PS280 Chapter Notes - Chapter 2: Electra Complex, Attachment Theory, Anorexia Nervosa
Document Summary
Two main streams of thought concerning mental disorders: biological, environmental. Biological and psychodynamic formulations view dysfunctional behaviour as the product of forces beyond the individuals control. Humanistic and existential approaches lay responsibility for action and choices of the individual. Behavioural and cognitive theories imply that a mixture of external and internal factors produce dysfunctions. A theory should be abandoned only when there is a better one available. Single-factor explanations one factor is said to cause the disorder, for example a genetic defect or a single traumatic experience: reflect primary focus of researcher. Interactionist explanations view behaviour as the product of the interaction of a variety of factors. Theories may be classified according to their level of explanation: all human behaviour (maslow, all abnormal behaviour (freud, all disorders within particular category (personality disorders millon/davis, reveal causes of a particular problem (panic disorder mcnally) Influence of a single factor for a problem within a general theory (lack of intimacy in sexual disorders)
