Assignment Code: BPCC-111/TMA/2022-23

Course Code: BPCC-111

Assignment Name: Understanding Psychological Disorders

Year: 2022-2023

Verification Status: Verified by Professor

Assignment One

Answer the following descriptive category questions in about 500 words each. Each question carries 20 marks. 2 x 20 = 40

1. Discuss the behavioural approaches to psychopathology.

Ans) The unscientific practises of psychoanalysis were a contributing factor in the emergence of the behavioural approach. According to behavioural psychologists, people can't change only by talking; instead, they need to be treated with a variety of mechanical and prescriptive methods. They have concentrated on outside forces that influence people's behaviour. The behavioural approach to psychopathology includes:

Classical Conditioning

When two stimuli are matched repeatedly, a learning process called classical conditioning takes place. In this instance, a response that was initially brought on by the second stimulus was brought on in due course by the first stimulus (due to repeated number of pairings). Food naturally causes salivation, so when Pavlov combined it with another stimulus that consistently arrived before and signalled the arrival of food, salivation was likewise induced in response to the second stimulus.

the training of the fear response. A white rat at first did not frighten Albert, but after the rat was frequently associated with a frightening noise (made by hammering a steel bar), Albert began to scream whenever the rat was around. The white rat served as a neutral stimulus before training, while the loud clanging noise served as the unconditioned stimulus and terror as the unconditioned reaction. The white rat, which was now the conditioned stimuli, began inciting the fear response by being repeatedly associated with the loud sound (conditioned response). The little child's anxiety spread to other white fluffy things like teddy bears and other similar ones. Generalization is the name given to this occurrence.

Instrumental Conditioning

The concept of reinforcement—delivering a reward (pleasant stimulus) or removing (or avoiding) an unpleasant stimulus—is crucial to instrumental (or operant) conditioning. When new responses are encouraged, they become habitual (stimulus-response connection). It is also thought that people pick up the expectation that a given response would result in a positive reward. Therefore, if someone is sufficiently driven to obtain the result, they will use the learned reaction to do it. Higher reinforcement rates could be required to start a reaction, but typically lower reinforcement rates are enough to keep it going.

According to Eyesenck and Rachman, the emergence of deviant behaviour can be explained in three stages. The first stage describes a string of traumatic incidents that lead to UCR in people. These reactions could ultimately lead to neurotic behavioural tendencies. The second stage directly applies the classical conditioning paradigm and explains how anxiety can become too generalised. In the final and most important stage, painful or anxiety-inducing stimuli are purposefully avoided.

Observational Learning

All of us keep an eye on the environment and the people in it to learn. Observational learning is defined as learning that occurs solely through observation, without the direct experience of an unconditioned stimulus or any form of reward (Bandura, 1969). For instance, young toddlers can only learn new phobias by witnessing a parent or a peer becoming terrified of a particular thing or circumstance. As a result, they become linked to an object that was previously neutral for them (not generating anxiety earlier) and they feel the fear of the parent or peer vicariously. Children can pick up violent behaviour by observing their friends or a favourite celebrity acting aggressively. As a result, by watching others, we can learn both adaptive and maladaptive behaviour.

2. Explain the concept of normality and abnormality.

Ans) Normal people have certain traits that indicate emotional well-being, but defining normality is difficult. Normal people have more of these traits than abnormal people.

1. Realism.

2. Self-control.

3. Self-confidence.

4. Friendliness.

5. Productivity.

Normality, according to the WHO, is a state of full physical, mental, and social health.

Freud thought that "normality is a made-up storey" He meant by this that a person can't be completely normal because a normal person is always aware of his or her own thoughts and feelings. Erik Erikson thought that normality is the ability to handle the different periods and stages of life: trust versus mistrust, autonomy versus shame and doubt, initiative versus guilt, industry versus inferiority, identity versus role confusion, intimacy versus isolation, creativity versus stagnation, and ego integrity versus despair. Adler says that a person's mental health affects their ability to get along with others and be productive, and that being able to work boosts self-esteem and makes it easier to adapt.

Heinz Hartmann, a psychoanalyst, defined normality by talking about how the ego works on its own. These are psychological abilities that are there from birth and aren't affected by the inner world of the mind. They include perception, intuition, understanding, thinking, language, and some parts of motor development, learning, and intelligence. In other words, some people would be able to live a normal life because they have the special ability to not be vulnerable or deal with the stresses and strains of life without their inner psyche being affected.

Deviant psychological functioning is when a person's actions, thoughts, and feelings are different from what is normal in a certain place and time. People don't have to cry themselves to sleep every night, wish they were dead, or listen to voices that no one else can hear. In short, behaviour, thoughts, and feelings are considered abnormal when they go against what a society thinks is right.

The word "abnormal" means "out of the ordinary." So, behaviour that isn't normal is statistically odd or rare. From a statistical point of view, anything that is very different from the average is considered to be abnormal. This makes the task easy because it just takes the average performance of the group to figure out how well each person did. People who don't fit into the average range are called "abnormal." This grouping is used to decide if a person is mentally retarded or not. This has nothing to do with values or what's good or bad, it's just facts. This could lead to some confusion, since people who are above the normal range could be seen as weird or in need of therapy. For example, these criteria don't help tell the difference between out-of-the-ordinary behaviour that is desirable and okay and behaviour that is not desirable and not okay.

Most people think that the abnormal behaviour is wrong, upsetting, dysfunctional, and dangerous. When judging a behaviour, it's important to take into account where it happens. Also, the idea of what is strange depends on the norms and values of the society. In the field of abnormal psychology, there are many different points of view and professionals, and many well-trained clinical researchers study the theories and treatments in the field.

Assignment Two

Answer the following short category questions in about 100 words each. Each question carries 5 marks. 6 x 5 = 30

3. Differentiate between predisposing, precipitating and perpetuating factors in the causation of psychopathology.

Ans) Predisposing factors make other causes close to the illness vulnerable. Genetics, uterine environment, birth trauma, and early social and psychological factors predispose.

Precipitating factors are events that precede a disorder and appear to have caused it. Physical, psychological, or social. Cerebral tumours, traumatic brain injuries from accidents, and drug use can cause physical precipitating factors. Psychological causes include bereavement, losing a loved one. Depressing. Moving home is a social cause, but a head injury can cause a psychological disorder through brain changes and psychological effects.

Maintaining factors prolong a disorder. A disorder may perpetuate itself (e.g. some ways of thinking commonly prolong anxiety disorders). Social factors matter too (e.g. overprotective attitudes of parents or care givers or relatives). Even though predisposing and precipitating factors are unchangeable, perpetuating factors may be.

4. Explain different types of attachment styles.

Ans) The different types of attachment styles are:

1. Secure: When these kids are reunited with their careers, they exhibit both joy and anxiety. They are upset, but they are confident that the caregiver will come back. They are aware that they can express their needs and feelings without worrying about being rejected.

2. Ambivalent: It happens when the child's needs and expectations are not consistently met by the caregivers. When the caregiver leaves, they become upset and could exhibit overly sentimental behaviour to garner attention.

3. Avoidant: These kids shun their caretakers frequently and don't distinguish between a caregiver and a stranger. This might be the result of abusive or careless caregivers.

4. Disorganized: Because they are unsure of whether their caregiver will react favourably or unfavourably when approached, these kids act confusedly.

5. What is clinical interview?

Ans) A clinical interview is a question-and-answer session in which the doctor asks patients about their symptoms, pertinent past experiences (medical, educational, legal), and current functioning in their personal, social, and professional lives. The clinical interview provides three different sorts of information: the content of the patient's responses, the manner in which the questions are responded to, and the issues that are avoided or not addressed. Structured, semi-structured, and unstructured clinical interviews are all possible. A specified number of questions are asked in a predetermined order during a structured interview. The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV, Axes I and II is an illustration of a structured interview.

6. Describe the three phases in cognitive behavior therapy.

Ans) The three phases in cognitive behavior therapy are:

1. Core Beliefs: Our early experiences shape our fundamental beliefs. They are firmly anchored in our views about these things as well as how we see the world, ourselves, and the future.

2. Dysfunctional Assumptions: The negative is easier for humans to hang onto than the positive. These cognitive distortions, on the other hand, are illogical thought patterns that alter the way we perceive the world.

3. Automatic Negative Thoughts: Automatic negative thoughts are unconscious, habitual unfavourable impressions of reality. Given that they are short and induce unpleasant feelings, they might be challenging to identify.

7. Define intellectual disability.

Ans) Intellectual disability, also called intellectual developmental disorder, is characterised by sub-average performance in general mental functions like reasoning, problem-solving, planning, abstract thought, judgement, academic learning, and learning from experience beginning before the age of 18 and by deficits in adaptive functioning. Intellectual disability may be caused by biological, psychological, sociocultural, or a mix of these three variables. 90 percent of people with intellectual disabilities, who make up about 1-3 percent of the overall population, are considered to have a mild intellectual disability. Mild intellectual disabilities shouldn't prevent people from performing the majority of daily tasks with the right preparation.

8. What are the causes of generalized anxiety disorder?

Ans) The causes of generalized anxiety disorder are:

1. Genetic Factors: There is conflicting evidence for genetic influences, however there is a small hereditary component to GAD, according to reports. One of the largest and most recent twin studies among those conducted so far found a genetic component to be responsible for a 15–20% variation in GAD susceptibility. In other words, the concordance rate for GAD is higher in MZ twins than DZ twins.

2. Neurochemical and Neurohormonal Factors: The neurobiological model is based on studies done between the 1950s and 1970s on how benzodiazepines, a class of medications used in the treatment of anxiety, work. The inhibitory neurotransmitter Gamma Amino Butyric Acid, or GABA, and the benzodiazepine receptor were both found in the brain.

3. The Corticotropin Releasing Hormone (CRH): As a hormone that causes anxiety, CRH plays a part in GAD. Stress or a sense of peril activates CRH, which stimulates the pituitary gland and causes it to release adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH).

UNDERSTANDING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS (BPCC 111) TUTORIAL

Total marks: 30

Conduct a survey of school going higher secondary students and undergraduate college students on their eating patterns and eating behavior. Prepare a questionnaire consisting of at least ten questions. Refer to the unit on eating disorders and find out the criteria and symptoms of eating disorders. Analyze the responses received and find out the patterns of problem eating behavior and prevalence of eating disorders. Think and write on what factors might contribute to these unhealthy eating behaviours in the young population.

The format of the questionnaire needs to include:

a)    Minimum ten questions related to the thinking, emotions and behaviour of the young people related to eating.

b)   Personal details of the sample such as: name (optional), age, sex, class, educational qualification, occupation if any, type of family, marital status etc. relevant in the context of the particular activity.

c)    Can include open-ended questions also.

Sample: Minimum 15 students from each category of higher secondary school and

undergraduate college students

Ans) Binge eating disorder is marked by excessive uncontrolled eating which results in being overweight and obese. As Stunkard (1959) denotes, it involves 269 repeated episodes of eating excessive amount of food without purging. That Feeding and Eating Disorders is why, it is seen more in cases of overweight people (prevalence of 2.9%) as compared to 1.5% prevalence rate in people with normal weight (Ray, 2015). Another study (Hudson et. al., 2007) reports a lifetime prevalence of binge eating disorder 2% in men and 3.5% in women. Binge eating disorder differs from bulimia nervosa in that it does not involve any compensatory behaviour to purge the food out. Consequently, such people tend to be overweight and obese. One word of caution here is to differentiate obese people who are also into binge eating condition and obesity due to family genetic factors.

The main symptoms include:

1. Uncontrolled eating

2. Frequent and excessive eating

3. Lack of purging

4. Usually eat alone due to guilt and shame of eating so large quantity of food

As is the case with all disorders, biological, psychological, and socio-cultural factors contribute to the development of eating disorders. However, the most dramatic factors influencing the development of eating disorders are socio-cultural factors.

Biological Factors

1. Twin and Family Studies: Twin and family studies evince for the heritability of eating disorders. The tendency to develop eating disorders runs in families i.e., biological relatives of people with anorexia and bulimia have increased rates of these eating disorders themselves. Studies suggest that relatives of people with eating disorders is 4 to 5 times higher, with rates higher for female relatives of patients with anorexia.

2. Neurotransmitters: Serotonin is a neurotransmitter that is involved in obsessiveness, mood disorders, and impulsivity. People with eating disorders respond well to anti-depressants that target serotonin, thereby implying the role of serotonin in eating disorders. However, it is difficult to identify whether disturbances in neurotransmitters are causes or consequences of the disorder.

Socio-cultural Factors

1. Media: All cultures recognize ideal images by which men and women are judged as worthy members of their sex. These images form an essential component of our body image, that is, how we think, feel, and behave with regard to our bodies. Media technologies (magazines, newspapers, television, movies, and now social networking websites) provide information about how an ideal body looks.

2. Family Influences: About 1 out of 3 patients with anorexia report family dysfunction and it was a factor that contributed to their eating disorder. The features that were observed in families of people with anorexia are parental overprotectiveness, rigidity, marital discord, control issues etc.

Psychological Factors

1. Excessive Focus on Appearance and Internalizing of Thin Ideal: The extent to which an individual places importance on appearance and internalization of thin ideal contributes to the development of eating disorders. Excessive focus on appearance is most predictive of a preoccupation with weight for young women who are generally more prone to anxiety.

2. Body Dissatisfaction: When one’s own body image does not match with the ideal image promulgated by the media, then one is likely to develop negative feelings and perceptual biases regarding how fat one is, especially young girls and women.

3. Dieting: Some researchers believe that dieting is a risk factor for eating disorders. This is because many women who developed eating disorders had a history of dieting. However, not all those who diet eventually develop an eating disorder. Some of the factors that mediate the relationship between dieting and eating disorders are body dissatisfaction, supervised diets vs. self-started diets, and the negative emotional effect of failed diets.

4. Perfectionism: People with eating disorders are high on the trait of perfectionism or the need to be exactly right. Perfectionist people are much more likely to prescribe to the thin ideal and pursue a ‘perfect body.’ Perfectionism leads to rigid adherence to dieting that then drives the binge/ purge cycle in bulimia.

Data Analysis:

After the data is collected, you can use simple statistics such as calculating mean, percentage, difference etc. The data may be presented in tabular and graphical form as required. The data can also be collected and analysed qualitatively. Findings need to be discussed in the light of the theoretical inputs.

Format of the Tutorial Report: The tutorial activity report will be written by hand only. It can consist of the following parts:

1. Title page (write Tutorial Activity of BPCC 111, mention your name and enrolment number)

2. Background/ Introducing the topic (around 200 words)

3. Methodology (around 150 words)

4. Sample details

5. Preparation of the questionnaire

6. Data collection procedure

7. Findings (around 250 words)

8. Discussion and Conclusion (around 300 words)

9. Implications (around 100 words)

10. Appendix

11. Questionnaire used.

12. Filled in questionnaire/ raw data.

13. Reference sources used for doing the activity.

Ans) The tutorial report may be written in about 1000 words. Focus needs to be on the findings and discussion of the data. Implications of the findings need to be highlighted. Tutorial report will be put at the end in the assignment file of BPCC 111 and submitted at the study centre.

1)      Name (Optional): ________________________________

2)     Age: ___________________________________

3)     Sex: ________________________________________________

4)     Class: _____________________________________________

5)     Education: _______________________________________

6)     Qualification: _______________________________________

7)     Occupation: _______________________

8)     Type of family: __________________________________________

9)     Marital Status: ________________________________________

1. Do you know anyone who has an eating disorder? What are the circumstances?

2. Why do you think that these disorders are more common in women than in men?

3. Marybeth stated that the issue of body image is important in eating disorders. Why do you think this is the case?

4. Why do you think eating disorders are so hard to recover from?

5. What do you think about the advice that Julia and Marybeth have for families of people who have eating disorders? Love them. Get educated.

6. Are there any questions you have about eating disorders that were not brought up in this program?

Few Survey Samples

1. Name (Optional): Aditya Thakur

2. Age : 16

3. Sex : Male

4. Class: Higher Secondary

5. Education: Secondary

6. Qualification: Higher Secondary

7. Occupation: Student

8. Type of family: nuclear family

9. Marital Status: Unmarried

1. Name (Optional) Swatha Patnaik

2. Age : 17

3. Sex: Female

4. Class: Higher Secondary

5. Education: Kendriya Vidyalaya

6. Qualification: Higher Secondary

7. Occupation: Student

8. Type of family: Extended family

9. Marital Status: unmarried

1. Name (Optional): Srinivas Bishoyi

2. Age : 19

3. Sex : male

4. Class: Undergraduate

5. Education: Kendriya Vidyalaya

6. Qualification: Undergraduate

7. Occupation: Student

8. Type of family: Extended family

9. Marital Status: Unmarried

1. Name (Optional): Divya Pradhan

2. Age : 19

3. Sex : Female

4. Class: Undergraduate

5. Education: Kendriya Vidyalaya

6. Qualification: Undergraduate

7. Occupation: Student

8. Type of family: nuclear family

9. Marital Status: Unmarried

Introducing the Topic

Eating behavior is a broad term that encompasses food choice and motives, feeding practices, dieting, and eating-related problems such as obesity, eating disorders, and feeding disorders. Within the context of behavioural medicine, eating behavior research focuses on the etiology, prevention, and treatment of obesity and eating disorders, as well as the promotion of healthy eating patterns that help manage and prevent medical conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, and certain cancers.

Methodology

The Pattern of eating item from the Eating Disorder Examination (EDE) interview was adapted to self-report format to follow the same overall structure as the Eating Disorder Examination Questionnaire. The new instrument was named the Meal Patterns Questionnaire (MPQ) and was compared with the EDE in a student sample (n=105) and an obese sample (n=111).

Sample Details

I had gone to the school to collect the data by giving them the form. Collect personal details and eating behavior they are followed in their daily life.

Data Collection Procedure

Data collection is a systematic process of gathering observations or measurements. Whether you are performing research for business, governmental or academic purposes, data collection allows you to gain first-hand knowledge and original insights into your research problem.

Findings

After collecting the data from the school I observed that out of 100 people from secondary students and undergraduate students. They mostly prefer junk unhealthy food.

Conclusion

This study shows that eating leafy green and light-coloured vegetables may have a protective effect on a child’s conduct and against prosocial behaviour problems. Due consideration should be given to children’s eating habits in the early stages of their lives to ensure better mental health. Most of the students prefer unhealthy food, it impact the health later on.