Preview

Outline the Behaviorist and Biological Model of Mental Illness Essay Example

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
600 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Outline the Behaviorist and Biological Model of Mental Illness Essay Example
There are many different ways that someone can develop a mental illness behaviourist and biological are just two of them. The behaviourist model suggests that abnormal behaviours are learnt in the same way that any other behaviour is learnt-though classical and operant conditioning. Operant conditioning suggests that people learn from consequences of actions through positive and negative reinforcement –meaning learning through a consequence of an action either a consequence that is positive (have a good outcome) or negative (the removal of something bad). There are many different examples that support the view of operant conditioning these include. * Anorexia-this shows positive reinforcement as the desire to lose weight is fulfilled by not eating. * Bulimics-they fell guilty for eating food this results in them getting rid of the guilt by making themselves be sick. * Maintaining phobias- phobias are maintain by people avoiding contact with these phobias this prevents people from overcoming their fears.
Classical condition (also behaviourist) this is used to help explain how some phobias are created. Fears are said to be learnt through association of a natural fear response to a particular stimulus Watson and Rayners (1920) experiment with 11 month old little Albert produces a fear response through the association of a loud noise with a white rat little Albert showed no fear of the rat until association of the natural fear response of a loud noise was conditioned little Albert also developed fear for many other fluffy objects including a woolly coat.
The biological model of abnormalities is very different that conditioning by saying that mental abnormalities are very similar to illnesses such as the flu there are many different ways that illnesses can be developed biologically: * Genetics-Faulty recessive genes have been known to cause psychological effects in mental state and example of this is Huntington’s disease (certain nerve cells in the

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Satisfactory Essays

    Pathogen/disease Genetic flaw (chromosomal abnormality v. genetic mutation) Diathesis-stress model Explain and give an example of each pathway to mental illness…

    • 414 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    The biological model compares abnormal behaviour with a disease. It assumes that all mental illnesses have a physiological cause related to the physical structure and brain. Doctors diagnose mental illness using well-established criteria. Psychiatrists also use diagnostic manuals for mental illness and compare symptoms with set classifications of illnesses. According to the biological model, mental illness is caused by one or more of the following factors; genetic inheritance, bio-chemistry and infection. The reason why genetic inheritance could be a possible cause for mental illness is due to the assumption that people have a genetic disposition to certain psychological disorders. For example, Kendler et al found relatives of schizophrenics were 18 times more likely to develop the illness than a matched control group. Bio-chemistry is also a factor that is considered as it is thought that chemical imbalances in the brain may be involved in certain mental illnesses. Neurotransmitters play an important part in behaviour. For example, an excess of dopamine has been detected in the brains of schizophrenics. This finding, however, has been assumed due to correlation which does not prove cause and effect. Infection is also thought to be a factor which could potentially cause mental illness as research suggests that some mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, may be related to exposure to certain viruses in the womb. For example, Torrey found that the mothers of many people with schizophrenia had contracted a particular strain of influenza during pregnancy. It is supposed that the virus may have entered the unborn child’s brain and remained dormant there until puberty, when other hormones may have activated it.…

    • 652 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The biological approach asserts that something in our biology is the fundamental cause of dysfunctional behaviour which could be a genetic cause or a malfunction of brain structures. Although it is seen as the most common explanation for schizophrenia due to the use of drug therapy, it would be deterministic and reductionist to explain schizophrenia only with the biological approach since there are other numerous factors such as the ones related to the cognitive explanation or other environmental causes. Also, even within the biological approach, there are various different biological factors that cause conflict with each other, e.g. genetic tendency, the dopamine hypothesis (a chemical issue), innate brain structures, and diathesis-stress model.…

    • 1047 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Biological therapies are constructed on the belief that mental illnesses are caused by abnormalities in the neural and bodily process, such as imbalances in certain neurotransmitters or malfunctions in certain areas of the brain. Biology treatment is used everywhere as medicine. There is proof that it has been successful for many mental disorders.…

    • 1317 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    The concept that nurture has a direct affect on the process of development was first conceived in the 1690 's by John Locke, which this was then contested in 1869 by a man named Francis Galton who believed that nature alone influenced the process of development. The current consensus within the scientific community is that there is a mixture of both genetic and environmental factors that contribute to mental illness. The real controversy lies with which of the two are more prominent in an individuals developmental process and at what point the two intertwine.…

    • 914 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    This is because certain disorders, such as Huntington’s disease or Cystic Fibrosis, are caused by the alleles in a persons’ genetic composition. As they’re caused by genetics, these disorders – and others like them – will occur regardless of the environment in which an individual is placed, and these disorders can have a large impact upon behaviour.…

    • 5819 Words
    • 24 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Classical conditioning was developed by Pavlov through his work on animals. He explained the development of abnormal behaviours through stimulus-response associations. This is where it is not the object or the situation that is the cause of fear, but the conditioned response to it. Phobias are thought to develop in this way as a person must have had a strong reaction to a stimulus, which will make them then avoid a situation where they could be at risk of coming face to face with that same stimulus again.…

    • 550 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Cmh 302

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Biological and medical frameworks (sometimes referred to as the disease model) view psychological problems as resulting, in the main, from physical causes such as brain defects, hereditary factors or as the results of accidents or injury.…

    • 990 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The biological theory on Schizophrenia is a determinism theory which states that Schizophrenia is caused by our genetics and things that are involved in our bodies. The biological theory states that the cause of Schizophrenia is due to issues such as our genes, and dopamine levels, and therefore it can be cured by looking at these issues.…

    • 755 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The biological model for childhood mental health is a very hard based scientific way of explaining the disorder. The model consists of, according to Clare (1980), scientific processes that study and observe symptoms, treatments and disease aetiology and believes mental disorders are a disease of the brain. Genetics play a…

    • 1065 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Sak Mental Illness

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Many people suffer from several different psychology disorders/diseases, that interfere with their mindset, changing their ability to adapt to their environment and to communicate properly with the people around them. Disorders like bipolar and major depression have different levels/stages associated with them, both levels have their own challenges to them. Psychological disorders can be acquired during childhood, but others are acquired during adulthood. All Psychological disorders need triggers to start like the mere mentioned of the disease and or an environmental factor that causes it to begin. The core of Psychological diseases start in the brain since most to all Psychological disorders affect how that person thinks. Disorders like Schizophrenia…

    • 1116 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Perspectives, Psychology

    • 1381 Words
    • 6 Pages

    “Genetics and chemical imbalances are frequently highlighted as being the main cause of mental disorders.” http://www.scribd.com/doc/37401561/Genetics-of-Human-Behaviour…

    • 1381 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Mental Illness Paper

    • 1440 Words
    • 6 Pages

    The term "anorexia" literally means absence of appetite. Anorexia can be associated with medical conditions or medications that cause a loss of appetite. Anorexia nervosa, however, involves a psychological aversion to food that leads to a state of starvation and emaciation. In anorexia nervosa, at least 15% to as much as 60% of normal body weight is lost. ("The New York Times", 2012). The patient with anorexia nervosa has an intense fear of gaining weight, even when severely underweight. Individuals with anorexia nervosa have a distorted image of their own weight or shape and deny the serious health consequences of their low weight.…

    • 1440 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Eating Disorders Paper

    • 1461 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Last but not least is Anorexia Nervosa. People with anorexia nervosa see themselves as overweight, even when they are clearly underweight. Eating, food, and weight control become obsessions. People with anorexia nervosa typically weigh themselves repeatedly, portion food carefully, and eat very small quantities of only certain foods. Some people with anorexia nervosa may also engage in binge-eating followed by extreme dieting, excessive exercise, self-induced vomiting, and/or misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas. ("Eating Disorders." NIMH RSS. Web. 5 Oct.…

    • 1461 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    mental health

    • 2387 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Biological factors: Since various biological factors can affect mood and behaviour, psychiatrists often evaluate these before initiating further treatment. For example dysfunction of the thyroid gland may mimic a major depressive episode, or hypoglycaemia (low blood sugar) may mimic psychosis. Genetics, early environment, neurobiology, and psychological and social processes appear to be important contributory factors to the disorder schizophrenia. What happens during pregnancy can have affect on how the baby's brain develops. For example if a mother is taking drugs while she is pregnant, or if she gets a virus (like the flu). There have been reports that suggest vitamin and mineral deficiencies such as Vitamin D, zinc and certain fatty acids may also be related to our mental health.…

    • 2387 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Powerful Essays