Current Paradigms in Psychopathology and Therapy

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Current Paradigms in Psychopathology and Therapy

• Past and Present
• Tomàs, J.

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What is a paradigm?

• What do you think???

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A Paradigm

• is a conceptual framework to examine a given
  phenomenon.
• has a set of basic assumptions.
• Determines which methods (data collection,
  analysis) will be used to study a given
  phenomenon.

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Paradigms in Abnormal Psychology

• Biological
• Psychodynamic (Psychoanalytical)
• Behavioral
• Cognitive
• Humanistic

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A. Biological Paradigm Disease Model

• Basic assumptions
• 1. Biology plays a role in pathological behavior.
  
• 2. Psychopathology is caused by disease.

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What are the flaws with this paradigm?

• What do you think???

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Flaws with Biological model

• 1. Factors unrelated to biology may influence the
  onset of psychopathology.
• E.g., environmental factors (life-style, abuse)
  may play role in some mental disorders
  (depression).
• 2. Multiple factors may influence onset of
  psychopathology.

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Does biology play role in etiology of
psychopathology?

• What do you think????

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Evidence that biology plays a role comes from 2
sources

• 1. Behavioral Genetics examines how much of
  individual differences in behavior are due to
  genetic makeup.
• 2. Biochemistry in the nervous system

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Behavioral Genetics Theory

• Genotype the physiological genetic constitution
  of a person. (fixed at birth, but not static)
• Phenotype- the observable expression of our genes
  (changes over time is product of interaction
  with genotype environment).
• E.g., A child may be hard-wired for high
  intellectual achievement, but will need
  environmental stimulation to produce development.

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We may have a biological predisposition for a
mental disorder.

• This is called a Diathesis.
• Does having a diathesis automatically mean you
  will develop the mental disorder?

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No!!!!

• It will depend on how your biology interacts with
  environmental factors (parental rearing, peers)

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How do we study behavior genetics?

• 1. Family members
• 2. Twin studies
• 3. Adoption studies
• 4. Linkage analysis

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Family Members

• Studies the 1st 2nd degree relatives of
  individual with a given mental disorder.
• 1st-degree relatives-parents siblings
  (50-shared genes)
• 2nd-degree relatives-aunts, uncles (25-shared
  genes)
• Are compared with index cases (probands).

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If there is a genetic predisposition

• 1st degree relatives of the index case(s), should
  have the disorder at a higher rate than in the
  general pop.
• E.g., 10 of 1st degree relatives of index cases
  with schizophrenia can be diagnosed with
  schizophrenia

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Twin method

• Monozygotic (100 shared genes) dizygotic twins
  (50 shared genes) are compared.
• Start with diagnosis of one twin see if other
  twin develops same disorder.
• When twins are similarly diagnosed, they are said
  to be concordant.

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If disorder is heritable-- concordance rate will
be higher for MZ than for DZ twins.

• Problems
• 1. May reflect environmental factors.

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Adoption studies

• Examine children who were adopted reared apart
  from their abnormal parents.
• Reduces environmental influences, should reflect
  effect of genetics.

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Linkage Analysis

• Uses DNA blood testing to examine the influence
  of genetics inmental disorders.

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B. Psychodynamic Paradigm

• Argues that our behavior results from unconscious
  conflicts.
• Conflicts are outside of our awareness (iceberg
  theory).

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Structures of mind

• 1. Id (unconscious) wants to satisfy basic
  urges (thirst, hunger, sex).
• 2. Ego (primarily conscious) tries to satisfy id
  impulses without breaking societal norms.
• 3. Super-ego (conscious) our morality center
  which tells us right from wrong.

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Psychosexual stages of development

• 1. Oral (birth to 1 yr)- needs gratified orally
  (sucking).
• 2. Anal (2yr)-needs met- through elimination of
  waste.
• 3. Phallic (3-5 yrs)-needs met through genital
  stimulation.
• 4. Latency (6-12 yrs)-impulses dormant.
• 5. Genital (13)-needs met through intercourse.

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Defense mechanisms- unconscious protect ego
from anxiety.

• Repression
• Projection
• Reaction formation
• Displacement
• Denial
• rationalization

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Problems

• 1.  Freud had no scientific data to support his
  theories.
• 2. Freuds theories (unconscious, libido, etc.)
  cannot be observed.
• 3.  Theory explains behavior (post-hoc) after the
  fact.
• 4. Observations not representative of population.

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Freuds therapy

• Premisewe have repressed information in
  unconscious that needs to come out.
• How???
• Free-association, dream analysis, hypnosis.

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C. Behavior paradigm

• Focuses on observable behaviors.
• Premiseabnormal behavior is learned!!
• Learning (classical operant conditioning,
  modeling)

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Classical conditioning

• Pavlovs study
• Step 1 Meat Powder (UCS)---Salivation
  (UCR)
• Step 2 Bell (CS) ---- Salivation (UCR)
• -Meat Powder (UCS)----
• Step 3 Bell (CS)---------Salivation (CR)

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Conditioning emotional responses Watson Raynor

• Classically conditioned 11-month-old infant to
  fear white rats (Santa beard, cotton).
• Presented infant with cute white ratchild showed
  interest in rat, was then presented with a loud
  noise (startle response).

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Operant conditioning

• Desired behaviors are reinforced (positive,
  negative), whereas undesirable behaviors are
  extinguished (punishment).

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Modeling (Albert Bandura)

• We learn how to behavior, by watching others.
• Whether we will produce a given behavior is
  determined by whether we have seen it reinforced
  or punished.(Famous Bobo Doll study)

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Behavioral therapies

• Systematic desensitization (phobias, anxiety)
• Flooding (phobias, anxiety)
• Aversion conditioning (pedophiles)

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Criticisms of theory

• 1. Abnormal behavior not connected to particular
  learning experiences (schizophrenia).
• 2. Simplistic circular reasoning (Description as
  explanation).
• 3. Useful for treatment, but not as cause for
  most mental disorders.

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Cognitive

• Premise- how we organize and interpret
  information
• Criticism of Cognitive Paradigm
• Concepts are slippery, not well defined.
• cognitive explanations do not explain much
• E.g., depressed person has negative cognition--I
  am worthless.

 
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Therapy

• Cognitive-Behavioral therapy
• Rational Emotive therapy

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E. Humanistic

• Theorists argue we are driven to self-actualize,
  that is, to fulfill our potential for goodness
  and growth.

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Rogers Humanistic therapy

• We all have a basic need to receive positive
  regard from the important people in our lives
  (parents).
• Those who receive unconditional positive regard
  early in life are likely to develop unconditional
  self-regard.
• That is, they come to recognize their worth as
  persons, even while recognizing that they are not
  perfect. Such people are in good shape to
  actualize their positive potential.