We have already come across the idea that something can be directly unobservable but nevertheless can be inferred on the basis of more observable manifestations.

If you nd it dicult to remember, go back to the section

“Concepts and principles of the cognitive approach to behaviour” in Unit 3 and review the debate between behaviourists with their concept of “black box” and cognitive psychologists. In that unit we concluded that models can be used to scientically study mental phenomena in psychology. Interestingly, this last approach to dening abnormality is also a “model”.

What makes the medical model a “model”?