Carolyn R. Fallahi, Ph.D.

Portions of this power point taken from Mash & Wolfe’s

Instructor’s Manual.

• Etiology = causal explanation• In order to study abnormal behavior,

we need to understand all the possible influences.– Case study: Mark– Poor academic performance– Frustration and depressive symptoms– Motivational problems– Parental issues

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There usually is no “single” cause for a psychiatric disorder.• Biological explanation• Psychological explanation• Environmental explanation

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Taken from Mash & Wolfe (2005) 4

Because to understand abnormal behavior, we must view it in relation to what is considered normative.

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Taken from Mash & Wolfe (2005) 6

• Genetic theories• Neurobiological theories• Emotional theories• Behavioral and Cognitive theories• Societal, Cultural, and Family theories

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Gregor Mendel Genetic Theories Phenotype Huntington’s

Disease Single transmission

vs. multifactorial transmission

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• The continuum: main street America, a quirky personality, hours cleaning your apartment, medication and treatment of OCD?????

• The dimensional approach.

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Concordance rates = if 1 twin has a disorder, what is the probability that the second twin will have the disorder?

Fraternal vs. identical twins.

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Concordance Rates for Mental Illness in Twins

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Type of illness Identical twins (%)

Fraternal twins (%)

Autism 60 5

Schizophrenia 40 10

Depression 50 15

Bipolar Disorder 40 10

Are they unmodifiable? Immediate early genes (genes that

produce proteins that enable the brain to respond quickly to a changing environment)

Complex organic chemicals (class of genes that stimulate the production of certain proteins).

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Neural Plasticity and the Role of Experience The brain is organized in a hierarchical process

What about early experiences? Do they make a difference? The answer is YES!

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Genetic Contributions:•All traits = nature versus nurture.•There are very few disorders that result from ONLY a genetic explanation.

•Genes and psychopathology = a small contribution!

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Brain’s neurons make connecticuts at a very fast pace – birth through 24 months.

What does deprivation do to a child? The case of Genie.

Yet… brain plasticity. The cases of Brandi Binder and Antonio Battro (3 and 5 years old).

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Does brain damage cause ADHD and autism? NO.

The role of neurochemistry. 1960’s = research team exposed rats

to an enriched environment. What happened?• Increased levels of acetylcholine.• Heavier cerebral cortices.• Larger cell bodies in cortical neurons.• Increased neuronal connections and

branching.16

The work of David Snowden & his nun study.

Impoverishing experiences, e.g. Hubel & Wiesel and kittens.

What if the environment causes early stress? What does that research say?

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Neurobiological Contributions:•different areas of the brain regulate

different functions and behaviors

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Endocrine system The brain stem Thalamus Hypothalamus Cerebellum Forebrain Limbic system Hippocampus, cingulate gyrus,

septum and amygdala

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Caudate nucleus Limbic system Basal ganglia Cerebral cortex 2 hemispheres – left and right Corpus collosum Occipital lobes Parietal lobes Temporal lobes Frontal lobes

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At what age is the brain finished developing?

Pruning – use it or lose it. The role of myelination.

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Neurobiological contributions• hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis• neurotransmitters make biochemical

connections between different parts of the brain; those most commonly implicated in psychopathology include seratonin, benzodiazepine-GABA, norepinephrine, and dopamine

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Mash & Wolfe (2005, p. 41)

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Neurotransmitter Normal Functions Implicated role in psychopathologyBenzodiazepine-GABA Reduces arousal and moderates

emotional responses, e.g. anger, hostility, and aggression. Linked to feelings of anxiety and discomfort.

Anxiety disorder

Dopamine May act as a switch that turns on various brain circuits, allowing other neurotransmitters to inhibit or facilitate emotions or behavior. Is involved in exploratory, extroverted, and pleasure-seeking activity

SchizophreniaMood disordersADHD

Norepinephrine Facilitates or controls emergency reactions and alarm responses. Plays a role in emotional and behavioral regulation

Not directly involved in specific disorders (acts to regulate or modulate behavioral tendencies)

Serotonin Plays a role in information processing and motor coordination. Inhibits children’s tendency to explore their surroundings. Moderates and regulates a number of critical behaviors, e.g. eating, sleeping, and expressing anger.

Regulatory problems, e.g. eating and sleeping disorders. OCDSchizophrenia and mood disorders

Emotional Influences:•emotions tell us what to pay attention to and provide motivation for action

•children may have difficulties in emotion reactivity or emotion regulation

•temperament shapes the child’s approach to the environment and vice versa

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Behavioral and Cognitive Influences:•classical conditioning•Operant conditioning•social learning•social cognition

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Ecological models •describe the child’s environment as a series of nested and interconnected structures•Urie BronfenbrennerEcological – a theory by Urie Bronfenbrenner (1979)MicrosystemMesosystemExosystemMacrosystem

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Evolution and Attachment • attachment theory emphasizes the evolving

child-caregiver relationship, which helps the child to regulate behavior and emotions, especially in conditions of threat or stress

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The Family and Peer Context• increasingly, the study of individual

factors and the study of the child’s context are being seen as mutually compatible and beneficial to both theory and intervention

• family system theorists study children’s behavior in relation to other family members

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