Normal Versus Abnormal: Making the Distinction
Definitions of abnormality include deviation from the average, deviation from the ideal, a sense of personal discomfort, the inability to function effectively, and legal conceptions.
Abnormal Behavior: behavior that causes people to experience distress and prevents them from functioning in their daily lives
Perspectives on Abnormality: From Superstition to Science
Medical Perspective: the perspective that suggests that when an individual displays symptoms of abnormal behavior, the root cause will be found in a physical examination of the individual, which may reveal a hormonal imbalance, a chemical deficiency, or a brain injury.
Psychoanalytic Perspective: the perspective that suggests that abnormal behavior stems from childhood conflicts over opposing wishes regarding sex and aggression
Behavioral Perspective: the perspective that looks at the behavior itself as the problem
Cognitive Perspective the perspective that suggests that people’s thoughts and beliefs are a central component of abnormal behavior
Humanistic Perspective: the perspective that emphasizes the responsibility people have for their own behavior, even when such behavior is abnormal
Sociocultural Perspective: the perspective that assumes that people’s behavior (both normal and abnormal) is shaped by the kind of family group, society, and culture in which they live
Classifying Abnormal Behavior
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision (DSM-IV-TR): a system devised by the American Psychiatric Association, used by most professionals to diagnose and classify abnormal behavior.
The Major Psychological Disorders
Anxiety Disorder: the occurrence of anxiety without an obvious external cause that affects daily functioning.
Phobia: intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations
Panic Disorders: anxiety disorder that takes the form of panic attacks lasting from a few seconds to several hour; don’t have identifiable stimuli
Generalized Anxiety Disorder: the experience of long-term, persistent anxiety and worry
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: a disorder characterized by obsessions or compulsions
Obsession: a persistent, unwanted thought or idea that keeps occurring
Compulsion: an irresistible urge to repeatedly carry out some act that seems strange and unreasonable
Somatoform Disorders: psychological difficulties that take on a physical (somatic) form, but for which there is no medical cause
Hypochondriasis: a type of somatoform disorder in which people have a constant fear of illness and a preoccupation with their health
Conversion Disorders: a major somatic disorder that involves an actual physical disturbance, such as the inability to use a sensory organ or the complete or partial inability to move an arm or leg.
Dissociative Disorders: psychological dysfunctions characterized by the separation of different facets of a person’s personality that are normally integrated
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): a disorder in which a person displays characteristics of two or more distinct personalities
Dissociative Amnesia: a disorder in which a significant, selective memory loss occurs (repressed memories)
Dissociative Fugue: a form of amnesia in which the individual leaves home and sometimes assumes a new identity
Mood Disorders: a disturbance in emotional experience that is strong enough to intrude on everyday living
Major Depression: a severe form of depression that interferes with concentration, decision making, and sociability
15 mil Americans suffer from major depression and 6-10% are clinically depressed.
Mania: an extended state of intense, wild elation
Bipolar Disorder: a disorder in which a person alternates between periods of euphoria feelings of mania and periods of depression
Schizophrenia: a class of disorders in which severe distortion of reality occurs
Strong evidence links schizophrenia to genetic, biochemical, and environmental factors. According to the predisposition model, an interaction among various factors produces the disorder.
Personality Disorder: a disorder characterized by a set of inflexible, maladaptive behavior patterns that keep a person from functioning appropriately in society
Antisocial Personality Disorder: a disorder in which individuals show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society or the rights of others (sociopaths)
Borderline Personality Disorder: a disorder in which individuals have difficulty developing a secure sense of who they are.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: a personality disturbance characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance
Childhood Disorders
(diagnosis usually during childhood)
Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD): a disorder marked by inattention, impulsiveness, a low tolerance for frustration, and a great deal of inappropriate activity.
3-5% of the school-age pop (3.5 mil children)
Autism: a severe developmental disability that impairs children’s ability to communicate and relate to others
Psychological Disorders in Perspective
About half the people in the US are likely to experience a psychological disorder at some point in their lives; 30% experience a disorder in any specific year.
The signals that indicate a need for professional help include long-term feelings of psychological distress, feelings of inability to cope with stress, withdrawal from other people, thoughts if inflicting harm on oneself or other people or suicide, prolonged feelings of hopelessness, chronic physical problems with no apparent causes, phobias and compulsions, paranoia, and an inability to interact with others.
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