Social Influence, Personality, Abnormality and Treatment Two opposing views: Social Influence which suggests malleability and Personality which suggests continuity

Focus Two somewhat opposing views: Social Influence Consistent Personality

Bystander Apathy & Intervention Surprising work of Darley & Latane on the effect of the no. of bystanders

Mechanisms That Produce Bystander Apathy Effects 1.moral diffusion 2.lack of clarity--ambiguity of interp. and of action. airport/subway crutch--fall 83 vs. 41 % helped, and they were people more familiar with the surround. 3. costs of intervention. sometimes they are raised by the presence of others (surveillance) 4. rules for behaving: don't stare, unless you know what to do/day, keep your mouth shut etc. 5) mood: Isen dime in coin slot mailing letter 10-->90 %

Mechanisms That Produce Bystander Apathy Effects 1.moral diffusion 2.lack of clarity--ambiguity of interp. and of action. airport/subway crutch--fall 83 vs. 41 % helped, and they were people more familiar with the surround. 3. costs of intervention. sometimes they are raised by the presence of others (surveillance) 4. rules for behaving: don't stare, unless you know what to do/day, keep your mouth shut etc. 5) mood: Isen dime in coin slot mailing letter 10-->90 %

Underlying Explanation Foot in the door Other is responsible (diffusion of resp.) Aloneness- lack of social support Ambiguity about situation/what to do!!! Other directedness (Reisman)

Schein’s POW Work Level of compliance and how it was obtained The power of social isolation Who resisted? Solution: inner codes vs. external or situational control Conclusion: balance?……

Summary Humans oriented toward what others do and can become dangerous as a result Issues: – Conformity – Obedience – Self Perception – Foot in the door – Dehumanization

Roots of Aggression Two Theories

Defining Abnormality Medical approach Statistical approach Functional approach These reflect two basic views of disorders --brain based --behavior/experience/personality/ situation based The “two worlds” of psychiatry

A Radical Viewpoint Thomas Szasz—there is no mental illness – Brain disease vs. mental illness – Problem in living vs. mental illness – Prisons as hospitals – Practical outcome

DSM-IV Axis 1: Syndromes (Scz, Depress, etc.) Axis 2: Retardation & Personality Disorders Axis 3: General Medical Condition Axis 4: Social/Environmental Problems Axis 5: Global Assessment & Copin Older classification (primarily of Axis 1 & 2) dichotomized: Neuroses & Psychoses Mood (Dep. Bipolar) vs. Thought (Scz) Disrdr

Some Interim Conclusions Psychoses (focus on SCZ) is a disorder of heredity and/or prenatal environment But it’s also a disorder of poverty (and that may be bidirectional)! Another view of prevalence and recent dramatic changes in prevalence

Incidence & Prevalence Schizophrenia: approx. 1% Bipolar Disorder: approx. 1% Depression: approx. M 13% F 21%

Different Therapies for Different Conditions Medical: Brain targeted drug interventions examples: --SCZ: Dopamine receptor blockers (the better the block the more effective it is) --Other neurotransmitters involved as well --Depression: ex. Norepinephrine uptake or release+, Serotonin release+, & a host of other neurotransmitter controls involved -- Electro-convulsive shock therapy!

Psychological Therapies Psychoanalytic Behavioral Client-centered Cognitive-behavioral Existential Eclectic Situational

Commonalities Just as there are some common underlying aspects of disorders (chemical imbalance, brain disease, stress, social disconnection) there are commonalities of psychotherapy. Correcting the neurological imbalance can correct our thinking and so can working directly on our thinking and behavior. A two-pronged approach may be best.

One More Outcome Study In a recent meta-analysis comparing drug with psychotherapy approaches to treating depression, drugs resulted in a 55% improvement, psychotherapy 52% and a combination of the two 85%!! (New England J. of Medicine, 5-18-’00.) Mind and body interact, we shouldn’t be surprised!

Some Over-arching Issues Therapy works! Comparative studies It’s the therapist as much as the theory Meta analyses Cost is driving the system now!

What to do? Keep wits about you & get recommendations from knowledgeable people Don’t try to tough it out--it’s not weakness! Make sure therapist listens and understands Realize that there are setbacks along the way and that it takes time Remember that heredity vs. environment isn’t “either-or” but a set of interactions--so changing situations is important in any case Finally, remember that most people get better!

Summary Who are we-what does Psychology have to say? Are there implications for how we should behave so as not to be a danger to ourselves and each other?