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Introduction To Abnormal Psychology
Warda Khan
Just what is Psychology?
•Psychology conjures up images of mental disorders and abnormal behavior. •Psychologists do study the strange and unusual, but they are interested in the normal and commonplace as well.•Just what is psychology? •Today psychology is defined as the scientific study of behavior and mental processes.•Abnormal psychology is the study of behavior, thoughts, and mood that are outside the bounds of what is considered “normal” in a particular culture 2
Abnormal Psychology: Research Methods
The Goals of Psychology
Description Explanation Prediction Control
3Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Descriptive Research Methods
Naturalistic and Laboratory Observation Case Study Survey Research
Experimental method Correlational method
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2002 4Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Self-Report vs. Observational Research
Observational Research Direct observation
Behavior (eg. aggression, interpersonal skills) Physiology (eg. heart rate, stress hormones)
Great way to get information about the way a person’s symptoms manifest themselves
Sometimes the only way to get information about symptoms or a type of pathology
Cannot answer the question “why?”
5Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Descriptive Research Methods
Naturalistic and Laboratory Observation Descriptive Information Observer Bias & Influence Minimal control
Case Study Survey Research
6Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Case Studies (in abnormal psychology)
A detailed account of one person’s pathology Current symptoms and their duration Past symptoms and their duration Personal history Family history Impact of the symptoms on the person’s
life Medical problems
7Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Descriptive Research Methods
Naturalistic and Laboratory Observation Case Study
Small sample but Deep Misintrepretation Time consuming
Survey Research
8Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Descriptive Research Methods
Naturalistic and Laboratory Observation Case Study Survey Research
Descriptive Information Large numbers => good stats Bias possible but not by professionals
9Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Experimental Method
Hypothesis Independent Variable Dependent Variable Experimental Group
Control Group Generalize Findings Problems
Selection Bias Placebo Experimenter Bias
Manipulate
Measure
10Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
The Correlational Method
Relationships not Causes Correlation Coefficient Correlation and Prediction
11Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Correlation Example cont.1st Qtr 2nd Qtr 3rd Qtr 4th Qtr
East 20.4 27.4 90 20.4 0.234512West 30.6 38.6 34.6 31.6North 45.9 46.9 45 43.9 0.621825
East vs West
20
25
3035
40
45
50
0 20 40 60 80 100
East
Wes
t
West vs North
20
25
30
35
40
45
50
0 50 100
North
Wes
t
13Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Psychological Research
Ethics in Research Human Participant in Psychological Research Bias in Psychological Research Use of Animals in Psychological Research
14Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Modern Perspectives in Psychology
Biological Perspective
Neuroscience
Psychoanalytic Perspective
Behavioral Perspective
Cognitive Perspective
Humanistic Perspective
Evolutionary Perspective
Sociocultural Perspective
Copyright © Allyn & Bacon 2002
Holding Declining Increasing
15Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
Psychologists at Work
Clinical 44% Generalists 17.5% Counseling 11% Basic Research 7% Industrial/Organizational 4% School Psychologists 4% Other 4% Educational 3% Developmental Psychologists 3% Social Psychologists 2.5%
16Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
References:
Allyn & Bacon 2002 www.mnforsustain.org/students_scientific_method_vs_correlation_cronbach.htm -
www.psych.umn.edu/.../Week%201%20-%20Introduction%20&%20Research%20Methods%20-%20TO%20POST.ppt
www.le.ac.uk/psychology/amc/lepsrese.html www.brainmass.com/homework-help/psychology/other/151608
18Abnormal Psychology: Research
Methods
