Before discussing the definition of abnormal psychology, it is first important to identify the real meaning of the word “Abnormal”. For laymen to be asked of the definition of the word Abnormal, it is common to encounter answers such as people and behaviors that is weird, strange and odd. These characterizations are not enough to fully describe the true and deeper meaning of the word Abnormal. It is important to consider characteristics in defining abnormal such as whether the behavior is causing impairment in a person’s life, also if it hinders the person in functioning properly and successfully in different aspect of his or her life such as psychological, interpersonal and personal achievement and performance. When these actions and behaviors are present it is safe to say that it is a sign of an abnormal behavior that can later on develop in to an psychological disorder. Abnormal Psychology is defined as the study of mental disorders, which also can be referred to as mental illness, psychological disorders or psychopathology. It studies different aspects of mental disorders from what the behavior and person look like or symptoms to the reason why the disorder occur or its etiology. Also abnormal psychology deals with how to address and maintain the disorders especially the people exhibiting these symptoms and also what effects and possible dangers these abnormal behaviors have on the person and the people around them (Davila, n.d). Abnormal psychology is a branch of
After reading Chapter 2 of Ronald J. Comer’s book, Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, I now understand key principles of 4 models that that contribute to understanding abnormalities. The first model is the biological model, which can be linked to Roman and Greek times as I read in chapter 1. It mainly states that the cause of psychological abnormalities is that of physical illness. In addition, the abnormalities are introduced because of malfunctioning parts in the brain. This includes the possible malfunction of neurons that are found in the cerebrum and the possible malfunction of these neurons and the transmissions between them. Other factors may include genes, evolution and viral infections
Abnormal behavior relates to the influence of psychological factors, biological factors as well as the social factors referring to inadequate relationships. In the face of diverse definition, abnormal behavior refers to the deviating from norm, which norm is the typical behavior or characteristic of the population. As such, Jim behavior is abnormal because it violates moral and conventional mores of the society (Violates societal standards), as such causing social discomfort to others. For instance, Jim fails to recognize the social cues in conversation thereby annoying other interlocutors. Jim is this case is behaving in a manner counterproductive to his own well being by
This research paper will examine the concepts of psychopathology, or abnormal psychology and how it deals with a various set of symptoms or behaviors that manifested by functional impairments in a person’s life. Psychological disorders (e.g. Major Depressive Disorder) and the causes of abnormal behaviour have been understood by a various different theories and have been documented throughout historical transformations. Additionally, this research illustrates the Causes of the Depression,
"even our negative emotions help us survive. for example, aren't our suspicious often justified?" most likely someone with a ______ theoretical perspective made this statement "I knew right after we got home from the hospital that our kid had a problem," the parents said. unless the parent is using 20-20 hindsight, the child's diagnosis most likely is "i'm concerned about Ritalin use; its possible effects on children's growth, and its increasing heart-attack risk in hypertensive adults" an acquaintance worries. your best reply, based on the most recent research is "it is obvious that this case of obsessive-compulsive personality disorder arises from an early childhood fixation." which type of psychologist
The goal of this course is to provide students with an overview of topics related to abnormal psychology. The primary emphasis of this course will be on classification of psychopathology and the symptoms associated with different syndromes.
Ever since my later adolescence years, I have always been intrigued by the diverse complexity of the human brain. Numerous days I have sat down obtrusively observing my surroundings just to satisfy my curiosity on how individuals think, reason and problem solve everyday life happenings. As such, when it was time to attend university, I decided to study psychology as a means of gaining knowledge and understanding about individuals’ cognitive processes and their behavior. During my undergraduate studies, for a particular reason, I was struck by Abnormal Psychology and spent hours thinking about the various disorders captured by the then Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV). I spent an awful lot of time trying to understand the differing disorders and how their impact on the behavior and thinking processes of individuals that are diagnosed with them.
Although psychology is a very broad topic, there are many sub-topics that make up what psychology is and it’s contents. Some of those sub-topics include abnormal psychology,
by the brain to other parts of the body are not normal in people with
Abnormal and clinical psychology are two branches in the field of psychological studies. In simple words, abnormal psychology can be defined as the study of people who engage in unusual behavior and emotional thoughts. These actions and thoughts are considered abnormal compared to those of other members of society, and they significantly interfere with their functioning in life. Clinical psychology goes hand in hand with abnormal psychology because it is the study that deals with the assessment and treatment of those abnormal actions. Learning about these branches of psychology can help us understand and predict behaviors of people who that are affected by these disorders. It is also essential to advance our knowledge to help assess the people who suffer these illnesses to lead a life of better quality. In this paper, a case study that entails a brief vignette of a 35 year old paralegal named Greg will be analyzed. According to concepts of abnormal and clinical psychology, Greg will be diagnosed with the psychological disorder of obsessive-compulsive disorder (more formally known as OCD) that might have originated in the anal stage of the psychoanalytic theory, for which cognitive behavioral therapy will be used as a possible treatment.
Jeffrey was arrested in the same year, 1988, for sexually fondling and drugging a young teenage boy (age thirteen); for this, he was put on probation for five years and for one year he was assigned to a work release camp where he was registered as a sex offender from the incident with the thirteen year old boy. Due to good behavior and a built up trust with the authorities, Dahmer was paroled from his work release camp two months early.
There are several models of abnormality in use today (Comer, 2009) lists “The Biological Model…”, “The Psychodynamic Model…”, The Behavioral Model…”, The Cognitive Model…”, The Humanistic-Existential Model…”, The Sociocultural Model…” (p.33). The biggest contrasts would be the Biological model, and the other models. Comparing the biological model, and the cognitive model will highlight those differences.
Psychological dysfunction is somewhat not satisfactory on the account of the behavior is contiuum. A more sensative impairment would not meet the standards for a disorder. Personal distress, by itself, this criteria doesn’t define abnormal behavior, because distress can be a normal reaction to a trumatic situation. Psychological diorders, by meaning, the suffering and distess is missing. Atypical or not culturally accepted is insufficient when it refers to someone such as a person with an extremely high IQ, who’s atypical but not dysfunctional. Culturally
In the management of patients, it is essential ambulance clinicians understand and adhere to the proficiency ethics set out by the Health Care Professions Council (HCPC, 2014). Furthermore, as a student ambulance clinician I now recognise the relevance of possessing non-technical skills as well as an in-depth knowledge of theoretical subjects such as ethics and law, professionalism and abnormal psychology is equally essential for efficient patient care.
Abnormal behavior was once viewed as an embarrassment to society. Those who suffered from a mental illness or displayed abnormal behavior were locked away and never spoken of. Today abnormal behavior is viewed much differently. With the study of psychology and the help of the medical field, abnormal behavior has become better understood. This essay will discuss the major theories for the cause of abnormal behavior, how abnormal behavior is diagnosed and what type of behavioral issues are related to abnormal behavior.
Shutter Island is a film depicting several of the many facets of Abnormal Psychology as defined and studied over the course of this term. Several of the concepts discussed in our lectures and demonstrated during our classroom time were evident and vividly depicted in the film including personality disorders past and present; stress and anxiety disorders; psychosis, and mood disorders. There were others subtly displayed in the film however, these listed were of primary focus and coincidence most closely with our study this term. While focusing more on the abnormal, Shutter Island