XII Abnormal Behavior Psychological Disorder a harmful dysfunction

XII. Abnormal Behavior

Psychological Disorder a “harmful dysfunction” in which behavior is judged to be: atypical- (not enough in itself) disturbing- (varies with time & culture) maladaptive- (harmful) unjustifiable- (sometimes there’s a good reason)

Psychological Disorders Biological (Evolution, individual genes, brain structures and chemistry) Sociocultural (Roles, expectations, definition of normality and disorder) Bio-psycho-social Perspective *assumes that biological, sociocultural, and psychological factors combine and interact to produce psychological disorders Psychological (Stress, trauma, learned helplessness, mood-related perceptions and memories)

Psychological Disorders- Etiology DSM-IV-TR *American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition) *a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders *presently distributed as DSM-IV-TR (text revision) *today used as “convenient shorthand” to avoid labeling.

Psychodiagnosis: The Classification of Disorders Multiaxial system 5 axes or dimensions Axis I – Clinical Syndromes Axis II – Personality Disorders or Mental Retardation Axis III – General Medical Conditions Axis IV – Psychosocial and Environmental Problems Axis V – Global Assessment of Functioning

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders Generalized anxiety disorder “free-floating anxiety” Phobic disorder Specific focus of fear Panic disorder and agoraphobia Physical symptoms of anxiety/leading to agoraphobia Obsessive compulsive disorder Obsessions Compulsions

Etiology of Anxiety Disorders Biological factors Genetic predisposition, anxiety sensitivity GABA circuits in the brain Conditioning and learning Acquired through classical conditioning or observational learning Maintained through operant conditioning Cognitive factors Judgments of perceived threat Personality Neuroticism Stress A precipitator

Clinical Syndromes: Somatoform Disorders Somatization Disorder Conversion Disorder Hypochondriasis Etiology Reactive autonomic nervous system Personality factors Cognitive factors The sick role

Clinical Syndromes: Dissociative Disorders Dissociative amnesia Dissociative fugue Dissociative identity disorder Etiology severe emotional trauma during childhood Controversy Media creation? Sybil Repressed memories

Clinical Syndromes: Mood Disorders Major depressive disorder Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder) Etiology Age of onset Genetic vulnerability Neuro-chemical factors Cognitive factors – negative thinking Interpersonal roots Precipitating stress

Clinical Syndromes: Schizophrenia General symptoms Delusions and irrational thought Deterioration of adaptive behavior - avolition Hallucinations – any modality but usually auditory Disturbed emotions – 66% Prognostic factor Gradual onset Sudden onset

Subtyping of Schizophrenia 4 subtypes Paranoid type – most common subtype - John Nash Catatonic type Disorganized type Undifferentiated type New model for classification Positive vs. negative symptoms

Personality Disorders Anxious-fearful cluster Avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive Dramatic-impulsive cluster Histrionic, narcissistic, borderline, antisocial Odd-eccentric cluster Schizoid, schizotypal, paranoid Etiology Genetic predispositions, inadequate socialization in dysfunctional families

Eating Disorders Issues of weight Anorexia nervosa Criteria and subtypes: restrictive and binge/purge Bulimia nervosa Binge eating History and prevalence Age onset Etiology Genetics Personality – perfectionism Cultural issues - “perfect” body type and digital photograph Family role Cognitive factors

XIII. Treatment of Disorders

Types of Treatment Types of therapies Insight therapies “talk therapy” Behavior therapies Changing overt behavior Biomedical therapies Biological functioning interventions

Who Seeks Treatment? 15% of U. S population in a given year Most common presenting problems Anxiety and Depression Treatment seeking for various disorders Mood disorders Women more than men Medical insurance Education level Psychological Disorders and professional treatment – Figure 15. 3

Who Provides Treatment? Clinical psychologists Counseling psychologists Psychiatrists Clinical social workers Psychiatric nurses Counselors On-line treatment

Insight Therapies: Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud and followers Goal: discover unresolved unconscious conflicts Free association Dream analysis Interpretation Resistance and transference Psychodynamic Therapies

Insight Therapies: Client Centered Therapy Carl Rogers Cause: Incongruency Goal: restructure self-concept to better correspond to reality Therapeutic Climate Genuineness Unconditional Empathy positive regard

Therapies Inspired by Positive Psychology Martin Seligman Uses theory and research to better understand the positive, adaptive, creative, and fulfilling aspects of human existence well-being therapy positive psychotherapy can be an effective treatment for depression

Behavior Therapies B. F. Skinner and colleagues Goal: unlearning maladaptive behavior and learning adaptive ones Systematic Desensitization – Joseph Wolpe Classical conditioning Anxiety/Fear hierarchy Aversion therapy Alcoholism, sexual deviance, smoking, etc. Social skills training Modeling Behavioral rehearsal Biofeedback

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Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy Aaron Beck Cognitive therapy Depression and negative thinking Albert Ellis Rational-emotive therapy Goal: to change the way clients think Detect and recognize negative thoughts Reality testing Effectiveness of Behavior Therapies Efficacy of behavioral interventions for a variety of disorders

Biomedical Therapies Psychopharmacotherapy Antianxiety - Valium, Xanax, Buspar Antipsychotic - Thorazine, Mellaril, Haldol Tardive dyskinesia Atypical antipsychotic – reduce motor effects and other neurotransmitters Time course Antidepressant Tricyclics – Elavil, Tofranil Mao inhibitors (MAOIs) - Nardil Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) – Prozac, Paxil, Zoloft – side effects Risk of suicide Mood stabilizers Lithium, Valproic acid Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation Deep brain stimulation

XIV. Social Psychology

Social Thinking Social Psychology *scientific study of how we think about, influence, and relate to one another *how individuals affect each other Social Context *the real, imagined, or symbolic presence of other people; the activities and interactions that take place among people; the settings in which behavior occurs; and the expectations and social norms governing behavior in a given setting.

Social Thinking Attribution Theory *tendency to give a causal explanation for someone’s behavior, often by crediting either the situation or the person’s disposition

Social Thinking *Fundamental Attribution Error *tendency for observers, when analyzing another’s behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition *dual tendency to overemphasize personal traits while minimizing situational inferences. ***Always try to find a situational explanation for strange or bizarre behavior of others before “blaming” them with dispositional et. al. Did the person brake suddenly in front explanations. of you because he is a jerk, or because a dog ran out in front of his car?

Social Thinking *Attitude *belief and feeling that predisposes one to respond in a particular way to objects, people and events **OUTSIDE INFLUENCES ON WHAT WE SAY AND DO ARE MINIMAL (2002, with most Americans supporting preemptive war in Iraq, most Democrats publicly supported the idea while having private reservations) ** THE ATTITUDE IS SPECIFICALLY RELEVANT TO THE BEHAVIOR (proclaim love while yelling at mate, cherish honesty while cheating on test) **WE ARE KEENLY AWARE OF OUR ATTITUDES (we mindlessly follow habit or others’ expectations while our attitudes lie dormant)

Social Thinking Our behavior is affected by our inner attitudes as well as by external social influences Internal attitudes External influences Behavior

Social Thinking Foot-in-the-Door Phenomenon *tendency for people who have first agreed to a small request to comply later with a larger request *Social Roles *set of expectations about a social position *defines how those in the position ought to behave *when you adopt a new role (college student, marry, new job), you strive to follow the social prescriptions. May feel phony at first while you “act” the role. No one “teaches” your role. *Social Roles: involves a person’s knowledge about the sequence of events and actions that are expected of a particular social role.

*Cognitive Dissonance *When we voluntarily undergo unpleasant experiences. *voluntarily produce discomfort with ideas that clash with their attitudes and values *et. al. Republican speaker in a Democratic auditorium Generally speaking, when people’s cognitions and actions are in conflict (a state of dissonance) they often reduce the conflict by changing their thinking to fit their behavior. *Cognitive Dissonance Theory *people are motivated to avoid uncomfortable state of dissonance *must change either one’s behavior or one’s cognitions *et. al. when we become aware that our attitudes and our actions clash, we can reduce the resulting dissonance by changing our attitudes

Social Influence Conformity *adapting one’s behavior or thinking/opinions to coincide with a group standard *used to avoid rejection Conformity increases when: *one is made to feel incompetent or insecure *the group is unanimous *one admires the group’s status and attractiveness *one has made no prior commitment to any response *others in the group observe one’s behavior *one’s culture strongly encourages respect for social standards

Yielding to Others: Conformity – Solomon Asch (1950 s) Group norm behavior Classic experiment Group size Group unanimity Compliance Conforming to requested behavior Foot-in-door Door-in-the-face

Yielding to Others: Obedience – Stanley Milgram (1960 s) Controversial landmark experiment 65% gave highest shock level Many variations of basic experiment “I was just following orders” presence of a dissenter

Behavior in Groups: The Power of the Situation Social Roles Stanford Prison Study – Zimbardo

Behavior in Groups: The Influence of Other People The Bystander Effect Diffusion of responsibility Group productivity and social loafing Decision making in groups Group Polarization –strengthen group views Groupthink - cohesiveness Bay of Pigs NASA Shuttle disaster

GOOD LUCK!!!!!

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