemistry How Do Biological Theorists Explain Abnormal Behavior? Brain anatomy and abnormal behavior ○ Neurons and glial cells ○ Brain structures ○ Cerebrum (cortex, corpus callosum, basal ganglia, hippocampus, amygdala) There are connections found among some psychological disorders and these specific brains structures How Do Biological Theorists Explain Abnormal Behavior? Through Brain Chemistry Neuron-to-neuron transmission Dendrites Axons Nerve endings Synapses A message in the form of an electrical impulse travels down the sending neuron’s axon Neurotransmitters to its nerve ending, where neurotransmitters are release and carry the message across the synaptic space to the dendrites of a receiving neuron. Receptors How Do Biological Theorists Explain Abnormal Behavior? (part 3) More about neurotransmitters (NTs) ○ Dozens of identified neurotransmitters in the brain (e.g., serotonin, norepinephrine, glutamate) ○ Abnormal activity in certain NTs can lead to specific mental disorders. Ex. Dopamine dysregulation is linked to addiction, schizophrenia, etc. The Neurotransmitter Song Chemical Activity ○ Chemical released by endocrine glands into the bloodstream ○ Abnormal activity in endocrine system (hormones) is also related to mental disorders. Abnormal secretion of the hormone cortisol is linked to anxiety and mood disorders. Brain Anatomy, Circuitry, and Abnormal Behavior Increasingly, research focus on brain circuits as the key to psychological disorders rather than single brain or brain chemical dysfunction. ○ Brain circuit neurotransmitters, structures, and functions It is a network of particular brain structures that work together, triggering each other into action to produce a distinct kind of behavioral, cognitive, or emotional reaction ○ Proper interconnectivity among circuit structures The Biology of Fear The “fear circuit” –the brain circuit that helps produce fear reactions: Includes the prefrontal cortex, anterior cingulate cortex, insula, and amygdala. Left illustrations shows these structures (except the insula–not visible from this view) Right: highlights how the structures of this circuit actually work together and trigger each other into action to produce fear reactions (The long axons of the neurons from each structure form fiber-like pathways that extend to the other structures in the circuit.) Sources of Biological Abnormalities: Genetics (part 1) Abnormalities in brain anatomy or chemistry are sometimes the result of genetic inheritance. ○ Studies suggest that inheritance plays a part in certain mental disorders. Human Genome Project (2000); sequencing all genes in human body ○ In most cases, several genes combine to produce actions and reactions, both https://youtu.be/qOW5e4BgEa4 functional and dysfunctional. Sources of Biological Abnormalities: Genetics (part 2) Genes that contribute to mental disorders may be viewed as mistakes of inheritance. ○ Mutations ○ Inherited after a mutation in the family line ○ May be result of normal evolutionary principles Evolutionary theorists suggest: ○ Genes contribute to adaptation and survival. ○ Contemporary pressures may cause this genetic inheritance to be less adaptive and leave some people prone to abnormal psychological patterns. Biological Treatments (part 1) Biological practitioners attempt to identify the physical source of dysfunction to determine the course of treatment. Three leading biological treatments today ○ Drug therapy ○ Brain stimulation ○ Psychosurgery Biological Treatments (part 2) Drug therapy ○ 1950s: Advent of psychotropic medications ○ Four major drug groups used in therapy Antianxiety drugs (anxiolytics; minor tranquilizers) Antidepressant drugs Antibipolar drugs (mood stabilizers) Antipsychotic drugs Quick Review: What are the four major psychotropic drug groups used in therapy? Antianxiety drugs, also called minor tranquilizers or anxiolytics, help reduce tension and anxiety. Antidepressant drugs help improve the functioning of people with depression and certain other disorders. Antibipolar drugs, also called mood stabilizers, help steady the moods of those with a bipolar disorder, a condition marked by mood swings from mania to depression. And antipsychotic drugs help reduce the confusion, hallucinations, and delusions that often accompany psychosis, a loss of contact with reality found in schizophrenia and other disorders. Trending: TV Drug Ads Come Under Attack (Abilify, Example in your text) Direct-to-consumer Contributions (DTC) drug ○ Patient education about available drugs advertisement ○ Increased involvement of ○ Appeals directly to the patients in their own care consumer; seen by 80 Drawbacks percent of Americans ○ Higher drug costs related to ○ Has information about advertising expenses psychotropic drugs 50 ○ Patient misinformation percent of time ○ Pressure on doctors to ○ Allowed only in the United prescribe inappropriate States and New Zealand DTC-advertised drugs Biological Treatments (Part 3) Brain stimulation ○ Direct or indirect brain stimulation ○ Approaches Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT, 6 months ago) Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) Vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) Deep brain stimulation Psychosurgery (or neurosurgery) ○ Brain surgery for mental disorders Assessing the Biological Model Strengths ○ Enjoys considerable respect in the field ○ Constantly produces valuable new information ○ Treatments bring great relief Weaknesses ○ Limits understanding of abnormal function by excluding non biological factors ○ May produce significant undesirable effects Summary | Biological Model Matrix Cause of Dysfunction - neurotransmitter imbalance, genetics, brain structures abnormalities Key Therapy Technique - drug therapy, ECT Goal of Therapy - To correct biological or neurochemical imbalances contributing to mental health conditions. The focus is on reducing symptoms through medical interventions like medication, ECT, or brain stimulation, addressing the physical or genetic causes of illness. Explains depression is primarily caused by physical or genetic issues that affect the brain and body. Treats depression through medication management and brain stimulation The Psychodynamic Model Freud (1856–1939) developed theory of psychoanalysis ○ Proposed person's behavior determined largely by underlying unconscious, dynamic, psychological forces ○ Suggested abnormal symptoms are the result of conflict among these forces  Freud believed that three unconscious forces shape personality: ○ instinctual needs (Id), ○ rational thinking (Ego), ○ and moral standards (Superego) All of these forces operate at the unconscious level, unavailable to immediate awareness. These forces are dynamic and interactive. ○ Id: Pleasure principle - the psychological force that produces instinctual needs, drives, and impulses. ○ Ego: Reality principle; the psychological force that employs reason and operates in accordance with the reality principle. Ego defense mechanisms: strategies developed by the ego to control unacceptable Id impulses and to avoid or reduce the anxiety they arouse. ○ Superego: Morality principle represents a person’s values and ideals How Did Freud Explain Normal and Abnormal Functioning? (part 1) Conflicts ○ Some degree of conflict Healthy personality = balance Dysfunction = excessive conflict The Defense Never Rests Defense Mechanism Operation Example Repression Person avoids anxiety by simply not allowing painful or An executive’s desire to run amok and attack their boss and colleagues at a board dangerous thoughts to become conscious. meeting is denied access to their awareness. Denial Person simply refuses to acknowledge the existence of You are not prepared for tomorrow’s final exam, but you tell yourself that it’s not an external source of anxiety. actually an important exam and that there’s no good reason not to go to a movie tonight. Projection Person attributes their own unacceptable impulses, The executive who repressed their destructive desires may project their anger onto motives, or desires to other individuals. their boss and claim that it is actually the boss who is hostile. Rationalization Person creates a socially acceptable reason for an action A student explains away poor grades by citing the importance of the “total experience” that actually reflects unacceptable motives. of going to college and claiming that too much emphasis on grades would actually interfere with a well-rounded education. Displacement Person displaces hostility away from a dangerous object After a perfect parking spot is taken by a person who cuts in front of your car, you and onto a safer substitute. release your pent-up anger by starting an argument with your roommate. Intellectualization Person represses emotional reactions in favor of overly A woman who has been beaten and raped gives a detached, methodical description of logical responses to a problem. the effects that such attacks may have on victims. Regression Person retreats from an upsetting conflict to an early A child who cannot cope with the anger they feel toward a rejecting mother regresses developmental stage in which no one is expected to to infantile behavior, soiling their clothes and no longer taking care of basic needs. behave maturely or responsibly. How Did Freud Explain Normal and Abnormal Functioning? (part 2) Freud’s proposed developmental stages ○ New events and pressures require adjustment in the id, ego, and superego at each stage If successful → personal growth If unsuccessful → fixation at early developmental stage, leading to psychological abnormality How Do Other Psychodynamic Explanations Differ from Freud's? Despite differences, each theory posits human functioning is shaped by dynamic (interacting) forces. ○ Self theory The psychodynamic theory that emphasizes the role of the self - our unified personality ○ Object-relations theory The psychodynamic theory that views the desire for relationships, as the key motivating force in human behavior Psychodynamic Therapies (part 1) Seek to uncover past trauma and inner conflicts with the therapist acting as a guide ○ Free association ○ Therapist interpretation Resistance Transference Dream interpretation (DreamDictionary.org) ○ Catharsis ○ Working through Psychodynamic Therapies (part 2) Current trends ○ An increased demand for focused, time-limited psychotherapies has resulted in efforts to make psychodynamic therapy more efficient and affordable. Short-term psychodynamic therapies Relational psychoanalytic therapy - What is Relationally-focused psychoanalytic therapy? Assessing the Psychodynamic Model Strengths ○ First to recognize the importance of psychological theories and systematic treatment for abnormality ○ Saw abnormal functioning nested in the same processes as normal functioning ○ May be helpful to persons with long-term, complex disorders Weaknesses ○ Unsupported ideas; difficult to research ○ Non-observable concepts ○ Inaccessible to human subjects (unconscious) Summary | Psychodynamic Model Matrix Cause of Dysfunction - unresolved childhood conflict, defense mechanisms, unconscious drives Key Therapy Technique - free association, catharsis, dream analysis Goal of Therapy - is to help individuals gain insight into their unconscious conflicts and unresolved emotional issues, particularly those rooted in early childhood experiences. Explains depression as the result of unresolved unconscious conflicts, early childhood experiences, and repressed emotions, particularly those involving loss, guilt, or anger. Treats depression by helping individuals uncover and resolve the unconscious conflicts, emotions, and relational patterns that contribute to their depressive symptoms. The Cognitive Behavioral Model of Greatness The Cognitive-Behavioral Model (part 1) Focuses on maladaptive behaviors and/or cognitions in understanding and treating psychological abnormality Shares key principles between behavioral and cognitive perspectives The Cognitive-Behavioral Model (part 2) Behavioral dimension ○ Using conditioning Classical conditioning - learning by association Modeling - Operant conditioning ○ Therapists, as teachers, seek to help replace problematic behaviors with more appropriate behaviors The Cognitive-Behavioral Model (part 3) Modeling may account for some forms of abnormal behavior. A well-known study by Bandura and his colleagues (1963) demonstrated that children learned to abuse a doll by observing an adult hit it. Children who had not been exposed to the adult model did not mistreat the doll. The Cognitive-Behavioral Model (part 4) Cognitive dimension ○ Focuses on maladaptive thinking processes Inaccurate/disturbing assumptions and attitudes Illogical thinking Therapists help clients recognize, challenge, and change problematic thinking ○ Guide clients to new ways of thinking in daily life New Wave Cognitive-Behavior Therapies New approaches ○ Acceptance and commitment therapy (ACT) Helps clients to accept many of their problematic thoughts rather than judge them, act on them, or try fruitlessly to change them Steven Hayes on Acceptance and Commitment Therapy: https://youtu.be/mOZT_k30wx8 How love turns pain into practice: https://youtu.be/o79_gmO5ppg The Struggle Switch: Observing Anxiety Mindfully: https://youtu.be/rCp1l16GCXI ○ Mindfulness meditation Assessing the Cognitive-Behavioral Model (part 1) Strengths ○ Powerful force in clinical field; broad appeal ○ Clinically useful ○ Uniquely human process focus ○ Theories lend themselves to research. ○ Therapies are effective in treating several disorders. Assessing the Cognitive-Behavioral Model (part 2) Drawbacks ○ The precise role of cognition in abnormality has yet to be determined. ○ Cognitive-behavioral therapies are not effective with everyone. ○ Focusing primarily on clients’ current experiences and functioning may limit needed attention to the influence of early life experiences and relationships. ○ Other key dimensions in life are not addressed. Find The Diagnostic Code Get familiar with the DSM-5 by finding the diagnostic code Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia) Amy is a 42-year-old teacher who has felt "down" most days for the past three years. She reports low energy, poor self-esteem, and difficulty concentrating. These feelings have persisted without any major breaks. While she has been able to manage her work and family life, Amy struggles with maintaining friendships and finds little joy in her daily activities. She denies substance use or any other medical conditions. The diagnosis in the DSM-5-TR: Do not self-diagnose! We are using the DSM for information and research only. Humanistic-Existential Model The Humanistic-Existential Model (part 1) Humanist view Existentialist view ○ Emphasis on people as ○ Emphasis on accurate friendly, cooperative, and self-awareness and constructive meaningful life (authentic) ○ Focus on drive to ○ Total freedom from birth can result in negative or positive self-actualize through behaviors/outcomes honest recognition of ○ Psychological dysfunction is strengths and weaknesses caused by self-deception The Humanistic-Existential Model Rogers’ humanistic theory and therapy ○ Basic human need for unconditional positive regard If received → unconditional self-regard If not → conditions of worth ○ Rogers' client-centered therapy Therapist creates a supportive climate Unconditional positive regard Accurate empathy Genuineness ○ Little research support in the past, larger body of research today (student-centered, learner-centered, people-centered, etc) ○ Positive impact on clinical practice ○ Carl Rogers on Person-Centered Therapy The Humanistic-Existential Model (part 3) Gestalt theory and therapy (Perls; 1950s) ○ Goal is to guide clients toward self-recognition and self-acceptance through challenge and frustration ○ Techniques Skillful frustration Role playing Rules, including “here and now” and “I” language ○ Little research support; subjective experiences and self-awareness cannot be objectively measured The Humanistic-Existential Model (part 4) Spiritual views and interventions ○ Historical alienation between the clinical field and religion seems to be lessening. ○ Researchers suggest spirituality can correlate with psychological health. Religion-adapted cognitive behavioral therapy (RCBT) ○ Many clinicians now encourage use of spiritual resources to cope with stressors. The Humanistic-Existential Model (part 5) Existential theories and therapy ○ Psychological abnormality Arises when client uses self-deception to hide from responsibilities Clients feel overwhelmed by societal forces; quitting becomes habitual. ○ Existential therapy (This is a 48 minute, live psychotherapy demonstration) Clients are encouraged to accept responsibility for their lives and problems. Relationship between therapist and client includes shared learning and growth. Assessing the Humanistic-Existential Model Strengths ○ Taps into domains missing from other models ○ Emphasizes the individual ○ Optimistic ○ Emphasizes health Weaknesses ○ Focuses on abstract issues ○ Difficult to research ○ Weakened by disapproval of scientific approach; may be changing Family Social and Multicultural Perspectives The Sociocultural Model: Family-Social and Multicultural Perspectives (part 1) Abnormal behavior includes social and cultural forces that influence an individual. ○ Address norms and roles in society Includes two major perspectives ○ Family-social perspective ○ Multicultural perspective The Interesting Manual & The Models of Abnormality Matrix Don’t Forget Part 2 of the Matrix After completing all six models of the matrix (biological, psychodynamic, and cognitive are at the top; humanistic existential, sociocultural, and the developmental psychopathology perspective are at the bottom), complete Part 2. Summary In 150-250 words, differentiate between each psychological model (school of thought). Explain the key differences between each of the models. The matrix is incomplete without the summary. On Thursday… We will continue our coverage of the Models of Abnormality, Chapter 3 DQ: The Interesting Manual - What did you find the most surprising/interesting about the DSM due Thursday, January 16th Your Subject Selection and Models of Abnormality Matrix are due Sunday, January 19, 2025