Approaches to psychopathology

study of mental illness, mental distress and abnormal, maladaptive behaviour
cultural relativism
1. aspects of psychology vary from culture to culture
2. definitions of abnormality vary from culture to culture
defining abnormality
1. deviating from the norm
  1. any behaviour or ability that is rare, seen as abnormal
Biological approach
1. bodily systems used to explain abnormality
2. treatment with drugs or surgery
3. abnormality is an illness or disease
4. remove root cause, body will return back to normal
Psychodynamic approach
1. behaviour controlled by unconscious forces
2. id, ego and superego
3. psychosexual stages
  1. created by Freud
    1. believed children are born with a libido
    2. oediplus and electra complex
      1. Little Hans
  2. oral
  3. anal
  4. phallic
  5. latent
  6. genital
4. explains behaviour in terms of dynamics
  1. forces that drive it
  2. treated by making unconscious, conscious
    1. use of psychoanalyic therapy
Behavioural approach
1. abnormal learning from the environment
2. classical conditioning
  1. association
3. operant conditioning
  1. consequence
4. social learning
  1. observation
cognitive approach
1. a person's thoughts are responsible for their behaviour
2. maladaptive
  1. caused by faulty and irrational conditions
3. aim to be positive and rational
4. extensive negative thoughts lead to abnormality
5. cognitive triad
  1. person becomes obsessed with negative thoughts, therefore leads to depression
STUDIES
1. sane in insane places (Rosenhan)
2. Charles Whitman-1966

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Approaches to psychopathology

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	Created by hannahlouisetree almost 12 years ago