Seoul Foreign School: IBDP
Option Unit One
Name: …………………………..
Wilcox, Robert (HS)
Psychout@seoulforeignschool
The workbook is designed to help you study the key concepts of the IB psychology
programme. Each learning outcome is potentially a final exam question. When
completing each section make sure you include key theories and theorists. Try to
include dates. Remember this is an excellent revision resource. Keep it safe.
This workbook makes up 20% of your 1st quarter grade. The marking criteria and
grades are as follows:
This work book has been completed to an
excellent standard
This workbook has been completed to a
very good standard
This workbook has been completed to a
good standard
This workbook has been completed to a
satisfactory standard
This workbook is generally of a poor
standard
The workbook has not been submitted or is
of an unacceptable standard.
99 to 100%
A+
94-98 %
A- to A
85 to 93%
B- to B+
76 to 84%
C- to C+
70 to 75%
D- to D+
Below 70 Fail.
Final grade:
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Please refer to the following command terms to help you understand and
focus on the learning outcomes.
Command terms associated with assessment objective 1: Knowledge and
comprehension.
Define
Describe
Outline
State
Give the precise meaning of a word, phrase concept or physical
quality.
Give a detailed account
Give a brief account or summary
Give a specific name, value or other brief answer without
explanation or calculation.
Command terms associated with assessment objective 2: Application and analysis.
Analysis
Apply
Distinguish
Explain
Break down in order to bring out the essential elements or
structure.
Use an idea, equation, principle, theory or law in relation to a
given problem or issue.
Make clear the differences between two or more concepts or
items.
Give a detailed account including reasons or causes.
Command terms associated with assessment objective 3: Synthesis and evaluation.
Compare
Compare and
contrast
Contrast
Discuss
Evaluate
Examine
To what extent
Give an account of the similarities between two (or more) items or
situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout
Give an account of the similarities between two (or more) items or
situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout
Give an account of the similarities between two (or more) items or
situations, referring to both (all) of them throughout
Offer a considered and balanced review that includes a range of
arguments, factors or hypotheses. Opinions or conclusions should
be presented clearly and supported by appropriate evidence.
Make an appraisal by weighing up the strength and limitations.
Consider an argument or concept in a way that uncovers the
assumptions and interrelationships of the issue.
Consider the merits or otherwise of an argument or concept.
Opinions and conclusions should be presented clearly and
supported with appropriate evidence and sound argument.
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Learning outcomes: General framework (applicable to all topics in
the option)

Discuss the extent to which biological, cognitive, and social factors influence
abnormal behaviour

Evaluate psychological research relevant to the study of abnormal behaviour.
Important notes from the examiner: You need to bear these two learning
outcomes in mind throughout your work on this chapter. It is a good idea to
keep notes on them as you go.
Keep a record of what factors in each level of analysis influence abnormal
behaviour, and any strength and limitations of these factors.
Each time you read a study or theory described in enough detail, consider its
strengths and weaknesses and keep a record of the names of researchers you
consider to be important.
5.2 Concepts and diagnosis.
Learning outcomes:

Examine the concepts of normality and abnormality

Discuss validity and reliability of diagnosis

Discuss cultural and ethical considerations in diagnosis
5.3 Abnormal psychology: psychological disorders
Learning outcomes:

Describe symptoms and prevalence of one disorder from two of the following
groups: anxiety disorders, eating disorder, affective disorders

Explain cultural and gender variations in disorders.
Implementing treatment.
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
Examine biomedical, individual, and group treatment approaches to the
treatment of one disorder

Discuss the use of eclectic approaches to treatment

Discuss the relationship between etiology and therapeutic approach in
relation to one disorder
Treatment review:

Examine biomedical, individual and group approaches to treatment.

Discuss the use of eclectic approaches to treatment.

Discuss the relationship between etiology and therapeutic approach in
relation to one disorder.
The key reading for each outcome can be found @ Law et al (2001) IB Diploma
Psychology. Chapter 5 P, 144-181. John Crane (2009) Psychology Course
Companion. Chapter 5 P,136-181. Psychology @ Seoul Foreign School.
http://psychout50.edublogs.org/ Tab heading ‘Abnormal Psychology’.
Kring et al (2010) Abnormal Psychology. Wiley
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Abnormal Psychology
5.1 Introduction: What is abnormal psychology.
‘We all try to understand other people. Determining why another person does or
feels something is not easy to do. In fact, we do not always understand our own
feelings and behaviour. Figuring out why people behave in normal, expected ways
is difficult enough; understanding seemingly abnormal behaviour can be even more
difficult’.1
‘Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that deals with
studying, explaining and treating ‘abnormal’ behaviour. Although there is obviously
a great deal of behaviour that could be considered abnormal, this branch of
psychology deals mostly with that which is addressed in a clinical context. In effect,
this means a range of behaviours, emotions and thinking that tend to result in an
individual seeing a mental health professional, such as a psychiatrist or a clinical
psychologist.
Abnormal psychology attracts researchers who investigate the causes of abnormal
behaviour and try to find the most effective treatments for them, whether these
involve medication or talking cure or combination. There are also practitioners,
psychologists who use their knowledge of theory and research to deliver treatment
to people in a therapeutic setting.
A large number of conditions occur commonly enough to be categorised
systematically within various cultures and, in some cases, across the world. The IB
psychology syllabus deals with only three groups:

Anxiety disorders

Affective disorders

Eating disorders
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Defining these groups is straightforward because of the diagnostic systems
available, but there is considerable disagreement about the validity of the
distinctions between normal and abnormal behaviour.’2
References;
1 Kring et al (2010) Abnormal Psychology. Wiley
2Law et al. (2011) IB Diploma Psychology. Pearson.
Learning outcome. 5.2.1.Examine the concepts of normality and abnormality.
Summarise the main approaches to defining abnormality and use bullet points to identify
problems with each one. Try to think of your own examples of behaviour that is abnormal or
normal and cannot be accounted for by each of the approaches detailed
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Learning Outcome. 5.2.2 Discuss validity and reliability of diagnosis
Diagnostic systems and the validity and reliability of diagnosis.
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5.2.3 Discuss gender, cultural and ethical considerations in diagnosis
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5.3.1 Describe symptoms and prevalence of one disorder from two of the
following groups: anxiety disorders, affective disorders
Affective disorders are characterized by dysfunctional moods. In this section we will focus on
Major Depressive Disorder. (MDD)
Affective disorders
Definitions and diagnosis. Summerise the criteria for major depressive episode.
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Etiology:
Biological level of analysis
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Etiology: Cognitive level of analysis
Etiology: Socio-cultural level of analysis.
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Treatments for major depressive disorder
Biomedical therapy
Individual therapy
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Group therapy:
Anxiety disorders have a form of irrational fear as the central disturbance. In this section we will
focus on phobias.
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Anxiety disorders.
Definition and diagnosis.
Etiology: Biological level of analysis
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Etiology: Cognitive level of analysis
Etiology: Socioc-ultural level of analysis
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Treatment for specific phobias.
Biomedical therapy
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Individual therapy
Group therapy:
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Learning outcome. 5.3.2 Discuss the use of eclectic approaches to treatment
5.3.2
Discuss the relationship between etiology and therapeutic approach in relation to
one disorder
5.3.4 Examine biomedical, individual and group approaches to treatment.
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5.3.5 Discuss the use of eclectic approaches to treatment.
5.3.6 Discuss the relationship between etiology and therapeutic approach in relation to
one disorder.
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Assessment criteria for paper 2:
A knowledge and comprehension.
Marks
0
Level descriptor
The answer does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-3
The answer demonstrates limited knowledge and understanding that is of
marginal relevance to the question. Little or no psychological research is used in
the response.
4-6
The answer demonstrates limited knowledge and understanding relevant to the
question or uses relevant psychological research to limited effect in the
response.
7-9
The answer demonstrates detailed, accurate knowledge and understanding
relevant to the question, and uses relevant psychological research effectively in
support of the response.
B
Marks
Evidence of critical thinking: Application, analysis, synthesis, evaluation
Level descriptor
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0
The answer does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
1-3
The answer goes beyond description but evidence of critical thinking is not linked
to the requirements of the question.
4–6
The answer offers appropriate but limited evidence of critical thinking or offers
evidence of critical thinking that is only implicitly linked to the requirements of the
question.
7–9
The answer integrates relevant and explicit evidence of critical thinking in
response to the question.
C Organization
Marks
Level descriptor
0
1-2
The answer does not reach a standard described by the descriptors below.
The answer is organized or focused on the question. However, this is not
sustained throughout the response.
The answer is well organized, well developed and focused on the question.
3-4
Maximum marks for the paper 22.
Abnormal psychology: sample questions
Question 1. Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks.
“There are controversies surrounding the concept of abnormality.”
With reference to this statement, discuss the concepts of normality and abnormality.
The use of different concepts of abnormality tends to mirror dominant cultural standards,
social values and political views as well as scientific knowledge. Popular conceptions of
normality and abnormality may include the following: the mental health criterion,
abnormality as personal distress, the statistical criterion, abnormality as mental illness,
etc. Also, the psychoanalytic, learning, cognitive and/or humanistic notion of the concept
of abnormality may be discussed. Currently there is a tendency towards integration of
different explanations offered by different levels of analysis in order to provide a
satisfactory explanation of abnormality.
Viewed conceptually, abnormality involves three aspects: diagnosis, understanding the
cause of the problem and therapy to treat the problem. These three elements are closely
intertwined in theory and practice, making it hard to assess one element independently of
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the others. These different approaches have their own interpretation of the origins of
abnormality and currently the primary way of evaluating these various explanations is by
examining the efficacy of the therapies proposed by these explanations.
Candidates may refer to cross-cultural issues, gender biases and research findings when
examining how to define abnormality – e.g. research on cross-cultural differences in
concepts of abnormality, labeling and marginalization as well as gender bias in certain
psychological disorders.
Question 2. Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks.
Describe the symptoms and prevalence of one psychological disorder. Discuss cultural
and/or gender variations in the prevalence of one psychological disorder.
A clear account of both symptoms and the prevalence for one psychological disorder
should be provided. Since the option is focusing on three groups of disorders (anxiety,
affective disorders, eating disorders) candidates should choose one psychological
disorder from any of these groups.
Diagnosis is often based on deviation from social norms (cultural standards of acceptable
behaviour). For example, among some cultural groups, perceiving visions or voices of
religious figures might be part of normal religious experience on some occasions and
aberrant social functioning on other occasions. The interaction between clinician and
patient is rife with possibilities for miscommunication and misunderstanding when they
are from different cultures. Responses may refer to a range of types of psychological
disorders which may be unique to a particular culture. For example, the Chinese
Classificatory system offers “neurasthenia” – a psychological disorder that is not present
in DSM or ICD. On the other hand, depression and anxiety disorders are not extensively
diagnosed there. In past research, there has been an effort to fit culture-bound syndromes
into variants of DSM diagnoses. Rather than assume that DSM diagnostic entities or
culture-bound syndromes are the basic patterns of illness, current investigators in cultural
psychiatry are interested in examining how the social, cultural, and biological contexts
interact to shape illnesses and reactions to them.
Gender differences occur particularly in the rates of common mental disorders –
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depression, anxiety and somatic complaints. Unipolar depression, predicted to be the
second leading cause of global disability burden by 2020, is twice as common in women.
Also, depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms and high rates of comorbidity are
significantly related to interconnected and co-occurrent risk factors such as gender based
roles, stressors and negative life experiences and events. Gender bias occurs in the
treatment of psychological disorders. Doctors are more likely to diagnose depression in
women compared with men.
Gender differences also exist in patterns of help-seeking for psychological disorder.
Question 3. Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks.
Discuss how biological, or cognitive, or socio-culturalfactors influence psychological
disorders.
Candidates can mention the following biological factors in abnormality: role of genes,
biochemistry of the nervous system, injury or brain damage. Biological explanations of
abnormality share certain assumptions: abnormal behavior results from an underlying
physical condition, such as damage to the brain or malfunction of neural processes. This
explanation implies that treatment should be aimed at controlling the underlying disease
by changing the individual’s biochemistry or removing toxic substances. Also, the
strongest
support
for
the
relevance
of
biological
factors
comes
from
psychopharmacology. Currently a large and growing range of drugs have been developed
to deal with many forms of psychological disorders. Although these drugs are beneficial,
it is not clear if they address the root of such disorders or simply mask the symptoms.
Some cognitive factors in abnormality are symbolic mediation of conditioning (e.g.
observational learning) and the influence of faulty cognitions. In certain disorders these
cognitive factors are believed to play a direct causal role in dysfunctional behaviour. For
example irrational beliefs about personal vulnerability are believed to put people at risk
of anxiety. In other disorders cognitive factors may not be the cause of the disorder, but
are themselves the results of neurological factors.
Socio-cultural factors in abnormality that could be presented are: effects of urban/rural
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dwelling, gender and minority status on state of mind. Social factors may partially cause
or trigger a predisposition to a psychological disorder (e.g. depression is linked to poor
family relationships). Also, the actual process of diagnosis is rooted in social processes.
No single approach can explain the etiology of all psychological disorders, nor can it
offer a complete therapy. For this reason, there is growing support for the
biopsychosocial approach, which, as the name implies, takes account of biological,
psychological, and social factors in the etiology and treatment of psychological disorders.
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