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Abnormal
Psychology
Modules 27-29
Definition of Psychological
Disorder
 Harmful
dysfunction in which
behaviors are maladaptive;
unjustifiable; disturbing and
atypical
Each term in the definition is
explained as follows:
Maladaptive- destructive to oneself or
others
 Unjustifiable- without a rational basis
 Disturbing- troublesome to other
people
 Atypical- so different that they violate
a norm (what is acceptable in their
culture)

Philippe Pinel
 French
physician
 First to reform treatment for
mental patients
 Believed humane treatment was
better than other methods such
as chaining them to the wall or
locked up like zoo animals
Classifying Disorders
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DSM-IV-TR which stands for Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Vol. 4
Published by the APA
Has been revised 4 times changed some
things overtime
Vol. 3 stopped listing homosexuality as a
disorder
Vol. 4 changes term from manic depressive
to bipolar disorder.
Danger of labeling people with
psychological disorders--
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Most patients diagnosed with disorders are
fully functioning members of society
Media such as TV shows can greatly
influence people’s perception of
psychological disorders
Recent research into psychological disorders
has taken the mystery out of these disorders
and fostered more understanding.
Psychology student’s disease(this is a real classification)
Don’t overreact as you begin to study
symptoms of these disorders
 Remember– the definition states that
degree is the key to distinguishing
between ”quirks in personality” with
real psychological problems

The 5 categories of disorders
 Anxiety
 Mood
 Dissociative
 Schizophrenia
 Personality
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety- defined as a
vague feeling of
apprehension or
nervousness
Anxiety Disorders
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
 Panic Disorder
 Phobias
 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
 Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Causes of Anxiety Disorders
 Biological
factors- heredity, brain
function, evolution
 Learning factors- conditioning,
observational learning,
reinforcement
Mood Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder
 Bipolar Disorder (formerly called
Manic Depression)

Dissociative Disorders
 Dissociative
Amnesia
 Dissociative Fugue
 Dissociative Identity Disorder
(formerly called multiple
personalities)
Schizophrenia
A
group of severe disorders
characterized by disorganized
and delusional thinking, disturbed
perceptions and inappropriate
emotions and actions
Symptoms of Schizophrenia
 Delusions
 Hallucinations
 Inappropriate
emotions
 Inappropriate behaviors
Types of Schizophrenia
 Paranoid
 Catatonic
 Disorganized
 Undifferentiated
Personality Disorders
Related to anxiety
 With odd or eccentric behaviors
 With Dramatic or Impulsive Behaviors
 Antisocial (also called psychopathic
or sociopathic personality disorder)
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Symptoms of Anti-social
personality disorder
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Can’t be diagnosed until 18 years of age
Repeatedly breaking the law
Deceitful including lying using aliases,
conning others for profit
Impulsive, aggressive, consistent
irresponsibility
Reckless disregard for safety of oneself or
others
Lack of remorse
Borderline Personality
Disorder
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Very emotionsl and unstable relationships
with others (I love you, I hate you)
Extreme short term mood swings,intense
anger or dificulty controlling anger
Unstable self image or sense of self
Avoidance Personality
disorder
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Long standing and complex feelings of
inadequacy
Extreme sensitivity to what others think or
say about them
Social inhibitions( unwilling to get involved
with others unless certain of being likes)
Belief that they are unappealing or inferior to
others