PSYX 340 Psychological Disorders · Unit 1: Foundations, anxiety and trauma · on Exam 1
1.2 Models of abnormality
Study notes for Models of abnormality in PSYX 340 Psychological Disorders at Montana State University: the big ideas, a worked example, common mistakes and an exam tip. The same topic has endless practice questions and flashcards in StudyCat.
Big ideas
- Biological model: abnormality comes from the brain and body: brain anatomy, neurotransmitters (serotonin, dopamine, GABA, norepinephrine, glutamate), hormones, genes, evolution and infection. Treatments: psychotropic drugs, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), brain stimulation and, rarely, psychosurgery.
- Psychodynamic model (Freud and successors): unconscious conflicts between the id (pleasure principle), ego (reality principle) and superego (conscience), managed by defense mechanisms such as repression, denial, projection, rationalization and displacement. Therapy uses free association, interpretation of resistance and transference, dream interpretation, catharsis and working through; modern short-term psychodynamic therapies focus on one problem.
- Cognitive-behavioral model: behaviors are learned through operant conditioning (rewards and punishments), modeling and classical conditioning (a neutral stimulus paired with one that produces a response). Cognitions matter too: Beck’s and Ellis’s maladaptive assumptions, automatic thoughts and illogical thinking. CBT changes both; the new wave (acceptance and commitment therapy, mindfulness) teaches people to accept thoughts rather than fight them.
- Humanistic-existential model: people strive to self-actualize. Carl Rogers’s client-centered therapy offers unconditional positive regard, accurate empathy and genuineness; Perls’s gestalt therapy uses role-play and skillful frustration; existential therapy stresses freedom, choice and responsibility.
- Sociocultural model: abnormality grows out of families, social roles and labels, social networks and culture (race, gender, poverty, discrimination). Treatments: group, family (family systems theory), couple and community treatment with primary, secondary and tertiary prevention, plus culture-sensitive therapy. The developmental psychopathology and biopsychosocial (diathesis–stress) views integrate the models: a predisposition plus a stressor.
Worked example
Explain one person’s depression four ways: she lost her job, her mother had depression, she believes she is worthless unless she is productive, and she has pulled away from friends.
Show the solution
Biological: an inherited predisposition and possible serotonin or norepinephrine changes. Cognitive: the maladaptive assumption “I am worthless unless productive” turns a job loss into self-blame. Behavioral: losing work and friends removes rewards, so activity drops further. Sociocultural: job loss and shrinking social support are stressors. The diathesis–stress view combines them: the family history is the diathesis and the job loss the stressor.
Common mistakes
- Calling every drug a “cure”. Most psychotropic drugs reduce symptoms while being taken.
- Confusing classical conditioning (pairing two stimuli) with operant conditioning (consequences of behavior).
- Treating the models as rivals only. Most clinicians and the textbook stress integration, especially diathesis–stress.
- Matching Rogers with gestalt: Rogers is client-centered, gestalt is Perls.
Exam tipMake a four-column table (cause, key concepts, treatment, main criticism) for each model. Exam items often describe a therapist’s move and ask which model it belongs to.
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