The geographical article chosen for the purpose for this assessment is an essay by Bjorn Lomborg 'Running on Empty' retrieved
The nomothetic versus ideographic approach is a persistent controversy in psychology. In this essay, the content of the debate will be closely examined and applied to the field of personality. The key characteristics of the nomothetic and ideographic approaches will be looked at, and applied to personality, with two personality theories associated with each approach respectively. Nomothetic originates from the Greek word 'nomos' meaning law giving or law like. The nomothetic approach focuses on investigating large groups of people in order to find general laws that apply to everyone. The idea is that such laws will allow researchers to make predictions about how the majority of people are likely to behave in a given circumstance. The nomothetic approach puts emphasis on the ways in which we are like others. According to this approach, the ways in which we differ are limited; we differ only in terms of age, gender and ethnicity. The nomothetic approach assumes that an individual is a complex combination of many universal laws, and it is best to study people on a large-scale. Quantitative experimental methods are best to identify the universal laws. Research should be carried out through rigorous objective mechanistic means. Supporters of the nomothetic approach have been criticized for being too robotic and mechanical and for ignoring emotional and cultural influences on
With reference to alternative research findings, critically assess Aschs study into conformity
With reference to alternative research findings, critically assess Asch's study into conformity A study that criticises Asch is by William & Sogon (1984) who claimed that the group Asch created did not reflect all groups found in society. They found that majority influence was significantly greater among friends than among strangers. Therefore Asch failed to realise that he could have obtained much stranger majority influence if he had replaced groups of strangers with an in0group of friends of the genuine participants & consequently this limits Asch findings to only groups of strangers & as a result lacks generalisability to other populations. And to support this Abrams et al (1990) argued that 1st year psychology participants would show more conformity if the other group members were perceived as belonging to an in group (other 1st yr psychology students) than if they were perceived as belonging to an out group (history students). Eagli & Carli (1981) criticise Asch study for being gender biased. They claim that in Western societies a masculine bias exists & as a consequence women show higher levels of conformity than men in the Asch study. They also found that in feminist societies, women actually show less conformity than men. This criticises Ash because he ignored complex gender characteristics that would have affected his results. Also David & Turner (1996) criticise
Psychological explanations of schizophrenia
Psychological explanations of schizophrenia Freud believed that schizophrenia was the result of 2 related processes, regression of the pre ego state, attempts to re-establish control of the ego. If the world of a schizophrenic is harsh e.g. the had cold and uncaring parents they may regress a stage of development before ego was properly formed. And before they develop a realistic awareness of external world, thus leads them to an infantile state. AO2, No empirical evidence to support this, except psychoanalysis Support comes from Reichmann et al, who described schizophrenic mothers as uncaring, dominant, and stated that theses mothers behave rather differently Behavioural explanation Symptoms of schizophrenic due to faulty leaning, as liberman said "due to child receiving little or no social reinforcement in early life due to parental disinterest. Makes child behave in a deviant way and focus on irrelevant environmental cues. E.g. the sound of a word rather than its meaning, thus making a person seem abnormal, as this would affect a person verbal and physical behaviour AO2 Supported by the success of behavioural therapies, used in treating schizophrenia. Support comes from roder who found that social skills training helps schizos gain social skills, as they were able to interact with wider community. Cognitive Suggest a diathesis relationship as further
Critique of "Perils of Obedience"
Gergely Nemeth Critique of "Perils of Obedience" The passage "Perils of Obedience" presents an experiment designed by Stanley Milgram, a Yale psychologist, in which people were tested either to violate their conscience by obeying the immoral demands of an authority figure or to refuse them. At the beginning of the experiment, Yale undergraduate students were used as subjects, and about 60 percent of them were fully obedient. A colleague of Milgram assured him " When 'ordinary' people were tested, the results would be quite different " (279). They started new researches on "ordinary" people and the result was the same. According to Milgram's research we should realize that although society values such ideals as " individualism" and "freedom," it is often difficult for people to live up to their own standards in the face of group pressures. According to the author, "Obedience is as basic an element in the structure of social life as one can point to" (276). Milgram decided to study and analyze how people would react toward a situation where they had to obey even knowing they would hurt a person whom they didn't know. I think the reason of the result of this research is that people like to please authority. People in general like the feeling they get when they are doing a good job. Even though they know what they are doing is morally wrong, the way they tried to justify
2a outline two or more clinical characteristics of schizophrenia
2a outline two or more clinical characteristics of schizophrenia (5 marks) They symptoms of schizophrenia are divided into positive and negative. Positive symptoms reflect a distortion of normal functioning, and include delusions (bizarre beliefs that appear real but are not.) a sense of being controlled (e.g. by an alien force), auditory hallucinations (e.g. hearing voices), and disordered thinking (e.g. the belief that thoughts are being broadcast to others). Negative symptoms reflect a lessening or loss of normal function, and include affective flattening (a reduction in the range and intensity of emotional expression), alogia (poverty of speech) and avolition (the inability to initiate and persist in goal-directed behaviour). A diagnosis of schizophrenia requires at least a one-month duration of two or more positive symptoms. Negative symptoms often persist during periods of few positive symptoms. 2 b Discuss two or more biological explanations of schizophrenia (25 marks) Family studies have found that schizophrenia is more common in the biological relatives of a schizophrenic, and the closer the degree of genetic relatedness, the greater the risk (Gottesman, 1991). Twin studies have shown that identical twins have a 48% risk of developing schizophrenia if their twin has the disorder compared to 17% for non-identical twins (Janicak et al, 2001). Adoption studies have
Outline and evaluate biological treatments of depression (15 marks)
Outline and evaluate biological treatments of depression (15 marks) I am going to discuss the use of antidepressant drugs and electroconvulsive therapy and their use in the treatment of depression. Both are broadly used in the UK and elsewhere in the world and are often used in psychiatric hospitals without the consent of the patient. The biological explanation is that depression is caused by insufficient levels of serotonin and noradrenaline. Antidepressant drugs are used for the treatment of moderate to sever depression and are usually taken for at least four months, usually longer. The two main types are tricylics and Selective Serotonin Re-Uptake Inhibitors (SSRIs). Tricylic drugs prolong the mood-lifting effects of noradrenaline and serotonin by preventing the re-absorption after they are released. It also means that the remittance of the neurotransmitters is easier and faster the next time. Similarly, SSRIs such as fluoxetine (Prozac) block the re-absorption of serotonin but not noradrenaline, prolonging the feeling of excitement and lowering depression. In 2008, Kirsch found that in moderately depressed patients, there was improvement in their conditions when using placebos as well as when using the real SSRI. (S)he also found that in severely depressed patients there was significant advantages to using the real drug when compared with the control placebo
Describe the value of the humanistic approach to health and social care service provision
P4- Describe the value of the humanistic approach to health and social care service provision Explain the humanistic perspective. An explanation of Maslow's theory known as the hierarchy needs: Maslow's theory is about the survival mechanisms of human beings and how they can be different. There are two different states of well-being humans are have. ) This is about being comfortable physically and psychologically. 2) This is about benefiting from life, by exploring and reaching full potential through intellectual means or creativity. According to www.psychclassics.yorku.ca Maslow linked this by saying... ''becoming everything that one is capable of becoming'' Different people have different behaviours. Maslow's hierarchy of needs suggests that some people's behaviour is about just surviving with safety, love and security are engaged in because that it satisfying. However other people are self- actualization, this is about fulfilling their lives with ambition, confidence and self-esteem. Learning new skills and finding out about different people and about the universe. People who are self-actualization believe in free living and being a good human being. Hierarchy of needs The Hierarchy of needs is about treating the lower needs before trying to achieve needs that are higher. For example, people that go on long walks write a long essay or learn how to
Discuss Psychological Explanations of Schizophrenia
Psychological explanations of schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder as it often involves a loss of contact with reality and a lack of self insight. Schizophrenia has a large number of clinical characteristics. Some of these are Thought control, delusions of passivity, control and influence, and hallucinatory voices. Other symptoms may include catatonic behaviour, incoherent speech and general negativity about the self. Research states, according to family theories, that schizophrenia is a consequence of maladaptive behaviour and poor communication within the family. Bateson suggested the "double-bind" hypothesis, where children are given conflicting messages from parents who express care, yet at the same time appear critical, which was thought to lead to confusion, self-doubt and withdrawal. Litz et al (1965) also coined the term "marital schism", to explain an abnormal family pattern where conflict between parents was associated with schizophrenia in offspring. However, these theories were based on methodologically flawed studies. One major problem was that families were studied retrospectively, long after the persons mental disorders may have affected the family. Also, these studies did not include control groups and used poorly operationalized definitions of schizophrenia. Also, ethical implications are possible using such explanations of schizophrenia.
Discuss the view that Depression can primarily be explained through Psychological factors
Discuss the view that depression can primarily be explained through psychological factors The biological model of diagnosis would fundamentally disagree with the view that depression can primarily be explained through psychological factors. This is because the biological model holds that all psychological illnesses, such as depression, are caused by biological factors such as genetics, illnesses in the womb, or being caused as a side-effect of other illnesses. There are other, more in depth explanations. For example, one view holds that the endocrine system is responsible for depression due to high levels of hormones such as cortisol resulting in depression. However, it may be that cortisol is actually a by-product of stressful psychological events that act as a precursor to depression, suggesting that can primarily be explained through psychological factors. One other explanation suggests that dopamine is controlled by serotonin, associating low levels with depression and higher levels with mania. However, it is not clear how hormones affect depression yet. Allen supported the view that depression has a genetic cause by carrying out a twins study aimed at proving that depression can primarily be explained through biological, not psychological, factors. Allen studied monozygotic, or identical, twins, and he found that the concordance rating for major depression in
Schizophrenia. This essay shall discuss the various theoretical causes of schizophrenia including; biological explanations such as genetics and chemicals in the brain, Freud`s psychodynamic explanations of the illness, and the family relationships that ca
Schizophrenia is a mental illness in which an individual is unable to differentiate between fantasy and reality. This essay shall discuss the various theoretical causes of schizophrenia including; biological explanations such as genetics and chemicals in the brain, Freud`s psychodynamic explanations of the illness, and the family relationships that can worsen, or perhaps even cause schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is quite a serious illness that affects about one per cent of the general population at some point in their lives, and may exhibit itself through a variety of symptoms. Around eighty per cent of people with the illness display 'positive' symptoms such as: delusions, hallucinations and disordered thinking; while the remaining twenty per cent suffer 'negative' symptoms such as: catatonic behaviour, loss of drive, and flattening of affect. There has been a lot of research undertaken in to how our biology may cause us to develop schizophrenia, and it is now quite widely accepted that an individual's genetic makeup may cause them to development schizophrenia, as the illness does have the tendency to run in families. Studies have shown that the more closely one is related to someone who already has the illness, the greater the risk of them also becoming ill. Non-identical (dizygotic) twins, who share fifty per cent of their DNA, have a seventeen per cent risk factor if their
