DYSFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOUR a. Diagnosis, Definition, Bias b. Explanations c. Treatments HEALTH & CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY G543

a. Biological: Gottesman b. Behavioural: Watson & Rayner c. Cognitive: Beck 2. Explanations of Dysfunctional Behaviour

EXAM STYLE QUESTIONS (ESQ) Explanations BIOLOGICAL COGNTIVE BEHAVIOURAL January 2011 a.Outline a biological explanation of dysfunctional behaviour [10] b.To what extent are explanations of dysfunctional behaviour reductionist? [15] a.Outline a behavioural explanation of dysfunctional behaviour [10] b.Discuss strengths and limitations of different explanations of dysfunctional behaviour [15] June 2011 How might cognitive psychologists explain dysfunctional behaviour? [10] Assess the appropriateness of different explanations of dysfunctional behaviour [15] January 2013 Outline a cognitive explanation of dysfunctional behaviour [10] Compare explanations of dysfunctional behaviour [15]

What are the assumptions of the Cognitive Approach in terms of dysfunctional behaviour?

2c.Summary Questions: COGNITIVE BECK, 1961 What was the aim of this study?  What are the details of the sample? Total sample, median age  How many were diagnosed with manic- depression? Neurotic- depression? Aims Sample Background What do we know about people with depression? Results Where were there clear differences between groups? How was anxiety felt? What was there a tendency to do? What method did the researchers use? If appropriate, what was the design? If appropriate, what were the IVs? What were the DVs? How was data collected? Where there any control measures? What happened? How was data collected? Method & Procedures

2b. Summary Information: COGNITIVE BECK, 1961 Aim To understand how people with depression think and how their thinking differs from normal people. Background People with depression often have low self-esteem, criticise themselves a lot and blame themselves for failures which other people see as illogical and without any basis in fact. This leads to a gradual withdrawal from other people and a failure to enjoy things once enjoyed. At its worst, suicidal thoughts of escape from a pointless life predominates. Sample 50 patients diagnosed with depression – 16 men and 34 women with a median age of 34. Twelve were diagnosed as having psychotic-depressive or manic- depressive reactions and 38 as having neurotic- depressive reactions.

2b. Summary Information: COGNITIVE BECK, 1961 Method Clinical interviews in a matched pairs design as the patients were compared to a control group of non-depressed people matched for age, sex and social position. Procedure Clinical interviews using free association, formal analysis and diaries of thoughts were used to collect the data and patients were asked about their thoughts before the interview and during the interview. The non-depressed patients also recorded their thoughts for comparison. Results & Conclusion There were clear differences between the two groups in certain themes of low self-esteem, self-blame, overwhelming responsibilities and a desire to escape. They felt anxiety by feeling they were in personal danger, a hypomanic state by themes of self-enhancement and a hostile paranoid state by themes of accusations against others. In addition there was a tendency to ruminate at length on failures. In all cases there was no logical basis for these feelings.

Activity 1  How useful/valid/reliable/generalisable is this research? Usefulness Reliability Validity Generalisability

ACTIVITY 2  Complete the comprehension/summary questions to consolidate learning of the explanations.  You may do this in pairs, or you may choose to do it independently to test your own learning.

ACTIVITY 3  Consider the following evaluation questions  Discuss as a group and then write your responses ACTIVITY 4  Once you have completed that: complete the summary table

3c. Evaluation Questions: COGNITIVE  Identify strengths and weakness of the cognitive explanation for Dysfunctional Behaviour  Is data collection a reliable way to measure behaviour?  Is ‘free association’ a good tool to use to collect data?  Do suffers choose to think in this manner or is it related to their situation?  Is the approach oversimplifying the complexity of depression?  Is there any other support for this approach?  Is there an alternative way to explain dysfunctional behaviour?

3c. Debate Questions: COGNITIVE  Free Will Vs Determinism – is depressive thought consciously chosen?  Reductionism – what is this explanation reducing depression to?  Usefulness – Is there research evidence to support this explanation? Does the research use scientific rigour?

EVALUATION SHEET FOR EXPLANATIONS OF DYSFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOUR EVALUATION POINT 1: BIOLOGICAL Gottesman,1978 2: BEHAVIOURAL Watson & Rayner, : COGNITIVE Beck, 1961 Strengths & Limitations Compare & Contrast Issue: Usefulness Debate: Reductionism Wild Card: * you can use any evaluation point here

HOMEWORK  Complete summary table  Extension: research biological therapies of dysfunctional behaviour to share with the rest of the class