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ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
An Introduction
WHAT IS ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY?
Psychology = “the science of behavior and
mental processes.”
Define: Science, Behavior, and Mental
Processes
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
Abnormal Psychology = the
scientific study of mental or
behavioral disorders, diseases,
illnesses, dysfunctions,
abnormalities, or problems
3 VOCAB TERMS TO DEFINE “ABNORMAL”
Subjective Discomfort: Feelings of anxiety,
depression, or emotional distress.
NOTE: But people we would consider
definitely abnormal may not feel subjective
discomfort
Example?
VOCAB. CONT.
Social Nonconformity: Disobeying societal
standards for normal conduct; usually leads to
destructive or self-destructive behavior.
NOTE: But it doesn’t always. Is being a
nonconformist always a disorder?
EXAMPLE?
VOCAB CONT.
Statistical Abnormality: Having extreme
scores on some dimension, such as intelligence,
anxiety, or depression.
NOTE: But having a numerically rare
characteristic isn’t always a disorder
Example?
STATISTICALLY ABNORMAL
TWO THINGS TO CONSIDER
Situational Context: Social situation,
behavioral setting, or general circumstances
in which an action takes place
Cultural Relativity: Judgments are made
relative to the values of one’s culture
NORMAL OR ABNORMAL?
Group 1: Gripped by a seizure, Don picks up his manager
and hurls her to her death through a window on the 11th
floor.
Group 2: Vanessa eats nothing at all for 3 days, then
gorges herself on 8 sundaes, vomits, then eats nothing
more for 3 days.
Group 3: Carla’s religious beliefs prevent her from
wearing make-up or drinking alcohol. Her friends do both
NORMAL OR ABNORMAL?
Group 4: Jack burst into the room,
wearing nothing but a bed sheet tied
around his waist with a belt. His eyes
darted from person to person. Finally, he
ran out of the room muttering to himself,
“I’ll get you.”
NORMAL OR ABNORMAL
Group 5: Mary is six years old and has always been
a handful to manage. She’s noisy and active and
never seems to play quietly or sit still. She teases
her younger sister and sometimes gets into fights at
school. She’s cute and bright, but sometimes is
aggressive about getting her own way. She
interrupts in class, takes toys away from other
children, and would prefer to be playing sports
outside rather than reading a book at her desk in
school.
NORMAL OR ABNORMAL
Group 6: Elaine became quite distraught when her
co-worker and close friend left to train as a nurse-
practitioner. Her replacement was “nice enough,”
but Elaine feared the new woman would find her
boring. At age 21, Elaine has only one other friend,
her married sister. At present, Elaine has no social
life at all. At work, she eats lunch alone and is
viewed by other workers as unfriendly
NORMAL OR ABNORMAL?
Group 7: Bill has been coming to work late
this week, and his eyes are puffy and he looks
miserable. He tries to work, but he mostly sits
at his desk weeping. When you ask him what’s
wrong, he says that his wife is leaving him and
he doesn’t know if he’ll survive. He feels that
his life would be worthless without her.
THREE CRITERIA FOR ABNORMALITY
Maladaptive Behavior: Behavior that makes it difficult to function,
to adapt to the environment, and to meet everyday demands
Significant impairment in psychological functioning: Those with
mental illness lose the ability to control thoughts, behaviors, or
feelings adequately
Atypical behavior: behavior that is not typical of the majority of the
population