PSYCO105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 17: Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Hans Moravec, Involuntary Commitment
1 May 2018
School
Department
Course
Professor
Childhood Disorders
❏Typically diagnosed in the children ages, and it typically develops to affect adulthood.
❏Over 20% of children between 2-5 diagnosed with DSM disorder.
❏2 receiving particular attention;
❏Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder
❏Autism.
Attention Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
1. Attentional difficulties → Can not focus when studying, and need to be constantly moving around.
2. Hyperactivity--impulsivity → They are incapable of regulating their own behaviours.
★Children can have one of these or both to be diagnosed.
Autism
❏Mostly boys
❏Social deficits
1. Poor communication
2. Lack of social responsiveness → Do not know how to respond to people.
3. Repetitive and stereotyped behaviours → example rock back and forth. They are doing a
behaviour and continue to repeat it.
a. Researchers have autistic personality because they repeat the same behaviour
over and over but this does not mean they have autism.
4. Some exhibit savant (extraordinary) abilities → Mathematical or musical skills because
they immersed themselves and they became really good at the activity they focused on.
Therefore, they excel in one area.
Autism and Theory of Mind
❏Children with Autism tend to fail the false belief task → unable to recognize that people do not
see everything if they are not present (do not have same perspective).
Autism; Causal Factors
❏Biological basis → Brains are larger by 5-10% (18 months to 4 years old)
❏Abnormal development in cerebellum (movement and attention)
❏Genetic factors (may be 4-6 major genes) → 20-40 other genes are also involved.
❏There is no scientific evidence of link to vaccines.
Other Issues
1. Effects of Labelling
a. Social & Personal → Become too easy to accept label as description of the individual.
i. May accept the new identity implied by the label.
ii. May develop the expected role and outlook.
iii. Self-fulling prophecy theory applies here.
iv. Being sane in insane places? → Put pseudopatients in hospitals
b. Stigma → beliefs about mental health sometimes prevent their acknowledgement.
2. The Law
a. Legal consequence → When considered dangerous
i. Involuntary commitment
ii. Loss of civil rights
iii. Indefinite detainment
iv. Legal Concepts
1. Competency to stand trial (held until better) → State of mind at time of a
judicial hearing.
2. Not guilty by reason of insanity (held in mental hospital for charge) →
state of mind at time crime was committed.
Document Summary
Typically diagnosed in the children ages, and it typically develops to affect adulthood. Over 20% of children between 2-5 diagnosed with dsm disorder. Attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (adhd: attentional difficulties can not focus when studying, and need to be constantly moving around, hyperactivity--impulsivity they are incapable of regulating their own behaviours. Children can have one of these or both to be diagnosed. Social deficits: poor communication, lack of social responsiveness do not know how to respond to people, repetitive and stereotyped behaviours example rock back and forth. Children with autism tend to fail the false belief task unable to recognize that people do not see everything if they are not present (do not have same perspective). Biological basis brains are larger by 5-10% (18 months to 4 years old) Abnormal development in cerebellum (movement and attention) Genetic factors (may be 4-6 major genes) 20-40 other genes are also involved. There is no scientific evidence of link to vaccines.
