PSYB32H3 Study Guide - Final Guide: Abnormal Psychology, Action Potential, Grey Matter
Document Summary
A paradigm is a conceptual framework or general perspective. Because the paradigm within which scientists and clinicians work helps to shape what they investigate and find, understanding paradigms helps us to appreciate subjective influences that may affect their work. Several major paradigms are current in the study of psychopathology and therapy. The choice of a paradigm has important consequences for the way in which abnormal behavior is defined, investigated, and treated. The genetic paradigm holds that psychopathology is caused or at least influenced by heritable factors. Recent genetic findings show how genes and the environment interact, and it is this type of interaction that will figure most prominently in psychopathology. The neuroscience paradigm emphasizes the role of the brain, neurotransmitters, and other systems, such as the hpa axis. Biological treatments attempt to rectify the specific problems in the brain or to alleviate symptoms of disorders, often through the use of drugs.
