Table of Contents
There are six models in abnormal psychology that psychologist use, the six models being: biological, psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioral, humanistic/existentialist, social cultural, and developmental psychopathology model. Each of the six models play an important role when working with abnormal behaviors in psychology. Many psychologist use multiple models in combination to view abnormality that an individual may have. Each model gives you a different perspective in how theorist use different approaches when working with a client.
Biological Model
Theorists who believe in the biological model believe that an individuals problems starts and ends with their biological components. Meaning that any abnormal behavior or illness the individual may have is due to a malfunction in their body. Biological model is the only approach that “examines thoughts, feelings, and behaviors” (McLeod, 2015).
For example, when one uses the biological model they would question a patients history to see if any of their family member have had the illness as it would then be passed down to them through genetics, which is part of ones’ biological makeup.
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Treatments that are used in this model consist of psychotropic medications, which are “drugs that primarily affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunction” (Comer, 2018). Along with those, brain stimulation is also a biological treatment that helps to stimulate certain areas of an individuals brain through electroconvulsive therapy. Lastly psychosurgery is that last biological treatment, the most known psychosurgery is lobotomy, which is cutting a portion between lobes of the brain (Comer, 2018).
The Psychodynamic Model
Psychodynamic model is the most famous model used, people who believe in this model believe that ones’ “behavior… is determined largely by underlying psychological forces of which he or she is not consciously aware” (Comer, 2018). This model is associated with Sigmund Freud, who believed that there were three main forces that shaped ones’ personality; those three forces being: id, ego, and superego. The id operated as a pleasure principle as it signified ones need, drives, and impulses. The ego is the reality principle, where an individual seeks out gratification and controls the impulses that may occur. Superego being the last force, is the morality principle that gives one the sense of what is right and what is wrong.
An example of psychodynamic model is Freud’s use of free association, which allows the client to talk about any of their thoughts and feelings to a therapist, who will then uncover unconscious events the client has been through.
Psychodynamic treatments are therapies of different varieties. One therapy being therapist interpretation, the therapist listens to their client and draw conclusions as well as interpreted what they mean (Comers, 2018). Catharsis is when the patient relives past feelings, Working through can take a while as the patient examines their issue over a series of visits (Comer, 2018).
The Cognitive-Behavioral Model
This model theorists believe that the way one think, feel, and act all interact with one another (McLeod, 2015). In this model researchers believe that behaviors of an individual can be conditioned, a form of learning (Comer, 2018). There are two main types of conditioning: classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning is when events occur repeatedly making the client have the same response over and over again, and operant conditioning is when an individual experiences consequences to a certain behavior.
One of the most famous classical conditioning example is of Pavlov’s, who conditioned dogs to salivate when hearing a bell. In this experiment every time he rang the bell he set out a plate of dog food for the dogs so they learned when they heard the bell they would be given food which in turn made them salivate (McLeod, 2013).
One of the treatments seen in cognitive-behavioral model is exposure therapy, which is when a therapist focuses on their clients conquering their fears (Comer, 2018). For instance if someone was afraid of the ocean the therapist would have their patients stand on the beach and just watch the waves crash against the sand and then slowly work with them until they finally went into the ocean.
The Humanistic/Existentialist Model
This approach focuses on an individual as a whole and their uniqueness. Humanistic model rejects both behavioral and psychodynamic models as humanistic theorist see them as dehumanizing (McLeod, 2018). A humanist view people as friendly, and focuses on self-actualization, which is when an individual fulfills their potential. An existentialist thinks that people have a self-awareness of themselves.
An example of using humanistic approach is using role play that helps an individual express their feelings. Being put into various roles makes an individual accept feelings that they may be feeling that they did not accept in the past. Role playing can be very intense but it is very helpful to an individual allowing them to be someone else but still come to accept their feelings.
Treatment for humanistic model is client-centered therapy that helps to create a better support system. Another treatment is guiding an individual toward self-recognization, which was Gestalt’s therapy (Comer, 2018). An existentialist treatment would be therapy that encourages one to face responsibility over their own lives.
Social Cultural Model: Family-Social and Multicultural Models
In this model, social cultural, abnormal behavior “is best understood in light of the broad forces that influences an individual” (Comer, 2018). Social cultural model is made up of two perspectives: family-social and multicultural. Family-social perspective focuses on the broad forces that directly influence and individual, where multicultural perspective focuses on a cultural within a large society and the influence is has.
An example of this model is group therapy, which is part of the family-social perspective. With this an individual is put into a group with others that are in the same predicament as the individual. In group therapy the people in said group help one another build themselves up and be there for one another.
There are different treatments for both perspective, for instance there is family and couple therapy that is a treatment for the family-social perspective. Both therapies meet with the family for family therapy and the two in a relationship for couple therapy. Treatments for multicultural perspective are culture-sensitive therapy which consists of therapies that face issues that people in minority groups face.
Development Psychopathology Model
Lastly and the most recent model being development psychopathology model, this model explores how all the previous models come together and work collectively. This model pays attention to the timing of how certain variable influence an individual. Development psychopathology essentially compares all the models together to come to a better understanding of the individual that a researcher may be observing.
As an example of the development psychopathology model is equifinality which is a notion that states that people can come to the same end point even thought they have taken different paths to get to said end point (Comers, 2018). It takes into consideration of not only biological model but also cognitive-behavioral, social cultural model and many more as it takes account into many factors to have the same end point but different bringing up, and more.
Conclusion
Although there are many models that give one different views into looking at an individual with abnormal behavior, together they help one understand humans as a whole. Most of the time models are used with others to come to a better understanding of an illness that a person may have. Abnormal psychology helps one to understand the illness that an individual has and each theorist look at it through one of these six ways.
References
- Comer, R. J. (2018). Abnormal psychology (10th ed.) New York, NY: Worth Publishers. Retrieved from http://www.gcumedia.com/digital-resources/bedford-freeman-and-worth/2017/abnormal-psychology_10e.php
- McLeod, S. (2015). Biological Psychology. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/biological-psychology.html
- McLeod, S. (2015). Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/cognitive-therapy.html
- McLeod, S. (2015). Humanism. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/humanistic.html
- McLeod, S. (2013). Pavlov’s Dogs. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/pavlov.html
- McLeod, S. (2015). Psychodynamic Approach. Simply Psychology. Retrieved from https://www.simplypsychology.org/psychodynamic.html
