Welcome to the World of Psychopathology!
In this chapter, we are going to explore the fascinating world of Psychopathology. This is simply the study of mental disorders. We will look at how psychologists decide what is "normal" and "abnormal," and then dive deep into two specific conditions: Phobias and Depression. We will look at why people might develop these conditions and, most importantly, how we can treat them.
Don't worry if some of these terms seem heavy at first—we’ll break them down into bite-sized pieces with plenty of examples!
1. Defining Abnormality: What is "Normal" anyway?
Psychologists use four main ways to define whether someone’s behavior is abnormal. Think of these as different "lenses" through which we can look at human behavior.
A. Statistical Infrequency
This is the "numbers" approach. If a behavior is mathematically rare, it is considered abnormal. For example, most people have an average IQ of around 100. If someone has an IQ below 70, that is mathematically rare, so it's defined as abnormal.
Real-world analogy: Imagine a room full of people where everyone is wearing a white t-shirt, but one person is wearing a bright neon green one. That person is "statistically infrequent" in that room.
B. Deviation from Social Norms
Every society has unwritten rules (norms) about how to behave. If you break these rules, your behavior is seen as abnormal. For example, standing extremely close to a stranger in an empty elevator breaks a social norm.
Important Note: Social norms change depending on the culture and the time. What was "normal" 50 years ago might not be normal today!
C. Failure to Function Adequately
This definition focuses on whether a person can cope with ordinary daily life. Can they hold down a job? Can they maintain relationships? Can they look after their basic hygiene? If a person's mental state prevents them from doing these things, they are "failing to function adequately."
D. Deviation from Ideal Mental Health
Instead of looking for what is "wrong," this approach (suggested by Jahoda) looks at what is "right." It lists criteria for perfect mental health, such as having a positive self-image and being able to handle stress. If you are missing these criteria, you might be seen as abnormal.
Quick Review Box:
• Statistical Infrequency: It's rare.
• Social Norms: It's socially "weird."
• Failure to Function: You can't cope with life.
• Ideal Mental Health: You don't meet the "perfect" criteria.
2. Understanding Phobias and Depression
To understand a mental disorder, we look at three types of characteristics: Behavioral (what you do), Emotional (how you feel), and Cognitive (how you think).
Phobias
A phobia is an irrational fear of an object or situation.
• Behavioral: Panic (crying, screaming) and Avoidance (going out of your way to stay away from the fear).
• Emotional: Excessive and unreasonable Anxiety.
• Cognitive: Selective attention (you can't look away from the spider) and Irrational beliefs (thinking the spider is out to get you).
Depression
Depression is a mood disorder that affects a person's entire life.
• Behavioral: Changes in activity levels (either too much energy or none at all) and changes in sleep/eating.
• Emotional: Lowered mood, feelings of worthlessness, and anger.
• Cognitive: Poor concentration and Absolutist thinking (thinking everything is a total disaster, even small mistakes).
Key Takeaway: Phobias are mainly about fear and avoidance, while Depression is mainly about low mood and negative thoughts.
3. The Behavioural Approach to Phobias
Behaviorists believe we aren't born with phobias—we learn them!
How do we get them? The Two-Process Model
Psychologist Mowrer suggested we learn phobias in two steps:
1. Acquisition (Classical Conditioning): You learn to fear something because of a scary experience.
Example: A child gets bitten by a dog. They now associate the "Dog" (Neutral Stimulus) with "Pain" (Unconditioned Stimulus), which creates "Fear" (Conditioned Response).
2. Maintenance (Operant Conditioning): This explains why the phobia doesn't go away. When we avoid the thing we fear, our anxiety goes down. This "feeling of relief" is a reward (Negative Reinforcement), so we keep avoiding it, and the phobia stays alive.
Treating Phobias
Since phobias are learned, they can be "unlearned" through behavior therapy.
1. Systematic Desensitisation (SD): A gradual process.
• Step 1: Relaxation. The patient learns breathing exercises.
• Step 2: Anxiety Hierarchy. A list of scary situations from "looking at a photo" to "holding the object."
• Step 3: Exposure. The patient works through the list while staying relaxed.
Analogy: Like dipping your toe in the pool, then your foot, then your leg, until you are swimming.
2. Flooding: An immediate process.
The patient is exposed to their biggest fear all at once for a long time (e.g., being in a room with a hundred spiders). Because our bodies can't stay panicked forever, the person eventually calms down and realizes the object isn't hurting them.
Analogy: Jumping straight into the deep end of the cold pool until you get used to it.
Common Mistake to Avoid: Don't confuse the two! SD is slow and gentle; Flooding is fast and intense.
4. The Cognitive Approach to Depression
Cognitive psychologists believe depression is caused by faulty thinking. It’s not what happens to us, but how we think about what happens.
Beck’s Negative Triad
Beck argued that depressed people have "negative schemas" (mental frameworks) that make them see the world through dark-tinted glasses. They have three types of negative thoughts:
1. Negative view of the Self ("I am a failure").
2. Negative view of the World ("Everything is terrible").
3. Negative view of the Future ("Nothing will ever get better").
Ellis’s ABC Model
Ellis used a simple formula to explain how we get depressed:
• A (Activating Event): Something happens (e.g., you fail a test).
• B (Belief): Your interpretation of the event. If you have Irrational Beliefs (e.g., "I must be perfect to be loved"), you will feel bad.
• C (Consequence): The emotional result (e.g., Depression).
Treating Depression: Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
The goal of CBT is to turn those negative/irrational thoughts into positive/rational ones.
• Challenging Thoughts: The therapist asks the patient for evidence. If a patient says "Everyone hates me," the therapist might ask, "Did anyone smile at you today?"
• Patient as Scientist: Patients are given "homework" to test their negative beliefs in the real world. This proves their thoughts are wrong.
Key Takeaway: CBT is about identifying bad thoughts and replacing them with better ones.
Final Quick Check!
Before you finish, make sure you can answer these:
1. Can you name the 4 definitions of abnormality?
2. What are the two steps in the Two-Process Model for phobias?
3. What does "CBT" stand for?
4. What are the three parts of Beck’s Triad?
Great job! Psychopathology is a big topic, but by focusing on how we define abnormality and looking at the specific ways we treat phobias and depression, you’re well on your way to mastering it!