approches+to+psyc+wiki

Psychology: Case study #6

Names:

For the case study listed below you are to attempt to identify how each of the six (seven?) approaches to psychology would attempt to explain and solve the issues brought up. Please be as detailed as you can be. Only one summary needs to be turned in for your group.

Kathy is a twenty-one year old female. Kathy is in her senior year at a prestigious university and is studying pre-law. Kathy has always been a straight A student and fine athlete. Kathy has been told she should enter a local beauty pageant because of her incredible looks. Recently Kathy has been preoccupied with food. She is concerned that she is becoming overweight and has begun counting and recording all of her calories. She has also given some thought to smoking as a way to help her maintain her weight. On several occasions Kathy has admitted to throwing up her food, but indicated she might have had a mild case of food poisoning or the flu. Kathy’s weight is actually going down and her friends are concerned for her.

How would each of the psychological approaches we have discussed explain what is happening to Kathy and how would they prescribe treatment?

Biopsychological there doesnt seem to be enough information on this topic to descuss the biological aspect of what she is going through

Behaviorism she has a pattern of a version of self harm and she seems like she is always trying something new to get ride of or maintain a specific weight

Humanism in this study one would gather that she is not growing inside that she might be alone and afraid of what is going on with her she might also be uncomfortable or it could be a past trauma that she has not dealt with that is holding her back and dragging her down

Psychoanalytical she has a strong will to be smaller than what she is because she is self concious even though people have told her that she is beautiful and that there is nothing wrong with her at all in her mind she is not perfect to her standards so she is striving for more and more

Cognitive if this approach is taken we might find that she is not focusing on the good things in her life and just magnifying the small things

Sociocultural the trend seems to be that beauty is small and petite and you have to fight a certain size shape and weight in order to fit in and be popular or likeable

Eclectic (best combination of all approaches) i would have her write down every thing past and persent that is bothering her and see if it is her choices that are making her feel bad or if it is the choices of someone else that are infulencing her life and her judgement to see where the anger at herself and her body comes from and try to focus on the fact that she is perfect the way she is and if she would like to loose weight or smoke that it is for he and not for anyone else basically reinforcing self worth and making sure that it is coming from with in her and not from some one around her because she is the one that has control over her life and her feelings not anyone else

What other information would you like to have to help you get a clearer picture of what is happening to Kathy? what is her weight and height what does she eat how is she sleeping what is going on in her life what are hobbies and so forth