Political Economy and Culture in Japan

Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Psychopathology essays

Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Psychopathology essays Psychological Defense Mechanisms and Psychopathology Defense mechanisms are in place in animals to protect them from threats in the environment. However, in humans, too much attention to perceived threat stimuli can result in mental disorders such as anxiety disorders and depressive illness. Perceived threats are processed through areas of the brain designed for fast action, which can result in overreaction. Defense mechanisms can be triggered so quickly that they take precedence over conscious thinking. Defense behaviors can be active-energized, such as fight or flight, or passive inhibited, such as passive avoidance. One example of this is social phobia, which is related to avoidance. If a person perceives a social situation or some element of it as threatening, he or she may avoid social situations altogether and hence misses the opportunity to derive the benefits that can result from positive social interaction, such as making new friends or meeting potential romantic partners. Another way to deal with perceived threats is the attack first strategy, in which a person feels threatened and deals with the situation by attacking the person (or animal) first. In humans this can lead to bullying, the purpose of which is to express a sufficient amount of aggression so that potential challengers will not choose to make a challenge. Another way that this could be handled is through the forming of social alliances, which a person would not be able to do if he or she had trouble as mentioned in the preceding paragraph. The origins of social threat originate from the attempts of people to meet biosocial needs, i.e. seeking sexual partners, forming alliances, and acquisition of resources. ...

Discuss the impact and possible effects of witnessing domestic Essay

Discuss the impact and possible effects of witnessing domestic violence as a child. Use psychological theory to explain your answer - Essay Example estimated that an alarming 41.5 per cent of women in society have been physically assaulted (Buzawa, Buzawa and Stark, 2012).Furthermore, domestic violence is not, however, just a phenomenon impacting women. Evidently, approximately 40 per cent of all domestic violence victims in the United Kingdom were men between 2004 and 2009, according to the British Crime Survey (Campbell, 2010).Notably, an international study involving a recruited sample of, 1,393 adolescents indicated that prevalence of domestic violence was an element of lifestyle. Evidently, with 67 per cent of respondents indicating experience with some form of symbolic parental aggression, in other words, symbolic aggression entails the use of vulgar language when referring to the child, disorderliness of the parent as a result of excessive consumption of alcohol among other factors. (Lepisto et al., 2011). Consequently, understanding the potential impact and effects of domestic violence on children is important as it has become a pervasive social problem. In fact, this essay seeks to highlight some of the causes of domestic violence in a bid to relate it to the growth and development of adolescents. Therefore, knowledge in this area will serve to improve the manner in which children are raised appropriately in the society On the contrary, there are compelling long-term psychological implications for victims who are harassed in an environment where domestic violence is prevalent. Fear, anxiety, depression, nightmares and even post-traumatic stress disorder are common psychological problems that occur as a result of being victimized domestically (Henslin, 2005). However, of much greater concern is the impact on children who have been witness to domestic violence. In fact, a study conducted by Adverse Childhood Experiences revealed that children who are regularly exposed to domestic violence were at a much higher risk for development of physical health issues, mental and behavioural problems, social