Ch 11 - Jeff Standen

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parent, rejection by friends or criticism from teachers, can produce a negative outlook. He believes that, in later life, negative beliefs and cognitive errors are triggered in situations which resemble the context in which they first develop. These situations may reflect, for example, a childhood loss or an adolescent failure. r Key terms Activity 5 Negative thoughts Cognitive model of abnormality A model which states that psychological disorders are caused by errors in thinking, irrational assumptions and negative views of self, the world and the future. Cognitive therapy A therapy which encourages people to identify, challenge and change cognitive errors and negative thoughts. J l^fflBK Thinking the worst During an episode of depression I remember an incident when I took the subway with my wife. She went through the turnstile before me and I was positive that she was going to desert me. She had probably had enough of me and was fed up with my behaviour. After the depression had passed Of course, nothing could have been further from the truth. Her kindness and devotion, compassion, concern and, more than anything else, her love, sustained me during my depression. She, more than anyone, helped me to get better. Adapted from Endler, 1990 A Level BasuLts Psychology r j>£fC G R A P E L»_ Questions 1 a) Identify the cognitive error in Item A. b) How might negative thoughts cause and reinforce depression? 2 How might a cognitive therapist encourage the people in Item B to challenge and change their negative thoughts? ( Unit 7 The sociocultural model J KEY ISSUES 1. What are the main features of the sociocultural model? 2. How does it differ from biological and psychological models of abnormality? The main features of the sociocultural model The sociocultural model starts from the view that people are social and cultural beings. They are members of various social groups - families, communities and society as a whole - and they share a culture with other members of their society. From this perspective, their behaviour is shaped by their position in society, by their family relationships and occupational roles, and by the norms, values and beliefs of their culture. All these factors make them more or less vulnerable to psychological disorders. Culture As the following chapter indicates, there is evidence of a rapid rise in eating disorders - anorexia and bulimia - in Western societies. One explanation for this is a change in the cultural ideal for the female figure. Reflected in models such as Kate Moss and Jodi Kidd, the 'ideal figure' is becoming thinner and thinner. Some researchers see this as one of the factors explaining the obsession to lose weight of young women with eating disorders. The previous chapter outlined a number of culture-bound
syndromes - psychological disorders which are only found in particular cultures. The norms, values and beliefs of these cultures may be a factor in producing culture-bound disorders. As Unit 1 indicates, ideas about what count as psychological disorders, what causes them and how they should be treated are partly shaped by culture. And, we don't have to go back hundreds of years to make this point. As noted in the previous chapter, homosexuality was classified as a psychological disorder until 1973. As culture changes, attitudes change, and in some cases, so do psychological disorders. Family relationships A number of researchers argue that family relationships can make people more or less prone to psychological disorders. For example, conflict between parents may place a considerable strain on children which may make them more vulnerable to disorders. One explanation of eating disorders sees them as resulting from relationships within the family (see pp 180-181). The class system This system of social division is found in all Western societies. In general, the lower a person's position in the class system, the lower their income, social status and power. And, the lower their position, the more likely they are to suffer from certain psychological disorders - for example, depression. One explanation of this finding states that the pressures and stress of life at the bottom of the class system makes people more vulnerable to a range of disorders (Zima et al., 1996). Gender Women in Western societies are over twice as likely as men to be diagnosed as suffering from anxiety disorders and depression. One explanation for this is the cultural definition of women's roles and their position in society - in particular, their lack of power and control over their own lives. Compared to men, women are more likely to have low-status, low-skill and low-paid jobs. They are more likely to be dependent on state benefits and more likely to live in poverty (Haralambos & Holborn, 2000). And research suggests that marriage is no solution. Compared with unmarried women, wives are more likely to suffer from depression, other psychological disorders, and physical illhealth. In the words of the American sociologist Jessie Bernard (1976) 'In truth, being a housewife makes women sick'. Evaluating the sociocultural model The models of psychological abnormality outlined in this chapter have tended to focus on the individual. As a result, they have largely ignored the wider social and cultural influences on behaviour. There is growing evidence that part of the explanation for psychological disorders lies in culture and society. disorders. However, this is not the point of the model. What it does explain is why certain groups of people are more vulnerable than others to certain psychological disorders. The sociocultural model does not offer the kind of treatments or therapies suggested by the other models. In general, these models offer treatment on an individual level. The sociocultural model implies that changes in culture, society and social relationships are required to improve people's chances of recovering from psychological disorders. And just as, if not more importantly, these changes may actually reduce the extent of disorders. However, changing culture and society is easier said than done. In most Western societies the gap between rich and poor has increased over the past thirty years. The rich and the powerful will not give up their privileges easily. Groups such as gays, women and ethnic minorities have had to organise, demonstrate and protest to improve their position in society and change the stereotypes and prejudices of the mainstream culture. The changes implied by the sociocultural model are far more difficult to put into practice than a course of treatment with a therapist. The sociocultural model is an addition rather than an alternative to biological and psychological models of abnormality. It answers questions they cannot answer and provides a broader explanation of psychological disorders. Only in the last thirty years have psychologists recognised the importance of culture and society, a recognition that is long overdue (Comer, 1998). Key term Sociocultural model of abnormality A model that sees certain groups of people as more or less vulnerable to psychological disorders as a result of their culture, their position in society, and their social relationships. ( Summary 2 N To some extent, people's behaviour is shaped by their >—-— culture, their position in society and their social relationships. These factors can make them more or less prone to psychological disorders. The sociocultural model implies that changes in culture and society are required to improve people's chances of recovering from psychological disorders, and to prevent those disorders from occurring in the first place. , Critics have argued that the sociocultural model fails to explain why particular individuals develop psychological
Page 1 and 2: Introduction The last chapter looke
Page 3 and 4: Models of abnormality Kraepelin (18
Page 5 and 6: - M Models of abnormality diathesis
Page 7 and 8: Models of abnormality ( Unit 3 The
Page 9 and 10: Models of abnormality John Bowlby's
Page 11 and 12: The psychodynamic model The psyche
Page 13 and 14: odels of abnormality This often inv
Page 15 and 16: Unit 5 The humanistic model of abno
Page 17: Consider the following 'irrational
Page 21: c American Psychiatric Association

Ch 11 - Jeff Standen

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