Andrea Yates: the Behavioral Perspective

Andrea Yates A lot of human behavior patterns are based on genetics, including the human nervous system and brain, hormonal systems, neurology, and genetics. Andrea was diagnosed with depression and also took medication. She overdosed at her parent’s house in June 1999. Doctors told her she shouldn’t have anymore children because they saw the path she could be going down. They thought having more children would bring more stress and increase her depression and her trying to commit suicide. Despite what the doctor’s recommendation she had 5 children. She took care of her father as well who suffered from Alzheimer’s and “was completely out of it said Jutta Kennedy. Her mother also said how her father always doted on Andrea, she was his baby. When she was taken off her medication she killed her children the next day.

The Behavioral Perspective focuses on observable behaviors; but does not speculate about mental processes such as thinking. Also on learning in understanding how various behaviors occur. She was very smart and educated. Andrea was a very private lady that kept to herself. When she quit being a nurse to be a home wife she started to lose control. Andrea and Russell didn’t turn to anyone else but themselves. She didn’t act like a regular murderer, she cared about her family and always thought of other people before herself.

Cognitive psychologists are interested in how a person understands, diagnoses, and solve a problem, concerning themselves with the mental processes that mediate between stimulus and response. Andrea had a mental illness and wanted to find a solution to it. She tried medication but it only helped when she was taking it. She was blinded by what was happening to her mind. So there for she didn’t understand what she was doing to her family and herself. Andrea didn’t even know “she was just spiraling down” said her husband. She also had many ups and down with her emotions. One day she was fine and the next she was