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Prior to 18th century
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Medical Model considers forms of abnormal
behavior to be a disease
The major issue with diagnosis of abnormal
behavior:
Where is the line between abnormal
behavior and illness?
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What determines a psychological disorder?
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Clinical Criteria:
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1.) Deviance – Behavior deviates from what society
considers acceptable
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2.) Maladaptive – Behavior interferes with person’s
everyday functioning
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3.) Personal Distress- Behavior causes person some
distress
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Diagnosis issues
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Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-IV)
◦ This book outlines the system for classifying
psychological disorders
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1.) Generalized Anxiety Disorder
2.) Phobic Disorder
3.) Panic Disorder
◦ A.) Agoraphobia
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4.) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
5.) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
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1.) Generalized Anxiety Disorder
◦ Marked by chronic, high level of anxiety not tied to
any specific threat
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2.) Phobic Disorder
◦ Person has a persistent and irrational fear of object or
situation presenting no real danger (phobia)
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3.) Panic Disorder
◦ Recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety that
usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly
 Often leads to agoraphobia
◦ Agoraphobia – fear of going out to public places
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4.) Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
◦ Marked by persistent, uncontrollable intrusions of
unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and urges to engage
in senseless rituals (compulsions)
◦ Some common behaviors
◦ Howard Hughes
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5.) Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
◦ Enduring psychological disturbance attributed to
experience of a major traumatic event.
 Example events
 Symptoms
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Seems to be a moderate genetic
predisposition
These may be acquired through classical or
operant conditioning
◦ How so?
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A certain style of thinking may lead a person
to be more vulnerable
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Dissociative Identity Disorder (Multiple
Personality Disorder)
◦ Involves coexistence in one person of two or more
largely complete and usually very different
personalities
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Characteristics:
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Specific cause of disorder unknown
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Some believe disorder is not real:
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Others believe it is authentic
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Major Depressive Disorder
◦ Persistent feelings of sadness and despair + loss of
interest in previous sources of pleasure
◦ Symptoms:
◦ Average episode length
◦ Percentage of Americans who suffer at some point:
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Bipolar Disorder
◦ Marked by experience of both depressed and manic
periods
◦ What is behavior like during manic period?
◦ What is behavior like during depressed period?
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Heredity can cause a predisposition
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Neurochemical factors
◦ Abnormal levels of norepinephrine and serotonin
may contribute
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Sample Clip
◦ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGnl8dqEoPQ
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What percentage of population may be afflicted
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Symptoms:
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1.) Delusions and Irrational Thought
◦ Sample thoughts
◦ Delusions of grandeur
◦ Chaotic, non linear thinking
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2.) Deterioration of Adaptive Behavior
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3.) Distorted Perception
◦ Auditory Hallucinations most common
◦ Hallucinations – Sensory perceptions that occur in
absence of a real, external stimulus
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4.) Disturbed Emotion
◦ Flattening of emotions or inappropriate emotional
responses to situations