Psychopathology - how many explanations are you learning?

Hey

How many explanations are you learning?

This is my list:

Schizo
- Genetics
- Brain biochemistry
- Brain structure

- Psychodynamic
- Behavioural
- Social factors

Depression
- Genetics
- Brain biochemistry
- The endocrine system

- Behavioural
- Psycodynamic
- Cognitive
- Social factors

Phobias
- Genetics
- Neurophysiology

- Psychodyanmic
- Behavioural
- Cognitive
- Social factors

Surely I dont neeed to know that many explanations for each disorder? How many are you learning for each disorder? i.e. how many bio explanations and how many psycho explanations?!

Because in the questions, they mostly ask for 2 or more explanations of schizo/depression/anxiety d. And even if they ask you to discusss bio and psycho, do you have enough time to go through so many explanations?

Im scared of cutting it down incase I need it! Im thinking of cutting it down to 2 bio explanations and 2 psycho explanations for each disorder.

Em xxx

Reply 1

PsychNick

I'm doing genetics, biochemistry, neuroanatomy, psychodynamic, behavioural and cognitive for all three. I'd do social factors but its way too much in my view, considering in 40 mins you've got to do all these different explanations - I think trying for depth in this essay will be better than breadth.

Reply 2

~*Sar*~

I'm doin a mix lol

Schizo

Bio: genetics and biochem
Psycho - Behavioural, cognitive, psychodynamic and socio cultural

Depression ^^ same

OCD - biochem, genetics, brain
psy - psychodynamic, behavioural an cognitive.

Iv just done whats in the cardwell exam book

Reply 3

bedbug

You only need to know two biological and two psychological explanations for each disorder.

I've chosen to do genetics and biochemical for all 3 disorders and then labelling theory and cognitive for schizophrenia, psychodynamic and cognitive for depression and psychodynamic and behavioural for phobias. I've just picked the ones that are easiest to learn really.

Despite going over these in detail, I do know some other ones just from when I learnt the course. I may draw these in but in less detail.

They will only ever ask you to do two or more explanations, so it's up to you whether you go for depth or bredth.

Reply 4

PsychNick

squirly

Yeah its difficult to do more really cause its a short essay and there's so much to write. I know all the explanations but will have to condense considerably, or simply like use only like two pieces of research evidence for each. The hard part is getting everything in I think cause 40 mins does actually fly by in a 'compare bio and psych explanations' Q.

Reply 5

kdv

Just thought i'd ask... do they consider the biological explanation as Genetics, Brain biochemistry and Brain structure, or are these 3 seperate explanations in themselves?

When they ask for 2 or more, i assume that we only know of 2 which are biological and social/psychological... or am i wrong and really 2 explanations can be Genetics and then Brain Biochemistry???

Help! lol!

Reply 6

friendsfreak88

If they only specify that they want 2 explanations then 2 from biological or 2 psychological is fine. You only have to give one of each if they specifically ask for it. But as this paper is synoptic I will give one biological and one psychological as I think that is likely to gain more synoptic marks.

Anyway good luck everyone!

Reply 7

PsychNick

What I've been doing is trying to think what bio explanation would be good to use with a psych one in a 'describe two explanations' Q. I think genetics is a decent biological one to describe in good depth, but don't know what psychological one would go well with it

Reply 8

friendsfreak88

I think that cognitive goes quite well with it because cognitive suggests that the impairments are due to genetics.

Although if you want a really different one you could do family relationships and high EE because that provides a good contrast. High EE looks at how the family may affect the course, rather than the cause of schizophrenia.

Reply 9

PsychNick

Yeah I like the cognitive idea. Might use behavioural actually cause there's a lot to say, particularly like Suddath's evidence suggesting that MZ twins where one has SX has larger brain structures in certain areas, which suggests environmental factors e.g. learning