What causes abnormal behavior?

Psychologists have developed a number of theories, or explanations, of how psychological develop. Your theory will guide both your explanation and your treatment of the disorder. The popularity of theories depends on current values, beliefs, and even technologies. For example, the biological model has gained popularity recently since we have better ways to scan the brain as well as map human genes. In addition, theories may cast responsibility for the disorder on one or other sources, and may also affect how those with psychological disorders are viewed.

What causes abnormal behavior?

Biological and Medical model Psychodynamic Model Behavioral Model/Learning Theory Cognitive Model Humanistic Model Stress diathesis

Psychologists have developed a number of theories, or explanations, of how psychological develop. Your theory will guide both your explanation and your treatment of the disorder. The popularity of theories depends on current values, beliefs, and even technologies. For example, the biological model has gained popularity recently since we have better ways to scan the brain as well as map human genes. In addition, theories may cast responsibility for the disorder on one or other sources, and may also affect how those with psychological disorders are viewed.

Biological and Medical model

Psychologial disorders have a physical source
"BIG BH"
Biochemistry Infection Genetic vulnerability Brain damage Hormones

Psychodynamic Model
Unconscious factors and motives; likely developed during early childhood
Freud's structure of the mind

Psychodynamic Model: Psychosexual Stages

Behavioral Model/Learning Theory

Experiences and environment
Operant conditioning (B. F. Skinner) Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov) Social learning (Albert Bandura)

Experiences and environment Operant conditioning (B. F. Skinner) We learn through consequences- pleasant consequences increase a behavior, and adverse consequences decrease it. Rewards and punishment Through Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov) We constantly form associations like dentists & pain, or tests & anxiety Association Social learning (Albert Bandura) We mimic others' behavior, for better or worse Observation & Imitation

Operant conditioning (B. F. Skinner)

Reinforcement (reward) increases behavior

Punishment decreases behavior

Experiences and environment Operant conditioning (B. F. Skinner) We learn through consequences- pleasant consequences increase a behavior, and adverse consequences decrease it.

Classical Conditioning (Ivan Pavlov)

We constantly learn to associate things like dentists & pain, tests & failure, or a song and love

Social learning (Albert Bandura)

We mimic others' behavior, for better or worse

Cognitive Model
Abnormal behavior is due to maladaptive thinking patterns
Aaron Beck's Cognitive Behavioral Therapy
Thoughts, feelings and behavior are interrelated Cognitive Behavioral Therapy focuses on identifying and correcting maladaptive thinking patterns; the assumption is that behavior change will follow

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Humanistic Model
Poor self concept and barriers to selfactualization Humanistic Therapy focuses on improving self concept and facilitating selfactualization (Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow

Client centered therapy simulation

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An Alternative?
Watch: In this video, a psychiatrist argues against the biological model.

Diathesis (vulnerability) + Stressor (environmental trigger) = disorder Watch: In this video, a psychiatrist argues for offers an alternative to the biological model. Psychiatrist Colin Ross explains the traditional biological model and argues that it is not that simple, that there is not sufficient scientific to back it up. He proposes a trauma model that sounds a lot like diathesis stress model which helps destigmatize illness. At 7:00 listen to his own theorywhich of the theories that we have discussed appears to be reflected?

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Diathesis Stress Model

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