Abnormal Psychology Exam 1
What does abnormal mean? -
away from normal
Importance of defining abnormality -
- Definitions are the first step to solutions
- definitions give us a common understanding of the issue
- Defining isn't easy, but we try; people disagree to definitions to words sometimes.
Indicators of Abnormality -
subjective distress, maladaptiveness, statistical deviancy, violation of the standards of
society, social discomfort, irrationality and unpredictability, dangerousness
subjective distress -
emotion or internal experience that is distressing to the individual, but cannot be
directly observed by others
Maladaptiveness -
Abnormal indicator involving acting in ways that make others fearful or interfere
with their well-being.
-Finding a way to cope
statistical deviance -
There is no disorder that everyone has
violating standards of society -
Our society has rules, and if we break them obviously people see it as abnormal.
social discomfort -
when someone violates an implicit or unwritten social rule, those around him or her
may experience a sense of discomfort or unease
irrationality and unpredictability -
behavior or states of mind that are so out of the expected and ordinary that it impairs
one's participation in the culture
Dangerousness -
a person's potential for doing harm to the self or to others
Cross cultural comparisons -
- Some mental disorders are constant across cultures (schizophrenia)
-Some are not consistent (Koro: a penis gets sucked back in and you die from it)
-Understanding culture is crucial to understand abnormality
abnormality -
Any pattern of behavior that causes people significant distress, causes them to harm
themselves or others, or interferes with their ability to function in daily life.
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