1. Module 11: Applying psychological theories

2. How do psychological theories apply to care settings?
Click to reveal some model answers.
Individuals in various care settings may need help dealing with social, psychological or developmental issues.
Care workers need to understand the theories that could explain these issues, and which strategy could be used to help.
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

3. What are the care settings?
Think of examples of different care settings under the three categories below.
Pre-school and educational
Day care
Residential
Day care
crèches
day centres for individuals with disabilities
residential homes
playschools
Click on the empty boxes to reveal some suggestions.
nursing homes
mother and toddler sessions
day centres for elderly individuals
sheltered housing
childminders
Which individuals can these care settings be for?
children from birth to school age
teenagers and adults
retired older people
disabled children
teenagers and adults
elderly with medical needs
elderly with limited mobility
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

4. Adopting a psychological theory
If a concern in a care setting is identified, a care worker has to decide which theory best explains the issue and which strategy or treatment to use. An issue can often be explained by more than one theory and treated by more than one strategy.
Below are two theories that could help to explain a phobia of spiders. Click the descriptions and strategies on the right to highlight the colour that matches the theories.
Behaviourist
(1 click)
An initial fearful reaction to
a spider has been reinforced
by others (conditioning)
Behaviour therapy
e.g. flooding or
aversion therapy
Psychodynamic
(2 clicks)
Psychoanalysis
Spiders are associated with
a startling childhood
experience e.g. a sibling
dropping a large toy spider
on a child’s face.
Module 11: Applying psychological theories
Module 10: Strategies associated with theories
Module 3: Multi-disciplinary Teams 4

5. Choosing an appropriate strategy
What three things need to be considered when choosing an appropriate strategy for an individual? Look at the images to help you.
Click within the boxes to reveal the answers.
The age of the individual
The care setting
Level of training needed to use the strategy
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

6. Pre-school and educational settings
Consider these issues which might occur with pre-school children. Click on the arrow buttons to sort them under the two categories below.
Developmental issues
Behavioural/ emotional issues
Delayed gross motor
skills
Developmental issues:
Delayed gross motor skills –
crawling, walking, etc.
Delayed fine motor skills –
grasping, threading, etc.
Delayed language/speech for
age group.
Behavioural/emotional issues:
Hyperactivity
Bullying/aggression
Difficulty socialising with other
children
Delayed gross motor
skills
Delayed gross motor
skills
Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity
Hyperactivity
Bullying/aggression
Bullying/aggression
Bullying/aggression
Delayed fine motor
skills
Delayed fine motor
skills
Delayed fine motor
skills
Difficulty socialising
with other children
Difficulty socialising
with other children
Difficulty socialising
with other children
Delayed language/
speech for age group
Delayed language/
speech for age group
Delayed language/
speech for age group
Hide answers
Module 11: Applying psychological theories
Module 6: The impact of national policy and legislation

7. Pre-school case study (1)
Four year old Harry is very hyperactive and runs around a lot refusing to settle to anything for long. He has temper tantrums and is aggressive towards the other children in the playgroup.
How would the Behaviourist approach explain his behaviour?
What strategies could be used?
Click within the empty boxes to reveal some suggested answers.
He has learned his behaviour from his environment and those around him.
Behaviour modification
Token economy
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

8. Pre-school case study (2)
Vicky is three and a half years old and has recently been adopted. Her language skills are still those of a two-year old. Her poor motor skills are also causing concern.
Discuss how Cognitive strategies could help develop Vicky’s language and motor skills.
Record your ideas here:
She should:
have access to age appropriate toys to help develop her motor skills.
be taken to playgroups to interact with others and develop her language skills.
be read to from picture books so she can look at the pictures and listen to the words.
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

9. Day care settings
In day care settings, individuals with disabilities or older individuals might suffer from issues such as lack of self confidence or low self-esteem.
Can you think of four more possible issues?
Depression/anxiety
Communication difficulties
Lack of self confidence/shyness
Issues in day care settings
Click on the images and question mark to reveal the answers.
Low self-esteem ?
Stress caused by family problems
Lack of appropriate social skills
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

10. Day care case study
Julia is a disabled teenager who lives at home but attends a day care centre. She is rude to the staff and makes fun of some of the other people who attend the centre.
How would the Social Learning approach explain Julia’s behaviour?
What strategies from the Social Learning approach could be used?
Click on the empty boxes to reveal some suggested answers.
She has learned her behaviour from her environment and those around her.
social skills training
modelling
family therapy
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

11. Singing for the brain
Now watch this video clip about an uplifting strategy for elderly people suffering from dementia and their carers.
While you watch, think about the following questions:
How do these individuals sometimes feel when they are at home?
Which psychological approach might explain these feelings?
How does this singing session help both dementia sufferers and their carers ?
Click here see some suggested answers.
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

12. Residential settings
Some of the same issues might occur in residential settings as in day care, such as depression, anxiety and lack of self confidence. Can you think of five more issues?
grief
feelings of inadequacy
depression/anxiety ?
lack of self confidence/shyness
Issues in residential settings ?
Click on the images and question mark boxes to reveal the answers.
resentment at loss of independence
obsessive behaviour /phobias
boredom
loneliness
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

13. Residential setting case study
Elizabeth is an 85 year old widow. After several bad falls at her home she was persuaded to sell her house and move into a residential home. She is very unhappy there and sometimes tries to return to her home. She does not sleep well and suffers from nightmares.
Discuss a psychological approach that may help to explain Elizabeth’s behaviour.
One example might be the Humanistic approach. She may be experiencing low self esteem from her move into a residential home and resenting her loss of independence.
Click on the empty boxes to reveal some suggested answers.
What strategy could be used to help Elizabeth settle into the residential home?
Person centred therapy might enable her to talk through her feelings about the move and help her to find ways to adapt to her new surroundings.
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

14. Choosing a strategy
Some strategies can only be used with certain individuals or groups of people.
Click on the arrow buttons to sort the strategies below under the two individuals.
Pre-school child
Elderly individual
Psychoanalysis
Pre-school child:
Behaviour modification
Token economy
Play therapy
Elderly individual:
Cognitive-behavioural
therapy
Person-centred therapy
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Psychoanalysis
Behaviour
modification
Behaviour
modification
Behaviour
modification
Cognitive-behavioural
therapy
Cognitive-behavioural
therapy
Cognitive-behavioural
therapy
Token economy
Token economy
Token economy
Person-centred
therapy
Person-centred
therapy
Person-centred
therapy
Play therapy
Play therapy
Play therapy
Hide answers
Module 11: Applying psychological theories
Module 6: The impact of national policy and legislation

15. Qualified practitioners
Which of these strategies would only be used by a fully qualified practitioner?
Relaxation
Person-centred therapy
Psychoanalysis
Token economy
Encounter groups
Fully qualified practitioner
Click to reveal the answers.
Behaviour modification
Family therapy
Drug treatments
Social skills training
Module 11: Applying psychological theories

16. Checklist for applying theories
Discuss what care workers need to do to help individuals in the various care settings.
Care workers need:
to understand the different theories.
to know which theory may best explain the problem.
to understand the strategies associated with each psychological approach.
to know how a particular strategy could be used to help an individual.
to know which strategies are appropriate to the care setting and the age of the individual.
to understand the strengths and limitations of any strategy, in general and for that particular individual.
Click to gradually reveal the checklist.
Module 11: Applying psychological theories