Abnormal psychology is a field in psychology that addresses dysfunctions in behavior which are determined abnormally by standards of behavior .These standards have been established by clinical professionals in the field such as medical doctors, psychiatrists and psychologists. Behaviors considered to be abnormal are; schizophrenia, depression, attention deficit disorder, eating disorder, sexual deviance, obsessive compulsive disorder and anti-social disorder (Cherry, 2012). These disordered function outside the normal parameters of the functional behaviors considered to be standard. The paper will look at the origins of abnormal psychology and challenges when it comes to the classification and definition of normal and abnormal behavior. It will also look at how abnormal psychology has evolved into a scientific discipline. It will finally look at the theoretical models that have led to the advancement of understanding psychopathology.
Origins of Abnormal psychology
Abnormal psychology has been undergoing tremendous changes and progress. It is a very controversial field of study as there are no definite answers to some basic questions raised concerning the issue. Abnormal psychology is thus a very challenging course but the challenges are what make it interesting. The notions put forth in trying to explain abnormal psychology was the organic physiology of an imbalance in the humors which is considered as an influence of body fluids. Body fluids were considered to be under the influence of environmental factors like food and weather. These are what prompt behavior considered being out of the norm and hence providing a premise to abnormal psychology (Crawford, 2010). Contemporary assessments have given more details which can be used for diagnosis. Chemical imbalances occurring in the brain as well as neurotransmitters which are unable to function at a highest level have been determined as source origins of many mental health disorders classified under abnormal psychology.
Challenges in defining or classifying normal and abnormal behavior
Even if particular contexts suggest that a behavior is abnormal, it is quite challenging to define a normal and abnormal behavior. This is because...
Abnormal Psychology is often misunderstood as a field of psychology because it deals with behavior that "creates a problem for an individual or society" -- and hence, the question immediately arises as to just what is "abnormal" and what is "normal"? The AP Psychology 7th Edition (Sharpsteen, et al., 2005) text suggests that abnormal behavior is "maladaptive or pathological behavior" and before determining whether a behavior is abnormal or not,
There were two major ideas of the origin of abnormal behaviors. The somatogenic perspective viewed the abnormal behaviors came from biological causes, while the psychogenic perspective believed that psychological factors were more dominant in the existence of abnormal behavior, (Comer 2006). Scientists began to see patters within various types of abnormal behavior, which then helped to facilitate the study of such behaviors and how they might be handled in
.. seeks to observe, compare, classify, and relate the facts of abnormal conduct, thought, and feeling for the primary purpose of understanding them. It approaches these phenomena in much the same way that the mathematician or the botanist studies his subject matter. (Hollingworth 8) There are other various standpoints and perspectives on abnormal behavior. A different perspective on the subject which in fact adds to the depth of understanding of abnormal psychology
The DSM explicitly "strives to be atheoretical, using merely observationally referent terms. The hope with this is to make the manual as acceptable as possible to professionals with different theoretical orientations (Gilles-Thomas 1989, Lecture 2). Specific criteria and systematic descriptions are offered as guidance for making diagnoses. "Essential features, associated features, prevalence rates, sex ratios, family patterns, and differential diagnoses are listed" and it is noted when "alternative or
6. Describe some of research findings that demonstrate the importance of relationships to our psychological well-being. A group of researchers from the University of Georgia and the University of Kansas have found that attractive people do tend to have more social relationships and therefore an increased sense of psychological well-being. The significance of attractiveness in everyday life is not fixed, or simply a matter of human nature. The force of our
Abnormal Psychology: Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is a group of paranoiac disorders depicted by agitation in thinking, cognition, affect, behavior, and communication that last longer than six months. There is five recognized kind of schizophrenia and they are catatonic, paranoid, disorganized, undifferentiated, and residual. Illusion, hallucinations, catatonic behavior, and irrationality are some of the elementary symptoms. No solitary characteristic is present in all types of schizophrenia. The source of schizophrenia is unascertained. There are
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