PSYC 300 Chapter 3: PSYC 300A Chapter 3 Notes
Document Summary
Risk factors: variables correlated with an abnormal outcome. Necessary cause: a condition that must exist for a disorder to occur. If disorder y occurs, then cause x must have preceded it. Most mental disorders have not been found to have necessary causes, although there continues to be a search for such causes. Suf cient cause: a condition that guarantees the occurrence of a disorder. If x occurs, then y will also occur - not always true. Contributory causes: one that that increases the probability of a disorder. If x occurs then the probability of y occurring increases. Time frame under each cause must also be considered. Distal causal factors: causal factors occurring relatively early in life may not show their effects for many years. This may contribute to a predisposition to develop a disorder. E. g. a child may have abusive parents which may predispose them to depression or antisocial behaviours later in life.
