The Different Models in Understanding

Abnormal Behavior
The Different Models in Understanding
the Risks Factors of Abnormal Behavior

Diathesis-Stress Model

Additive Model

Interactive Model
 Diathesis-Stress Model

• Many mental disorders are believed to develop when someone

who has a preexisting vulnerability for that disorder experiences
a major stressor
• A vulnerability, or diathesis, is a predisposition toward
developing a disorder that can derive from biological,
psychological, or sociocultural causal factors

• Stress is the response or experience of an individual to demands

that are taxing or exceeding his personal resources
• The diathesis results from one or more relatively distal necessary or
contributory causes, but is generally not sufficient to cause the
disorder.

• Instead, there must be a more proximal factor (the stressor), which

may also be contributory or necessary but is generally not sufficient by
itself to cause the disorder except in someone with diathesis
 What is this telling us?

• The development of a diathesis may be caused by an unresolved

distal factor that when triggered by a stressor, may result to any
mental disorder
 Additive model

Diathesis + Stress

The diathesis and the stress sum together

when one is high the other can be low, and vice versa
 Interactive model

• Some amount of diathesis must be present before stress will

have any effect
 Protective Factors

Is not the absence of risk factors but the presence of

something that actively buffers against the likelihood of a
negative outcome among those with risk factor(s)
Some things we need to know
about protective factors

• Decreases the likelihood of negative outcomes among those at

risk

• Not necessarily a positive experience (some stressors

paradoxically promote coping)

• It can simply be some quality of attribute of a person

• Most often (but not always) lead to resilience

The case of Tracy & Melinda
ccident when they were a year old. Their mother and grandmother both had histories o
loving middle-class families without a history of depression.
t & supported her through school and college. Tracy’s adoptive mother, by contrast, so
s living circumstances deteriorated and tracy forced to change schools four times. Bec
ment, and when she was drunk, she frequently punished Tracy for no good reason. Trac
through a state college.
by the age of 27, both marriages resulted in divorce. Although Melinda developed som
and she quickly recovered. Tracy, by contrast, developed a major depressive episode
Perspectives to Understanding causal factors
contributing to abnormal behavior

Biological Perspective: genetics, neurobiology, & hormonal

responses

Psychological Perspective: dysfunctional thoughts, feelings

& behavior

Sociocultural Perspective: social & cultural factors

Biopsychosocial viewpoint
 The Biological Perspective

Mental disorder are viewed as disorders of the central nervous system,

the autonomic nervous system, and/or the endocrine system that are
either inherited or are caused by some pathological process
4 categories of biological factors

1. Genetic vulnerabilities

2. Brain dysfunction & neural plasticity

3. Neurotransmitter and hormonal abnormalities in the

brain or other parts of the central nervous system

4. Temperament
1. Genetic vulnerabilities

• Genes are the carrier of information we inherit from our

parents

• Genes don’t fully determine whether a person develops a

mental disorder; although most mental disorders show at
least some genetic influence e.g temperamental features
• 23 pairs of genes

• The first 22 pairs determine one’s

general anatomical &
physiological make up

• 23rd pair is the sex chromosome

• Downsyndrome is a type of
intellectual disability in which
there is a trisomy (a set of 3
chromosomes instead of 2) in
chromosome 21
• There is no particular genes that solely contribute to
mental disorders however, it is always polygenic — they
are influenced by multiple genes

• therefore, a genetically vulnerable person has usually

inherited a large number of genes that operate together in
additive or interactive fashion
• Genotype

• A person’s total genetic endowment

• Phenotype

• Interaction of the genotype and the environment

 Genotype-environment
interaction

• Genetic factors are not necessary & sufficient to cause

mental disorders but can contribute to diathesis to develop
psychopathology

• example: disorder known as genetic vulnerability to

Phenylketonuria (PKU) (food with phenylalanine) ^ metabolic
products build up ^brain damage
 Relationship of genotypes to
phenotypes

• genetic factors are not necessary and sufficient to cause mental disorders
but instead can contribute to a vulnerability or diathesis to develop
psychopathology that only happens if there is a significant stressor in the
person’s life (as in the diathesis–stress models)
 3 important ways in which genotype
may shape environment

• Passive effect
• Resulted from the genetic similarity of parents & children

e.g

——intelligent parents provide highly stimulating environment

—- Parents with antisocial behavior tend to create risky environment

• Evocative effect

• Child’s genotype may evoke particular kinds of reactions

from the social & physical environment

e.g

—-happy child evoke more positive responses

—-Musically talented children may be treated special in school

• Active effect

• The child seeks out or builds an environment that is

congenial — “niche building”

e.g
extraverted children may seek the company of others,
thereby enhancing their own tendencies to be sociable
2. Brain Dysfunction &
Neural Plasticity
Brain dysfunction
• Neural plasticity

• Flexibility of the brain in making changes in organization

and function in response to pre and post natal experiences,
stress, diet, disease, drugs, maturation, etc

• Existing neural circuits can be modified, or new neural

circuits can be generated

• e.g exercise, stress

 3. Imbalances of the
neurotransmitters & hormones
• One of the basic tenets of the biological perspective
is that the imbalances in neurotransmitters in the
brain can result to abnormal behavior
• Synapse

• A tiny fluid-filled space

between the axon endings of
one neuron (the presynaptic
neuron) & the dendrites or
cell body of another neuron
(the postsynaptic neuron)

• Neurotransmitters

• Chemical substances that

are released into the synapse
by the presynaptic neuron
when a nerve impulse occur
• Neurotransmitters are released to
the synapse

• result:

• Received by the receiving

neuron

• Destroyed by enzymes as
monoamine oxidase

• Returned to storage vesicle by

reuptake mechanism
 Whether the neural message is
successfully transmitted to the
postsynaptic neuron depends on the
concentration of certain
neurotransmitters within the synapse
Imbalances can be created
by the following:

• Excessive production &

release

• Dysfunctions in the normal

process

• Process of degradation
• Problems with the receptors
• Neurons that are sensitive to a particular neurotransmitter
tends to cluster together, forming neural paths between
different parts of the brain known as chemical circuits

• Disorders are thought to stem from different patterns of

neurotransmitter imbalances in various brain areas
(Lambert & Kinsley, 2005)

• e.g Prozac & Zoloft ( antidepressant) designed to slow

the reuptake of the neurotransmitter serotonin
 Top 5 neurotransmitters
involve in psychopathology
• Norepinephrine

• Dopamine Monoamines
Each is synthesized from a single amino acid
• Serotonin

• Glutamate

• Gamma aminobutyric
acid (GABA)
• Norepinephrine

• Plays important role in emergency reactions when we are exposed to an

acutely stressful or dangerous situation, orientation, & basic motives

• Dopamine

• Include pleasure & cognitive processing, has been implicated in

schizophrenia as well as addictive disorders

• Serotonin

• Have important effects on the way we think and process information and
on behaviors & moods (plays important role in emotional disorders)

• Glutamate

• (excitatory neurotransmitter) has been implicated in schizophrenia

• Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA)

• Implicated in reducing anxiety as well as other emotional states

characterized by high levels of arousal
 Some more terms to know

• Agonist v

• Medications that facilitate the effects of

neurotransmitter on postsynaptic neuron

• Antagonists ^

• Medications that oppose or inhibit the effects of a

neurotransmitter on a postsynaptic neuron
Hormonal Imbalances
Hormones are chemical messengers secreted by a set of
endocrine glands in our bodies
 Hypothalamic-pituitary-
adrenal (HPA) axis
• Messages in the form of corticotropin-releasing hormone
(CRH) travel from the hypothalamus to the pituitary

• In response, pituitary releases adrenocorticotropic

hormone (ACTH) which stimulates cortical part of adrenal
gland to produce epinephrine (adrenaline) & cortisol

• Cortisol provides negative feedback to the hypothalamus &

pituitary to decrease their release of CRH & ACTH which
reduces the release of adrenaline & cortisol
4. Temperament
• Temperament refers to a baby’s characteristic ways of
reacting to the environment & his or her ways of self-
regulation

• Strongly influenced by genetic factors

• Forms the basis of our adult personality, which in turn

influences our vulnerability to different disorders
 Sanguine Choleric Melancholic Phlegmatic

described as analytical and

individuals tend
highly talkative, independent, detail-oriented,
to be relaxed,
enthusiastic, decisive, goal- and they are deep
peaceful, quiet,
active, and social oriented, and thinkers and
and easy-going
ambitious feelers
The Psychological
Perspectives
• Psychodynamic
• Behavioral
• Cognitive-behavioral
 Psychodynamic approach

• based on the view that the abnormal behaviour is due to

underlying psychological conflicts that they may not
even be aware of.
• Id: the irrational and primitive part of an individual's
personality that wants immediate satisfaction

• Ego: the rational part of one's personality

• Superego: the sense of right and wrong

• Ego defenses: methods such as repression and displacement

that help a person deal with their feelings.
 Behavioral approach

• Our behavior is the consequence of our experience

• Learning & modeling are two important tenets of behavioral

approach
 Cognitive approach

• based on the idea that the way that we perceive, reason and
judge the environment and the world that we're in is what
determines our behaviour. If this cognitive thinking is distorted,
lacking or dysfunctional then abnormal behavior (or mental
disorders) will occur.
 Cognitive-Behavior Approach

• highlights the idea that information processing and learning are

active, not passive, processes.

• assumption: that learning principles and cognitions interact to

influence a person’s behavior.

• Eg modeling and decision to practice what we observed

 Humanistic approach
• main assumption of the humanistic model is that people are
naturally good and strive for personal growth and fulfillment.
Humanistic theorists believe we seek to be creative and
meaningful in our lives and that, when thwarted in this goal,
become alienated from others and possibly develop a mental
disorder.

• A second key assumption of the model is that humans have

choices and are responsible for their own fates. A person with a
mental disorder may thus enhance his recovery by taking greater
responsibility for his actions
 Socio-cultural approach

• core assumption is that outside influences play a major role in

creating a person’s psychological problems: focuses on
influences that social institutions and other people have on a
person’s mental health.

• Prominent example of SC on mental health:culture and gender,

neighborhood, family
 In summary:
Cognitive-
Biological Psychodynamic Humanistic Sociocultural Biopsychosocial
Behavioral

Mental disorder is
Mental disorder is related to a
Mental disorder is
a learned variety of
Mental disorder is Mental disorder is related to choices Mental disorder is
behavior and is biological,
related to brain or related to internal people make in related to outside
influenced by individual, and
neurochemical mental structures their environment influences such as
how people social
changes or and childhood and how satisfied institutions or
perceive and environmental
genetics experiences they are with their family members
think about their risk factors that
real self
environment interact with one
another