Paradigms in Abnormal Psychology

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Paradigms in Abnormal Psychology

• Paradigmatic thinking
• Influential paradigms in abnormal psychology

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What is a paradigm?

• A pattern of thinking which induces bias
• A conceptual framework for analysis of
  observations (Kuhn)
• A set of assumptions that govern our observation
  processes and analyses
• A set of rules that a group of researchers follow
  in observation and analysis

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The influence of paradigms

• The Langer Abelson (1974) study

Applicant
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Five key paradigms in psychopathology

• Genetic
• Neuroscience
• Psychoanalytic
• Cognitive-Behavioral
• Diathesis-Stress

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Biological paradigms Genetic and neuroscience

• Somatogenic Medical or disease model
• Behavior genetics
• Genotype and phenotype
• Family studies Probands and relatives
• Twin studies MZ and DZ
• But are they monochorionic? Is the environment
  for MZ twins really equal?
• Adoptees method
• Linkage analysis What genes are involved?
• Neurochemistry
• MAOA deficiency, abuse, and violence

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The psychoanalytic paradigm

• 1. Psychogenic
• 2. Focuses on development of mental structures
  and behavior patterns
• The executive model of structure
• The psychodevelopment model of pattern

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More on psychoanalysis

• 3. Emphasizes role of intrapsychic conflict in
  psychodynamics of mental illness Neurotic
  anxiety and defenses

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Contributions of psychoanalysis

• Childhood experiences may affect us as adults.
• Some of our motivations are unconscious.
• We sometimes use defense mechanisms.
• Etiology is not always obvious.

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Cognitive-Behavioral paradigms Learning

• Focus on environmental influences and observable
  behavior Behaviorism
• Three models
• Classical/Pavlovian conditioning
• Operant/instrumental conditioning
• Modeling/observational learning
• Minimizes biological and cognitive factors,
  normalizes behavior
• But cognitive behavior therapy combines learning
  and cognitive paradigms

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More cognitive paradigms

• Psychogenic, with allowance for environmental
  influence
• Emphasize the role of schemas
• Are cognitions causes or effects in mental
  disorders?
• Social learning theory and Rational Emotive
  Behavior Therapy combine cognitive and learning
  paradigms.

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Coping with paradigms

• Selection method
• But each may be right and wrong Frankl
• Integrative method
• Diathesis-stress paradigm
• Eclectic method

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Social Issue 1 What causes mental disorders?

• What does the historical record tell us?
• What does each of the paradigms tell us?
• What does our own cultural experience tell us?
• What is your paradigm?

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David Seamands special etiology

• Many years ago I was driven to the conclusion
  that the two major causes of most emotional
  problems among evangelical Christians are these
  the failure to understand, receive, and live out
  Gods unconditional grace and forgiveness and
  the failure to give out that unconditional love,
  forgiveness, and grace to other people(quoted
  in Yancey, 1997, p.15

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Lewis Smedes

• ...Three common sources of crippling shame
• Secular culture
• Graceless religion
• Unaccepting parents (quoted in Yancey, 1997, p.36

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Paul Tournier, Guilt and Grace

• I cannot study this very serious problem of
  guiltwithout raising the very obvious and tragic
  fact that religion--my own as well as that of all
  believers--can crush instead of liberate.
• ancient sins
• unconfessable sins
• ungrace, or judgment

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Frankl on paradigms