Assignment 3: Perspectives in Abnormal Psychology    Due 2/21/01

Answer each of the following questions in a short paragraph (no more than 50-75 words each).  Answers must be in your own words; you may not quote from the readings or take 5 or more words verbatim from the readings, or use the work of another student.

1. Give the two reasons why correlation does not prove causation (you may want to refer back to Chapter 1 of your text).

2. What is a neurotransmitter, and what is its possible connection to our study of abnormal behavior?

3. Select a specific principle of learning and then briefly describe, with an example of your own, how this principle can help be used as a possible explanation for some form of abnormal behavior.

4. Select a specific principle of cognition and then briefly describe, with an example of your own, how this principle can help be used as a possible explanation for some form of abnormal behavior.

5. Explain what psychologists mean by temperament, and give one example to show how it might be relevant to our efforts to understand abnormal behavior.

The following questions will be discussed in class.  You should be prepared to offer your thoughts if called on.

6. With respect to the concept of causation, what is the point of your text's story about Martians?

7. Give an example, other than those in the text, that illustrates the concept of reciprocal causation; why is this concept important?

8. What is the diathesis-stress model and why is it important?

9. Why it is not likely that a single gene, all by itself, could provide a complete explanation for any form of psychopathology.

10. Imagine reading a scientific study which reports finding a certain abnormality in the cerebral cortex of several children with attention deficit disorder, and that all these children have shown improvement after taking the stimulant medication Ritalin; why does this study not provide us with particularly strong evidence for a neurobiological cause of the disorder?
 
 
 
 
 

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