The behavioral explanation of obsessive-compulsive disorder focuses on the explanation of compulsions rather than obsessions. Behaviorists believe that these compulsions begin with and are maintained by the classical conditioning.
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How does the biological perspective explain OCD?
Etiology: Biological Models. Many investigators have contributed to the hypothesis that OCD involves dysfunction in a neuronal loop running from the orbital frontal cortex to the cingulate gyrus, striatum (cuadate nucleus and putamen), globus pallidus, thalamus and back to the frontal cortex.
Is there a biological contribution to obsessive-compulsive disorder?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is a serious psychiatric disorder that affects approximately 2% of the populations of children and adults. Family aggregation studies have demonstrated that OCD is familial, and results from twin studies demonstrate that the familiality is due in part to genetic factors.
Is OCD biological or environmental?
OCD is a common debilitating condition affecting individuals from childhood through adult life. There is good evidence of genetic contribution to its etiology, but environmental risk factors also are likely to be involved. The condition probably has a complex pattern of inheritance.
How does biological psychology explain behavior?
The biological approach believes behavior to be as a consequence of our genetics and physiology. It is the only approach in psychology that examines thoughts, feelings, and behaviors from a biological and thus physical point of view. Therefore, all that is psychological is first physiological.
What causes compulsive behavior?
Compulsions are learned behaviours, which become repetitive and habitual when they are associated with relief from anxiety. OCD is due to genetic and hereditary factors. Chemical, structural and functional abnormalities in the brain are the cause.
Is OCD genetic or learned?
The inheritance pattern of OCD is unclear. Overall, the risk of developing this condition is greater for first-degree relatives of affected individuals (such as siblings or children) as compared to the general public.
What part of the brain controls compulsion?
The Orbitofrontal Cortex (OFC)
How can the environment cause OCD?
Environmental factors such as stress, trauma, or even bacteria may also play a role in causing OCD. It’s well-known that stress can trigger OCD. For example, it’s often linked to major life changes, such as: divorce.
How does the biological area explain behaviour?
The biological area focuses on genetic, neurochemical and how the brain and nervous system work as explanations of behaviour and assumes the following: All that is psychological is first physiological: The mind resides in the brain and so all thoughts, feelings and behaviours have a biological cause.
What are the four biological explanations of behavior?
Surname 1 Name Instructor Course Date The four biological explanations of behavior include physiological, evolutionary, ontogenetic and functional. In terms of physiological, behavior is described as an activity of the brain.
How do biological factors affect behavior?
A growing body of evidence suggests that biological factors such as genes, hormone levels, brain structure, and brain functioning influence the development and trajectory of conduct problems in youth.
What are compulsions in psychology?
Compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts that a person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession. The behaviors typically prevent or reduce a person’s distress related to an obsession.
What defines a compulsive behavior?
We suggest the following definition: compulsive behavior consists of repetitive acts that are characterized by the feeling that one has to perform them while one is aware that these acts are not in line with one’s overall goal.
What is an example of a compulsion?
A compulsion can either be overt (i.e. observable by others), such as checking that a door is locked or covert (an unobservant mental act), such as repeating a specific phrase in the mind. Overt compulsions typically include checking, washing, hoarding or symmetry of certain motor actions.
Are you born with OCD or is it developed?
However, while there are some genetic underpinnings that can contribute to a person developing OCD, the causes of OCD are typically a combination of genetic and environmental factors — meaning that both your biology and the circumstances you live in have an effect on OCD development.
Can OCD be a learned behavior?
Genetics. OCD may have a genetic component, but specific genes have yet to be identified. Learning. Obsessive fears and compulsive behaviors can be learned from watching family members or gradually learned over time.
Can you develop OCD out of nowhere?
OCD typically begins in adolescence, but may start in early adulthood or childhood. The onset of OCD is typically gradual, but in some cases it may start suddenly. Symptoms fluctuate in severity from time to time, and this fluctuation may be related to the occurrence of stressful events.
Is Googling a compulsion?
It’s only natural to start by searching on the internet when you have no idea what’s happening, and it’s tempting to keep going back whenever your anxiety really flares up (this is why OCD specialists tend to view Googling as a compulsion).
What is the difference between an obsession and compulsion?
Obsessions are unwanted, intrusive thoughts, images, or urges that trigger intensely distressing feelings. Compulsions are behaviors an individual engages in to attempt to get rid of the obsessions and/or decrease his or her distress.
What happens to the brain during OCD?
Research suggests that OCD involves problems in communication between the front part of the brain and deeper structures of the brain. These brain structures use a neurotransmitter (basically, a chemical messenger) called serotonin.
How do biological processes influence psychological processes such as our mental processes and behaviors?
Biological processes influence psychological processes by providing the actual components that drive mental processes and behaviors. The occipital lobe takes in visual information, processing it to send to further forward lobes. The parietal lobe processes other sensory information, among its duties.
What is the biological perspective in abnormal psychology?
The biological perspective views psychological disorders as linked to biological phenomena, such as genetic factors, chemical imbalances, and brain abnormalities; it has gained considerable attention and acceptance in recent decades (Wyatt & Midkiff, 2006).
What is the main focus of biological psychology?
Biological psychology is concerned primarily with the relationship between psychological processes and the underlying physiological events—or, in other words, the mind-body phenomenon.
What is a biological explanation?
1 : of or relating to biology or to life and living processes. 2 : used in or produced by applied biology. 3 : connected by direct genetic relationship rather than by adoption or marriage her biological father.