EDs: Anorexia Nervosa- Psychological Explanations

?
What are the 3 psychodynamic explanations?
Control (Bruch), Remain pre-pubescent (Crisp) and Family Systems (Minuchin).
1 of 20
Outline the Control explanation by Bruch.
Argues that parents of anorexics are domineering&controlling (e.g. parents may choose child's a-level subjects)&female an's are 'good girls' so they feel controlled by desires/demands of others so thinness & starvation are signs of self-control&ind.
2 of 20
What did Bruch say the children experience?
"such children experience themselves as not... owning their bodies."
3 of 20
Make an evaluative point on Bruch's explanation.
Cause and Effect is difficult to establish: the parents may become controlling as a result of their child developing anorexia.
4 of 20
Outline the Remain Pre-Pubescent explanation by Crisp.
Due to over-dependence on parents, girls may fear becoming sexually mature&independent- AN prevents 'sexuality' ('boy-like') and causes amenorrhea so Crisp claims they avoid sexuality and pregnancy in particular by becoming anorexic.
5 of 20
Evaluate Crisp's explanation.
+Evidence proves that anorexics will eat as long as they don't gain weight which supports the theory that they don't eat merely to prevent puberty. - Gender Biased (doesn't explain why men get AN).
6 of 20
Outline p1 of the Family Systems explanation by Minuchin et al.
AN is the result of dysfunctional family systems: when there is marital discord a teen w/ AN might bring partners closer again because the attention is on the anorexic child rather than their marital problems.
7 of 20
Outline p2 of the Family Systems explanation by Minuchin et al.
An 'enmeshed pattern'- fam's over involved in each other's lives & adolescence threatens to expose 'closeness facade' so AN means fam can maintain illusion of being harmonious because they have a mutual focus which unites them.
8 of 20
Evaluate Minuchin's explanation.
-Evidence in this regard is unclear (Gaves &North). - Difficult to establish cause and effect because fam member with AN could cause stress which is mistaken for the stress which caused AN.
9 of 20
Evaluate the Psychodynamic approach.
-Gender Bias, are family probs a cause or an effect?, unfalsifiable, based on case studies: small sample=hard to generalise. + BUT, in depth info gained from case studies, treatments based on this are effective: some degree of accuracy.
10 of 20
What are the Debates of the Psychodynamic Explanation?
Is Psychology a Science? (unfalsifiable), Nature v. Nurture (nature dominant), Deterministic (no choice over becoming anorexic), NOT reductionist (diverse range of causes).
11 of 20
What 2 sections are the Behaviourist approach split into?
Operant Conditioning and Social Learning Theory.
12 of 20
Outline Operant Conditioning as a cause of Anorexia.
ED's= learned behavior that is maintained through pos. reinforcements (e.g. successful diet= compliments of weight loss) which encourage behaviour to be repeated. Restricting eating may be slimming but anorexics take it too far.
13 of 20
Outline Social Learning Theory as a cause of Anorexia.
Mass Media portrays female body shape as being slender and slim which, if role models are the same, may contribute to the development of anorexia.
14 of 20
What 3 studies can be used to evaluate the Behaviourist approach?
Barlow&Durand- 'Miss America' Contestants, Lee- China, and Hoek.
15 of 20
What did Barlow and Durand's 'Miss America' study find?
Over 50% of contestands were 15% below their normal body weight, decrease in average weight over last 30 years: IDEAL SIZE NOW SEEN AS SLIM.
16 of 20
What did Lee find in China?
Eating Disorders are rare in China because dieting is not part of the culture- thinness seen as sign of ill-health and wasting food is unlucky (BUT, Chinese doctors may not report EDs because they're not familiar to them).
17 of 20
What did Hoek find?
Found 8 definite cases of anorexia after searching medical records on the Caribbean Island Curaco, where 'fat is beautiful': cases hadn't been reported because they weren't expected.
18 of 20
Evaluate the Behaviourist Explanation.
+ = strong case for persistance of anorexia, role modelling explains the incr. in recent years: also why more AN fem's. - = doesn't explain why many women diet due to media but aren't anorexic & why dieting continues when pos. reinforcements stop.
19 of 20
What are the Issues and Debates with the Behaviourist Explanation?
Ethics (sensitivity needed), Reductionist (doesn't acknowledge other theories: simplistic), Free Will v. Determinism (can't stop media from causing AN), Nature V Nurture (ignores nature debate).
20 of 20

Other cards in this set

Card 2

Front

Outline the Control explanation by Bruch.

Back

Argues that parents of anorexics are domineering&controlling (e.g. parents may choose child's a-level subjects)&female an's are 'good girls' so they feel controlled by desires/demands of others so thinness & starvation are signs of self-control&ind.

Card 3

Front

What did Bruch say the children experience?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

Make an evaluative point on Bruch's explanation.

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

Outline the Remain Pre-Pubescent explanation by Crisp.

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
View more cards

Comments

No comments have yet been made

Similar Psychology resources:

See all Psychology resources »See all Eating disorders resources »