Explain the Biological approach to mental disorders, like a phobia.
How do they think mental disorders are created?
- Mental disorders occur due to physical bodily malfunctions or genetic issues.
- Four possible factors which create mental disorders include:
- Genes -Genetic issues, faulty genes, etc.
- Biochemistry -Faulty bodily chemicals.
- Neuroanatomy -Structure of the brain, which parts are undeveloped?
- Viral Infection - Viruses have recently been proven to be able to affect brain development.
Strength: Has led to many successful treatments.
Weakness: Focuses too much on “nature”, not enough on “nurture”.
Explain the behaviourist approach to mental disorders like a phobia.
How do they think medical disorders are created?
How do they treat mental disorders?
Name an experiment associated with the behaviourist approach.
Behaviourists see mental disorders as a direct response to our experiences as opposed to something like genetics or neuroanatomy.
Mental disorders are seen as learnt behaviours which are considered harmful.
This behaviour is learnt three ways:
- Classical Conditioning -Behaviours learnt through association.
- Operant Conditioning -Behaviours learnt through reinforcement.
- Social Learning -Behaviours learnt through mimicking-Parent has OCD, so child will copy the obsessive behaviour.
-STUDY: Watson and Rayner’s “Little Albert” Study. Boy shown many things such as fire and white fluffy things to test fear. (Hammer +Steel Bar +White Rat =fear of white rats.) Associated loud noise with white rats and other white fluffy things.
-TREATMENT
Systematic Desensitisation- Client is shown a hierarchy of stimuli based on phobia they have. The stimuli hierarchy will be of stages from Least Scary to Spooky Scary Skeletons. They will move up the hierarchy one step at a time as they feel more relaxed with the step they are currently on. This will end in them feeling completely relaxed around whatever it was which originally scared them.
Strength: Treatment works quick and cheap.
Weakness: Treatment doesn’t work well when other mental disorders are experienced as well as phobia, like depression. Also can take fucki forever.
