...Discuss the behavioural approach to explaining psychological abnormalities (12 marks) The behavioural approach focuses on the behaviour of an individual in order to explain psychological problems. Behaviourists claim that abnormal behaviour is learned through experiences in the same way as most other behaviour through classical and operant conditioning. Behaviourists believe the concept of classical conditioning can be used to explain the development of many abnormal behaviours, including phobias and taste aversions. The theory of classical conditioning is used to explain how behaviour is learnt through ‘stimulus-response’ associations. An event in the environment (stimulus) results in a physiological reaction (response) in the individual. Then the events and reactions are forged into an association which can lead to the development of phobias. For example a person may climb the top of a high hill and when looking down (environmental stimulus) may experience nausea or dizziness (physiological response). This then will be made into a stimulus-response association and will lead to the development of a phobia e.g. the fear of heights, which means the person, will be scared of heights and will avoid them whenever possible. Watson and Rayner demonstrated how phobias are learnt through conditioning in their experiment involving “Little Albert”. They experimented with an 11-month-old boy, ‘little Albert’, producing fear of a white rat by associating it with loud and frightful noise...
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...Outline and evaluate the behavioural approach to psychopathology (12 marks) One assumption of the behavioural approach is that only behaviour is important and that this behaviour is learned through experience. The processes of this learning include classical conditioning where associations are made between one thing and the other. Operant conditioning where abnormal behaviour is reinforced or the social learning theory (SLT) where abnormal behaviours are learnt vicariously. For example, a child may observe its mother obsessively cleaning the house and being praised by the father for doing so. This consequence (e.g. praise) may be enough to initiate the same abnormal behaviour (e.g. OCD) in the child. The behaviourist approach assumes that abnormal behaviours that have been learnt can be unlearnt using the same processes (operant conditioning, classical conditioning and SLT). So, undesirable or abnormal behaviour e.g. a phobia, can be replaced with more desirable or normal behavior using therapies such as systematic desensitisation. One strength of the behavioural approach is that therapy can focus directly on the client's maladaptive behaviour. For example, if a patient suffers from arachnophobia then the treatment can be directed solely towards getting rid of the fear of spiders instead of referring to the client's previous or medical history. This shows that changing the behaviour from maladaptive to adaptive is sufficient for a cure. One...
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...Psychological Therapies Outline and Evaluate one or more psychological therapies used in the treatment of abnormalities (12 Marks) There are many psychological therapies that are used to treat psychological disorders. Systematic desensitisation is just one of these therapies that are developed by behaviourists in order to treat phobias, as it aims to make an individual learn that feared objects are not so fearful. This can be achieved by introducing the object gradually. If maladaptive behaviours have been learnt by classical or operant conditioning it should be possible to change them, therefore Systematic desensitisation takes a practical problem-solving approach based upon classical conditioning. It uses reverse conditioning to replace a maladaptive response to a stimulus with an adaptive response. Psychologists work with the patient and help create hierarchy of events relating to the original stimulus, by associating an alternative response (e.g. muscle relaxation) to the object instead of the response of anxiety. This is useful as if a person it able to tolerate imagined stressful situations then it will be followed by a reduction in anxiety; meaning the treatment is only effective if a client can apply their learnt behaviour to real life. There is also research evidence to support the treatment, as McGrath et al (1990) demonstrated that Systematic desensitisation is effective for 75% of people with phobias. This empirical evidence demonstrates that SD is an effective...
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...Outline and evaluate one biological therapy for schizophrenia and one psychological therapy for Schizophrenia (24) Conventional antipsychotics bind to dopamine receptors in the brain but do not stimulate them. This blocks their attention, eliminating delusions and hallucinations experienced by people with schizophrenia. AO2: Davis et al found that relapse occurred in 55% of patients given a placebo whereas only 19% who were given conventional antipsychotics relapsed. AO2: However, conventional antipsychotics do have severe side effects such as tardive dyskinesia. Also, patients who are given these drugs, patients start to believe that “there is something wrong with them”. This would reduce their motivation and would possibly cause relapse. Atypical antipsychotics act on dopamine but also on serotonin. They help by temporarily occupying dopamine receptors and then rapidly dissociating to allow normal transmission. AO2: Atypical drugs have been found to be more effective for the negative symptoms of schizophrenia, than conventional drugs. They also produce far less side effects. Statistically, they are reported to be effective for the 25% of patients who were not helped by the first generation of schizophrenics. Psychological Therapies: CBT: CBT is the main psychological treatment used in treating schizophrenia and it works by modifying delusional beliefs and hallucinations within sufferers. CBT assumes it is these delusional beliefs which cause schizophrenia...
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...Syllabus Course Description This course provides an overview of basic psychological principles that underlie human behavior and reactions to everyday life. Students are provided an opportunity to apply critical-thinking skills to psychological problems and issues. The basic tenets of psychology are presented from a historical perspective, with attention to research-based behavioral science. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: · University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. · Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Carpenter, S., & Huffman, K. (2010). Visualizing psychology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: Introduction to Psychology Details Due Points Objectives 1.1 Describe the development of the discipline of psychology. 1.2 Compare and contrast research methods used to examine psychological phenomena. 1.3 Explain biological influences on the human brain. Readings...
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...Discuss two or more definitions of abnormality (12 marks) One definition of abnormality is “deviation from social norms” and under this definition a person’s thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates the unwritten rules about what is expected or acceptable behaviour in a particular social group. Behaviour may be incomprehensible to others or make others feel threatened or uncomfortable. For example, someone would be classified as being abnormal if they laughed at a funeral, as this is socially unacceptable. A weakness of this definition is that it lacks cultural relativity as social behaviour varies when different cultures are compared. For e.g. it’s common in south Europe to stand much closer to strangers than in the UK. As well as this voice pitch and volume, touching, directions of gaze and acceptable subjects for discussion have all been found to vary between cultures. This means what is considered deviant or abnormal varies considerably across cultures, thus weakening this definition. Another limitation of deviation from social norms is that it lacks time validity. This is because social norms change over time; behaviour that was once seen as abnormal may be acceptable and vice versa. For example, drink driving was once considered acceptable but is now seen as socially unacceptable whereas homosexuality has changed the other way. Until 1980 homosexuality was considered a psychological disorder but is considered acceptable today. This is a weakness...
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...Discuss two or more definitions of abnormality (12 marks) One definition of abnormality is “deviation from social norms” and under this definition a person’s thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates the unwritten rules about what is expected or acceptable behaviour in a particular social group. Behaviour may be incomprehensible to others or make others feel threatened or uncomfortable. For example, someone would be classified as being abnormal if they laughed at a funeral, as this is socially unacceptable. A weakness of this definition is that it lacks cultural relativity as social behaviour varies when different cultures are compared. For e.g. it’s common in south Europe to stand much closer to strangers than in the UK. As well as this voice pitch and volume, touching, directions of gaze and acceptable subjects for discussion have all been found to vary between cultures. This means what is considered deviant or abnormal varies considerably across cultures, thus weakening this definition. Another limitation of deviation from social norms is that it lacks time validity. This is because social norms change over time; behaviour that was once seen as abnormal may be acceptable and vice versa. For example, drink driving was once considered acceptable but is now seen as socially unacceptable whereas homosexuality has changed the other way. Until 1980 homosexuality was considered a psychological disorder but is considered acceptable today. This is a weakness because...
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...Outline and evaluate one biological therapy and one psychological therapy for schizophrenia (8+16 marks) Schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder in which an individual has lost touch with their sense of reality, has been treated both biologically, with therapies such as drug therapy, and psychologically with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. Both of these therapies are used extensively for an individual with the disorder, reflecting the view that no single approach can appropriately explain and treat schizophrenia single-handedly. When treating schizophrenia biologically, drug therapies are the most commonly used type of therapies. Within drug therapies, antipsychotics are the drugs which are the most appropriate for treating the disorder, as they help the patient gain a better subjective feeling of wellbeing and allow them to function within society adequately. Antipsychotics can come in typical forms, which includes drugs such as chlorpromazine and haloperidol. These drugs, work on the assumption that schizophrenia is caused by too much of the neurotransmitter (a chemical messenger within the brain) dopamine. The way in which they act is by binding too, but not stimulating the dopamine receptors (notably the D2 receptors on the receiving end of the synapse). This means that the dopamine itself cannot bind to the receptor, as it is already occupied and so a lower level of dopamine enters the synapse. This lowers the overall levels of dopamine in the brain, combatting the positive...
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...during his studies he was surprised to find the opposite. Instead of validating his previous studies he founded the concept of cognitive behavior therapy. Cognitive behavioral therapy is a term that has a lot of different treatment umbrella under it. It’s a cross between behavior therapy and dynamic psychotherapy. It is centered on the idea that thought or cognitions have a big role in mood and behavior mostly due to false or morphed cognitions. Though cognitive therapy can be used to treat a variety of issues that are in the DSM people can also use cognitive therapy to treat personal issues that aren’t outlined in the DSM. The Farlex dictionary defines cognitive behavioral therapy as “an action-oriented form of psychosocial therapy that assumes that maladaptive, or faulty, thinking patterns cause maladaptive behavior and "negative" emotions. The treatment focuses on changing an individual's thoughts (cognitive patterns) in order to change his or her behavior and emotional state.” In other words cognitive therapy is an approach of therapy that changes the way a client associates unjustified negative thoughts wither certain situations whether they be physical or emotional. In theory cognitive behavioral therapy is able to be used in such situations...
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...Journal of Cognitive Psychotherapy: An International Quarterly Volume 20, Number 3 • 2006 Principles of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy for Anxiety Disorders in Children Elizabeth A. Gosch, PhD, ABPP Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine Philadelphia, PA Ellen Flannery-Schroeder, PhD, ABPP University of Rhode Island, Kingston Christian F. Mauro, PhD Scott N. Compton, PhD Duke University Medical Center Durham, NC This article elucidates the theoretical underpinnings of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) as applied to the treatment of anxiety disorders in children, focusing on social phobia, generalized anxiety disorder, and separation anxiety disorder. It reviews behavioral and cognitive theories that have influenced this approach. We argue that it is necessary to understand the essential components of this approach in the context of these theories in order to provide effective, clinically sensitive, and child-focused treatment. Components discussed include assessment, psychoeducation, affective education, self-instruction training, cognitive restructuring, problem solving, relaxation training, modeling, contingency management, and exposure procedures. Hypothesized key processes, such as the need to be experiential in treatment, are presented for consideration. Keywords: anxiety; children; cognitive behavior therapy; theory A nxiety disorders are among the most common mental health disorders in youth with / \ prevalence rates ranging from 12% to 20% (Achenbrach...
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...Introduction Group counseling is a form of therapy which posits that people benefit from shared experiences. Usually focused on particular issue and it allows one to find out that they are not alone in their type of life challenge. This proposal is about drug use, crime and incarceration of Maldives. And this proposal is focused on Maldives Police service and to help them about their work of making productive youths of the country. Currently Maldives police services are focused to decrease the crime rate and prevent crimes in all over the Maldives. One of the challenges they are facing is drug use. According to them drug use is the main crime that people force to attempt other crimes. Rationale: Description of the group The group will consist of ten group members ranging in ages of 18 – 30 years, of both men and women among the people of incarceration. The group will meet once a week for twenty weeks. The reason of choosing this group is because the connection between drug use and crime is well known. Drug use is implicated in at least five types of drug-related offenses. 1. Offenses related to drug possession or sales 2. Offenses directly related to obtaining drugs (e.g., stealing to get money for drugs) 3. Offenses related to a lifestyle that includes association with other offenders or with illicit markets 4. Offenses related to abusive and violent behaviors, including domestic violence and sexual assault 5. Offenses related to driving while...
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...native English-speakers, it is fortunate that English seems to be the language that people use if they want to reach the widest possible audience. However, even for native English speakers, cross-cultural communication can be an issue: Just witness the mutual incomprehension that can sometimes arise between people from different English-speaking countries. In this new world, good cross-cultural communication is a must. BARRIERS TO EFFECTIVE CROSS-CULTURAL COMMUNICATION Obviously, not all individuals acculturate similarly. Some find the daily challenges of responding to another culture to be too stressful and overwhelming. If possible, such individuals will choose to return to their cultural origin; if they cannot do so, various kinds of maladaptive adjustments, or even mental illness, can occur. People misunderstand each other for a wide variety of reasons, and these misunderstandings can occur between people who are culturally similar as well as those who are different. However there are some unique issues to consider whenever from different cultural backgrounds come together. I refer to these problems as the barriers to effective multicultural communication (Gabriella Kiss, 2008). STEREOPTYPING The most significant barrier to effective cross-cultural communication is the tendency to categorize and make...
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...Theory and Practice of Counseling and Psychotherapy by Gerald Corey Brooks/Cole, a division of Cengage Learning Theory Students: The following is an outline form of powerpoints produced by Gerald Corey, the textbook author, designed to accompany the textbook. Please note that the author is Gerald Corey and this work is produced by Cengage Learning, a division of Brooks/Cole Publishing Company. This work is copyrighted and can be reproduced and used only with the permission of the textbook company. The Therapeutic Relationship • The therapeutic relationship is an important component of effective counseling • The therapist as a person is a key part of the effectiveness of therapeutic treatments • Research shows that both the therapy relationship and the therapy used contribute to treatment outcome Theories of Counseling • Gerald Corey’s Perspective of Theories of Counseling: • No single model can explain all the facets of human experience o Eleven approaches to counseling and psychotherapy are discussed • Your textbook book assumes: o Students can begin to acquire a counseling style tailored to their own personality ▪ The process will take years ▪ Different theories are not “right” or “wrong” ▪ The Effective Counselor from the perspective of Gerald Corey • The most important instrument you have is YOU ▪ Your...
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...MOODULE 2: THEORIES OF PSYCHOLOGICAL COUNSELLING THE BEHAVIOURIST THEORY OF COUNSELLING Introduction to Theories A theory can be defined as a systematic way of explaining a fact or an event. It refers to procedure that has been put forward empirically tested that explains a situation as a phenomena. Importance of Theory in Counselling Theories help a counselor to; • Explain the existence of a behaviour by understand if how it’s conceptualized, perpetuated and its manifestations. • Theories also help a counsellor to predict behaviour. The prediction of behaviour is quite important in the cases where a client manifests destructive behaviour. • Finally theories also help a counsellor to control behaviour. This is also important in cases where behaviours are destructive. Each theory has stipulated techniques which are meant to control behaviour. Types of Theories There are several types of theories which helps a counsellor to understand, predict and control behaviour. But for this course, emphasis will be placed on the following theories: • Psychological Theory • Behaviour Theory • Poison Centred Theory • Cognitive Behavioural Theory THE PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY Background Before the development of the psychological view point in terms of understanding, the human behaviour, in the late 18th Century and Mid 19th Century by Mesmer, Dr. John Breur, Dr. Jean Charcot among others. Psychological disorders and disturbances was mainly looked...
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...booklet focuses on observational data, which is a direct method of data collection. When collecting information, it is important to use multiple sources and methods, and to triangulate the data collected. No one method stands alone. Behavior always occurs in a context, and observing in that context is critical for defining and understanding the behavior. Observations may also help to identify the antecedents (what happens before the target behavior) and consequences (what happens after the target behavior) so that meaningful behavioral interventions can be developed. The data we collect during systematic classroom observations is used as a baseline, and/or present level of performance for an IEP. We might also use the data to evaluate whether or not an intervention is working. Observation is one method for collecting data for an FBA in order to answer the questions “what function is the behavior serving for the student?” or “what is the student trying to communicate to us through the behavior?” Thus, collecting data related to teacher and/or peer responses to the target student behavior is also important because that attention may be reinforcing the inappropriate behavior....
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