Individual Differences Assessment

1. Discuss the behavioural approach to explaining psychological

abnormality (12 marks)
Behaviourists believe that our actions are determined largely by the
experiences we have in life, rather than by underlying pathology or
unconscious forces. Abnormality is seen as the development of behaviour
patterns that are established, through classical or operant conditioning or
social learning, to lead happy and productive lives. However, maladaptive
and therefore undesirable behaviours can be acquired in the same way.
Classical conditioning suggests that learning occurs through association. A
neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditional stimulus, resulting in a
new stimulus-response link. The neutral stimulus is now a conditional
stimulus producing a conditional response. This process applies to
emotional learning as well as to behaviours. For example, behavioural
explanations of phobias assume that the feared object was associated
with fear or anxiety from sometime in the past. The conditional stimulus
subsequently evokes a powerful fear response characterised by avoidance
of the feared object and the emotion of fear whenever the object is
encountered.
Operational conditioning suggests that the learning occurs through
reinforcement. An animal responds to the environment and some of these
responses are reinforced, increasing the probability that they will be
repeated. If a response is punished, this decreases the probability that it
will be repeated. A psychological disorder is produced when a maladaptive
behaviour is rewarded. This means that such behaviours may be
functional for the individual.
Social learning which is also known as vicarious conditioning suggests that
behaviours are learnt by seeing others rewarded and punished.
The behaviour model concentrates only on behaviours. Behaviours might
be external or internal, as the external behaviours are more observable
behaviourists tend to focus their attention on the role of external events
and behaviours.
All behaviour is determined by external events. Abnormal behaviour is no
different from normal behaviour in terms of how it is learned. We can use
the principles of learning theory to explain many disorders for which the
major characteristics are behavioural.
Learning environments may reinforce problematic behaviours, for
example, abnormal behaviour lowers anxiety. Society also provides
deviant maladaptive models that children identify and imitate, for
example, social acceptance by peers for teenagers if they take drugs.
As case studies have been used to evaluate the behavioural approach, rich
and in depth information that may be over looked may be identified by
this method.
The advantage of using experiments to observe the behaviours of
individuals is that variables can be controlled the effect of different
variables on this approach can be seen.
However, behaviourist explanations of mental disorders have been
criticized for having an extremely limited view of the factors that might
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cause abnormal behaviours. Behaviourist explanations tend to ignore the

role of cognition in the onset and treatment of abnormality, although the
emergence of cognitive behavioural theories did take the role of cognition
into account.
Part of the success of this model comes from the effectiveness of
behavioural therapies for treating abnormal behaviour. However, such
therapies may not provide a long-lasting solution as they only treat the
symptoms and not the causes. This suggests that although the symptoms
of a problem may be behavioural the cause itself may not.
2. Explain two ways that psychologists have investigated the
behavioural basis of abnormality (3 + 3 marks).
As the behavioural model concentrates only on observable behaviours, the
most appropriate method of testing behaviourist assumptions is by
carrying out experiments. For example, theory predicts that the learning
environment of an individual determines the behaviours they acquire.
Those which are rewarded will be repeated and those that are not will not
be repeated. As a result, researchers may use an ABBA design, with
condition A associated with a reward and condition B with no reward or a
punishment. After a few trials an individual will produce the behaviour in
condition A more readily rather than the behaviour of condition B.
Animal studies are used as the same basic laws of the learning theory
apply to human and non human animals. This means that it is reasonable
to conduct research on non-human animals such as rats, and make
generalisations to human behaviour. Much of the behavioural model of
abnormality, such as the principles of classical and operant conditioning
has been established through the study of non-human animals.

3. For each of these describe one strength and one weakness with the
method of investigation (4 marks).

4. Outline key features of the psychodynamic approach to psychopathology

(6 marks).

5. Evaluate the psychodynamic approach to abnormality (6 marks).

6. Explain two ways that psychologists have investigated the psychodynamic

basis of abnormality (3 + 3 marks).

7. For each of these describe one strength and one weakness with the
method of investigation (4 marks).

8. Outline and evaluate the cognitive approach to abnormality (12 marks).

9. Outline and evaluate the psychodynamic treatment of psychological

abnormality (12 marks).

10.James is afraid of flying. Just thinking about flying makes him distress and
even going to the airport is a problem. In order to overcome this fear, he
consults a behavioural psychologist who feels that he may benefit from
systematic de-sensitisation.
a. Which approach to psychopathology would be most likely to
advocate the use of systematic-desensitisation? (1 marks).

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b. Explain how systematic de-sensitisation might be carried out to

overcomes Jame`s fear of flying (6 marks).
11. Evaluate systematic desensitisation as a treatment for mental illness (6
marks).
12.Outline and evaluate the cognitive treatment of psychological abnormality
(12 marks).

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