Chapter 2

Causes of Abnormal Behaviour:

A Systems Approach

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc.

Thinking About Abnormal Behaviour

 What causes it?

 How should we study it?

 paradigms vs. systems theory

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 2

Paradigms

 four traditional paradigms:

– biological
– psychodynamic
– cognitive behavioural
– humanistic
 assumptions inflexible & sometimes too
narrow

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 3

Systems Theory

 integrative approach (biopsychosocial)

 holism vs. reductionism
 multifactorial causes
 can not fully explain causes of most
abnormal behaviour

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 4

Case Study: Meghan’s Hardships

 what caused Meghan to attempt suicide?

 issues to consider:
– heredity
– inter-uterine problems
– early physical abuse and neglect
– rejection from peers
– failure at school
– difficult relationship with her adoptive mother

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 5

History of the Paradigms:
Pre-20th Century

 witchcraft

 development of the scientific

method

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 6

History of the Paradigms:
Biological

 cure of “general paresis”

– different from other forms of lunacy
– linked to the STD syphilis
– spirochete responsible for syphilis
discovered
– penicillin used to treat syphilis
– incidence of general paresis virtually
eliminated

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 7

History of the Paradigms:
Psychodynamic

 Freud’s (1856-1939) psychoanalytic

theory
 abnormal behaviour the result of
unconscious mental events
 mind consists of id, ego, and
superego
 used ideas to treat hysteria

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 8

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
History of the Paradigms:
Cognitive Behavioural

 more concerned with treatment than etiology

 initially, focus on observable behaviour rather than
“mind”
 Ivan Pavlov (1849-1936) → classical conditioning
 B.F. Skinner (1904-1990) → operant conditioning
 John B. Watson (1878-1958)→ behaviourism

 cognitionincreasingly viewed as an important

process in learning

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 10

History of the Paradigms:
Humanistic

 human nature is inherently good

 abnormal behaviour is the result of
society not the individual
 what is the meaning of life?
 free will vs. determinism
 more of a philosophy than psychology

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 11

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc.
Systems Theory Revisited

 Diathesis-stress model
– disorders typically have several risk factors
– equifinality
– multifinality
– reciprocal causality
 Developmental psychopathology
– utilizes developmental norms
– allows for prognosis
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 13
Development of Psychopathology

 Biological Factors

 Psychological Factors

 Social Factors

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 14

Biological Factors:
Neurons & Neurotransmitters

 Neurons
– smallest anatomic unit within the nervous system
– dendrites →soma →axon →terminals→ synapse

 Neurotransmitters
– released into the synapse by axon terminals
– trigger receptors on dendrites
– over or undersupply linked to mental disorder
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 15
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 16
Biological Factors:
Neural Networks

 very complicated in the human brain

 change as a function of experience
 Donald Hebb (1904-1985)

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 17

Biological Factors:
Brain Structures

 hindbrain, midbrain, forebrain

 limbic system
 hypothalamus and thalamus

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 18

Biological Factors:
Cerebral Hemispheres

 lateralization of function
 coordination of function
– corpus callosum
 four ventricles
 cerebral cortex
– frontal lobe
– parietal lobe
– temporal lobe
– occipital lobe

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 19

Biological Factors:
Endocrine System

 release hormones into the

bloodstream
 regulates aspects of normal
development

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 20

Biological Factors:
Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)

 regulates functions of various organs

 little or no conscious control

Two branches:
 sympathetic
 parasympathetic

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 21

Biological Factors:
Basic Principles of Behaviour Genetics

 dominant and recessive genes

 genotype vs. phenotype
 mental disorders, if inherited, are
most likely polygenic

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 22

Biological Factors:
Researching Behaviour Genetics

 family incidence studies

 monozygotic (MZ) vs. dizygotic (DZ)

twins

 adoption studies

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 23

Nature/Nurture Debate

 genes alone do not cause most disorders

 if crime is “genetic”, where is the “crime”
gene?
 environment can maximize genetic potential

 conclusion: nature and nurture are

inseparable influences

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 24

Psychological Factors

1) Basic human motivations and

temperament
2) Emotion
3) Learning and cognition
4) Sense of self
5) Development

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 25

1) Basic Human Motivations

 Evolutionary Psychology
– human psychology has evolved based on the
principles of natural selection and inclusive fitness
 Attachment Theory
– disorders rooted in insecure or anxious
attachments
 Temperament
– individual differences rated on “Big Five”

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 26

2) Emotion

 six basic emotions:

– love
– joy
– surprise
– anger
– sadness
– fear
 controlled by subcortical brain
structures
Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 27
3) Learning and Cognition

 Modeling
– Albert Bandura (1925-)
– behaviour by imitating others
 Cognition
– human brain analogous to a computer
– social cognition
– attribution errors

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 28

4) Sense of Self

 Erikson’s concept of identity

– quest to answer, “Who am I?”
 George Kelly (1905-1966)
– people adhere to various roles throughout life
 socialization
– learn societal rules and develop self-control
 self-efficacy
 self-esteem and mental health

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 29

5) Development

 developmental transitions

 Freud’s psychosexual development

 Erikson’s psychosocial development

 Jean Piaget and cognitive development

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 30

Social Factors

 Labeling Theory
– abnormal behaviour the product of social
expectations
– self-fulfilling prophesy

 Relationships
– marital status
– social support a protective factor

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 31

Social Factors

 Gender roles
 Prejudice and poverty
– First Nations people living in cities are more than
twice as likely to live in poverty (Lee, 2000)
– suffer substance abuse, family violence, risk for
suicide
 Societal values

Copyright © 2006 Pearson Education Canada Inc. 32