Related Experiment Videos
Two dimensional views of psychopathology
1Department of Psychology, University of Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
Behaviour Research and Therapy
|May 1, 1994
Summary
This study examines dimensional views of psychopathology, suggesting current research inadequately tests the phenomenological perspective and offers weak support for the vulnerability model. New research strategies are proposed for better understanding psychological disorders.
Area of Science:
- Psychology
- Psychopathology Research
Background:
- Dimensional views propose psychopathology symptoms exist on a continuum with normal experience.
- Two key perspectives are the phenomenological view and the vulnerability view.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review research on dimensional views of psychopathology.
- To evaluate the adequacy of current research strategies for testing these views.
Main Methods:
- Review of research utilizing questionnaires from H. J. Eysenck and L. J. Chapman.
- Analysis of existing study designs for testing phenomenological and vulnerability models.
Main Results:
- Current research strategies are insufficient for adequately testing the phenomenological view of psychopathology.
- Existing evidence provides only weak support for the vulnerability view.
Conclusions:
- More direct and robust research methodologies are needed to validate dimensional models of psychopathology.
- Future research should focus on improved strategies to test the phenomenological and vulnerability hypotheses.