Understanding of abnormal psychology | Study notes Abnormal Psychology

Module: PSYC7312

Assignment: ICE Task 1 (online)

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My understanding of abnormal psychology

For me the understanding of normal versus abnormal is subject to a great deal of

controversy. Who gets to decide what is normal, and how do social norms impact our

understanding of what is normal and abnormal? Psychopathology and abnormal behaviour

are issues that are addressed by abnormal psychology, often in clinical settings. People I

think who could work directly in this field could be counsellors, clinical psychologists, and

psychotherapists. Abnormal psychology encompasses many conditions and disorders, from

depression to OCD to personality disorders. Psychologists that specialize in abnormal

psychology observe behaviour, thoughts, and emotions that may be indicative of a mental

health issue. It does not distinguish between normal and abnormal, but rather determines

the level of distress caused by these behaviours, thoughts, or emotions. A person may

require mental health assistance if a behaviour is disrupting their lives or causing serious

problems for others. In such cases, an intervention may be required.

Personal meaning of clinician

Clinicians are meant to treat mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders using the science

of psychology. They are meant to help their clients resolve complex problems and learn new

strategies, as well as build resilience. Clinicians can work in a variety of sectors, including

research, education, training, and health. Psychologists with clinical or counselling

certification receive training in a variety of techniques and theoretical approaches, and so

are a good fit for hospitals, schools, counselling centres, groups or private practices, and

hospital systems. For example: Psychology students who choose to work in clinical practices

may specialize in treating people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or obesity; others

might specialize in treating people with specific psychological disorders like anxiety or

schizophrenia. Other counsellors deliver academic and wellness assistance to children with

learning disabilities or to college students.

Understanding of psychology

At first, I could only provide a textbook discerption which is, psychology is the scientific

study of the mind, mental processes, brain functions and behaviour. However, as I

progressed my knowledge in the field, I understood that it is more complex such as the mind

consists of the brain and its actives, including thought, motion, and behaviour. Abnormal

psychology is one of the subfields that emerged from this branch. The first goal of

psychology is to describe behaviour or cognition. The works of many psychologists

contributed to this field such as Wundt, Watson, Pavlov, Piaget, Skinner, James and many

others. Observations of human behaviour can be used to develop general laws to define

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Module : PSYC Assignment: ICE Task 1 (online)

My understanding of abnormal psychology For me the understanding of normal versus abnormal is subject to a great deal of controversy. Who gets to decide what is normal, and how do social norms impact our understanding of what is normal and abnormal? Psychopathology and abnormal behaviour are issues that are addressed by abnormal psychology, often in clinical settings. People I think who could work directly in this field could be counsellors, clinical psychologists, and psychotherapists. Abnormal psychology encompasses many conditions and disorders, from depression to OCD to personality disorders. Psychologists that specialize in abnormal psychology observe behaviour, thoughts, and emotions that may be indicative of a mental health issue. It does not distinguish between normal and abnormal, but rather determines the level of distress caused by these behaviours, thoughts, or emotions. A person may require mental health assistance if a behaviour is disrupting their lives or causing serious problems for others. In such cases, an intervention may be required. Personal meaning of clinician Clinicians are meant to treat mental, emotional, and behavioural disorders using the science of psychology. They are meant to help their clients resolve complex problems and learn new strategies, as well as build resilience. Clinicians can work in a variety of sectors, including research, education, training, and health. Psychologists with clinical or counselling certification receive training in a variety of techniques and theoretical approaches, and so are a good fit for hospitals, schools, counselling centres, groups or private practices, and hospital systems. For example: Psychology students who choose to work in clinical practices may specialize in treating people with chronic illnesses such as diabetes or obesity; others might specialize in treating people with specific psychological disorders like anxiety or schizophrenia. Other counsellors deliver academic and wellness assistance to children with learning disabilities or to college students. Understanding of psychology At first, I could only provide a textbook discerption which is, psychology is the scientific study of the mind, mental processes, brain functions and behaviour. However, as I progressed my knowledge in the field, I understood that it is more complex such as the mind consists of the brain and its actives, including thought, motion, and behaviour. Abnormal psychology is one of the subfields that emerged from this branch. The first goal of psychology is to describe behaviour or cognition. The works of many psychologists contributed to this field such as Wundt, Watson, Pavlov, Piaget, Skinner, James and many others. Observations of human behaviour can be used to develop general laws to define

these types of actions and responses. Ivan Pavlov, for instance, developed classical conditioning theory by demonstrating the behaviour of dogs in response to different stimuli. The act of changing or controlling behaviour can be attempted once psychology has described, explained, and predicted certain behaviours. For example: individuals with anxiety disorders, including phobias, have been treated with interventions based on classical conditioning. Normal verses Abnormal From a personal point of view, I believe that there is no absolute definition of normalcy or abnormality, since they depend on individual perception and societal norms that in turn depend on contexts, situations, age, gender, and culture. Accordingly, it refers to conforming to societal standards as well as thinking and acting in the same way as the majority, and as such, is generally regarded as good in this context (Brown, 2019). The concept of normalcy for me includes behaviour that is expected or appropriate for a given circumstance. It entails being able to adjust to changing circumstances, manage or control emotions, work efficiently, and form satisfying or at least acceptable relationships. Any impairment in an individual's functioning or maladaptation to changes in life or the environment is referred to as abnormality (Brown, 2019). It is uncommon, or out-of-the- ordinary behaviour. It is characterized by a lack of adaptability to one's society and culture, as well as exaggeration, perversion, or violation of a society's established values, and is often regarded as undesirable. It can be a deficiency or lack of a certain trait, such as restricted intelligence, or just being a statistical rarity, such as being above genius (Brown, 2019)My understanding of abnormality is characterized in abnormal psychology as behaviour that deviates from society norms, is distressing to the individual or close relationships, is dysfunctional in daily life, or is hazardous to oneself or others.. It could also be a personality disorder or emotional instability. Ethical and Legislation consideration Many legal matters must be considered by a licensed counsellor. When the counsellor has a duty to warn or an ethical duty to safeguard the client and others from harm, breaking confidentiality becomes imperative. The counsellor must take precautions to ensure the safety of the client and anybody else they may endanger. For example, in a school counselling environment, some of the most common ethical challenges include issues such as trust, confidentiality, privacy, informed consent, parental rights, time constraints, large counsellor/student ratios, self-harm, advocacy, and collaboration/communication with school stakeholders such as teachers, parents, and administrators (Davis, 2021). Disorder and Treatment Plan There are many different treatment plans available for the different disorders that clients are experiencing. As the therapist I would need to find the best suited interventions that are

Brown, J. (2019, October 18). Difference Between Normality and Abnormality Psychology. Retrieved from differencebetween.net: http://www.differencebetween.net/science/difference-between-normality-and- abnormality-psychology/ Davis, B. (2021, May 14). What are ethical and legal issues in counseling? Retrieved from Mvorganizing.org: https://www.mvorganizing.org/what-are-ethical-and-legal-issues- in-counseling/

Understanding of abnormal psychology, Study notes of Abnormal Psychology

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