Abnormal psychology flashcards

Abnormal psychology examines how psychological disorders are defined, diagnosed, and explained. Students must understand the concept of abnormality and the challenges of defining it, including statistical rarity, deviation from social norms, and failure to function adequately. The DSM is a key diagnostic tool, and students should appreciate both its usefulness and its limitations. Explanations of disorders draw on biological, cognitive, and sociocultural approaches, each offering different accounts of causes and treatments. Validity and reliability of diagnosis are central concerns, as is the role of cultural context in shaping what counts as disordered behaviour. Ethical issues, including stigma and the power dynamics of diagnosis, are also important. Students should be able to apply these ideas to specific disorders such as depression, anxiety disorders, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.

1. Card 1

   What is the statistical frequency approach to defining abnormality?

   Behaviour is abnormal if it is statistically rare in the population. A limitation is that some rare traits, like high IQ, are not considered disorders.

2. Card 2

   What does 'failure to function adequately' mean as a criterion for abnormality?

   A person is considered abnormal if they cannot maintain daily activities or relationships. This is subjective, as functioning varies across cultures and contexts.

3. Card 3

   What is the DSM and why is it significant in abnormal psychology?

   The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) is a classification system for mental disorders used mainly in the USA. It provides standardised criteria for diagnosis.

4. Card 4

   What is the difference between reliability and validity in diagnosis?

   Reliability means different clinicians reach the same diagnosis; validity means the diagnosis accurately reflects a real and distinct condition.

5. Card 5

   How does the biological approach explain psychological disorders?

   It attributes disorders to genetic factors, neurotransmitter imbalances, or brain structure abnormalities, suggesting physical causes underlie mental illness.

6. Card 6

   How does the cognitive approach explain depression?

   Beck's cognitive triad proposes that depression stems from negative automatic thoughts about the self, the world, and the future.

7. Card 7

   What is the sociocultural explanation for abnormal behaviour?

   Sociocultural factors such as poverty, discrimination, and social isolation can contribute to the development and maintenance of psychological disorders.

8. Card 8

   What is cultural relativism in the context of diagnosing disorders?

   Cultural relativism is the idea that abnormality must be judged within its cultural context, as behaviours normal in one culture may be seen as disordered in another.

9. Card 9

   What is a culture-bound syndrome? Give an example.

   A culture-bound syndrome is a disorder recognised only within a specific culture, for example Koro, found in parts of South-East Asia.

10. Card 10

    What ethical concern arises from psychiatric diagnosis?

    Stigma is a major concern, as labels can lead to discrimination, reduced self-esteem, and self-fulfilling prophecy effects in those diagnosed.

11. Card 11

    What did Rosenhan's study reveal about psychiatric diagnosis?

    Rosenhan showed that diagnostic labels are hard to remove once applied; pseudo-patients admitted to hospitals were not identified as healthy by staff.

12. Card 12

    What is comorbidity and why does it complicate diagnosis?

    Comorbidity is when two or more disorders occur together. It complicates diagnosis because symptoms overlap, making it difficult to identify distinct conditions.

• Students often confuse reliability and validity in diagnosis, using the terms interchangeably when reliability refers to consistency between clinicians and validity refers to whether the diagnosis is meaningful and accurate.
• Many students assume that the biological approach is the only scientific explanation for disorders, overlooking the strong empirical evidence supporting cognitive and sociocultural explanations.
• A common error is treating the DSM as a perfect or universally accepted tool, without acknowledging criticisms such as cultural bias, medicalisation of normal behaviour, and concerns about inter-rater reliability.

Planning your revision? Read how to revise IB Psychology, or make cards from your own notes with the notes to flashcards tool.