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Abnormal Behavior
or
Psychological
Disorders
Content as per College Board
Abnormal Behavior 7-9 %
What is Normal?
In a small group of 3-5
students, determine what
you would call “normal”
Not who, what is normal?
What is well-being?
 In this same group, identify what is
psychological order or well-being.
 Is it just an absence of a disorder?
 Is it more like that which makes a
person healthy?
 List 3-5 characteristics that make a
person have “well-being”
Well being
 Self acceptance
 Positive relations with others
 Autonomy
 Environmental mastery
 Purpose in life
 Personal growth
 ****As defined by Carol Ryff
What is a disorder?
 There is no one absolute definition of
psychological disorders
 A continuum exists between mental
health and pathology
 Some proposed definitions include:
 NOTE: Sanity and Insanity are legal
definitions
American Psychiatric
Association
 A psychological disorder can be
defined as a pattern of behaviors or
psychological symptoms that cause
significant personal distress and/or
impairs the ability to function in one
or more important areas of life.
In your small group,
 Review and discuss the provided assignment.
 “What is Disordered Behavior?”
 Record your thoughts upon discussion.
 We will discuss this in 5-7 minutes.
 PBJ
Who suffers from
disorders?
 Ideas? (no p in pb and j)
 Diathesis-Stress Model
Historical Perspectives on
Abnormal Behavior
 The ancient world
 Greece
Hippocrates
Galen
 China
Chung Ching
The Middle Ages
 Europe
 Islamic Countries
The Renaissance
 Teresa of Avila
 Johann Weyer and Reginald
Scot
Humanitarian Reforms
th
of 18th-19 centuries
 Philippe Pinel
 William Tuke
 Benjamin Rush
 Dorothea Dix
Deinstitutionalization
 Occurred due to scientific
advances of the 20th century
 MRI, PET
 Psychopharmacology
 Release of patients back into
their usual community using
out- patient care
Modes or Perspectives of
Psychological Disorders
The Biopsychological
Perspective
The Psychoanalytical
Model
The Behavioral Model
The Cognitive Model
The Biopsychosocial
Model
Others?
The DSM-V
 On Amazon.com
 $117
 Available on Kindle
The DSM-V
 Published by the
American Psychiatric
Association
 Widely used diagnostic
system
 Provides a set of criteria
to make assessments
DSM Axes

Axis 1- 16 major
categories of disorders
 Axis 2 – personality
disorders and
developmental disorders
(mental retardation)
 Axis 3 medical
conditions
 Axis 4 - recent social
and environmental
stressors
 Axis 5 – Global
Assessment of
Functioning (GAF)
 See handout
The positive and negative
consequences of labeling
Refer to the Rosenhan Study
Anxiety Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
 Occurs when
overwhelming
anxiety disrupts
social or
occupational
functioning or
produces significant
distress
 Manifestations of
anxiety:
 Cognitive Behavioral-
 Somatic-
Specific Anxiety Disorders
Specific Anxiety Disorders
 Panic Disorder- Recurrent and unexpected
panic attacks are severe and involve feelings
of terror and physiological involvement.
 Generalized Anxiety Disorder- characterized
by persistent high levels of anxiety and
excessive worry with symptoms present for
at least 6 months; more persistent than panic
disorder
Specific Anxiety Disorders
 Phobia – a persistent, unrealistic, irrational fear of
specific objects or situations. Exposure to a feared
stimulus produces intense panic or fear, anxiety
dissipates when the phobic situation is not
confronted
 Examples
 Three subcategories:
 Simple phobias
 Agoraphobia
 Social Phobias
Specific Anxiety Disorders
 Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders (OCD)
 Involves patterns of obsessions (thoughts, images or
impulses that are recurrent or persistent despite a
person’s efforts to suppress them)
 Involves patters of compulsions (repetitive, purposeful,
but undesired acts performed in a ritualized manner in
response to an obsession)
 Examples
 Persons with the disorder acknowledge the
senselessness of the behavior, but when anxiety
rises, the ritualized behavior relieves tension
Examples
 PTSD 10 mins
 OCD 6 mins
EtiologyCauses or explanation of
disorder
Etiology of anxiety
disorders
The learning perspective (behavioral)
The cognitive perspective
The biological perspective
Somatoform Disorders
Somatoform Disorders
 Characterized by complaints of physical symptoms
that have no organic or physiological explanation
 They are psychologically based
 Symptoms are not considered voluntary or under
conscious control
Somatoform Disorders
 Specific somatoform disorders
 Somatization Disorder – characterized by multiple
physical complaints with no organic explanation with
onset prior to age 30.
 Conversion Disorder- specific physical complaints
(paralysis of legs, blindness) Patients strongly believe
there is impairment, but may show less distress than
with a real loss.
 Hypocondriasis- characterized by persistent
preoccupation with one’s health and physical
condition, despite the fact that genuine symptoms are
lacking
Examples
 Body Dysmorphic Disorder
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAuc2xAM7-
8&feature=related
Etiology
The behavioral perspective
These disorders constitute only 5% of
all disorders treated with decreased
incidence due to diagnosis
advancements.
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Disorders
 Characterized by disturbances or
changes in memory, consciousness or
identity due to psychological factors
Dissociative Disorders
 Dissociative amnesia- involves partial or total loss of
important personal information (memory) that may
occur after a stressful or psychologically traumatic
event. There is no organic cause.
 Dissociative fugue- occurs when the individual
suffers confusion over personal identity (memory)
and often assumes a partial or completely new
identity. It is accompanied by unexpected travel
away from home.
Dissociative Disorders
 Depersonalization Disorder- most common
dissociative disorder that is characterized by feeling
of unreality concerning the self and the
environment. Characterized by intensity of
symptoms and anxiety provoked by symptoms
 Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)- formerly
called Multiple Personality Disorder
 Kim Nobles 5 mins Oprah
 DID Psych Exchange
DID
 This is a rare, dramatic and controversial disorder.
 Characterized by two or more distinct personalities
within one person.
 Original personality is unaware of other
personalities, but the other personalities are aware
of each other.
 Each personality maintains its own identity, name
and distinctive behavior.
 Diagnosis is controversial, some say it is really
PTSD
Explaining DID
 Dissociation is a relatively common response to
traumatic experiences
 People with DID have experiences that are more
extreme, frequent and disrupt daily functioning
 Some psychologist say this is a diagnostic fad.
Examples
 Amnesia
 David 4 mins
 Fugue
 Reading “Joe” or John Doe
 DID
 male sufferer 4 mins
Personality Disorders
Personality Disorders
 Characterized by long standing, chronic, inflexible,
maladaptive patterns of perception, thought and
behavior that seriously impair an individual’s ability
for function personally or socially
 Usually recognized by the time a person reaches
adolescence
 As a group, these disorders are among the least
reliably judged and are questioned as to their
existence
Clusters
 Cluster A: Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal (Odd
or Eccentric Behaviors)
 Cluster B: Antisocial, Borderline, Histrionic and
Narcissistic (Dramatic or Erratic Behaviors)
 Cluster C: Obsessive-Compulsive, Avoidant and
Dependent (Anxious or Fearful Behaviors)
Personality Disorders
 Narcissistic personality disorder- marked by a
grandiose sense of self-importance and
preoccupation with fantasies of success or power.
Individual is in constant need of attention or
admiration and has inappropriate reactions to
criticism
Personality Disorders
 Antisocial personality disorder – marked by long
standing pattern of irresponsible behavior that hurts
others without causing feelings of guilt or remorse
 Individual does not experience shame or intense
emotion of any kind.
 Violation of social norms, may include criminal acts
 Some studies detect early signs of antisocial
behavior in children as young as 3-6 years old
Explaining antisocial
personality disorders
 Biological perspective suggests a biological
vulnerability.
 May be related to low level of autonomic system
arousal
 May show a fearlessness
 Biopsychosocial perspective suggests that if
fearlessness is channeled in productive ways, heroism
or adventurism may result.
Personality Disorders
 Boarderline Personlity Disorder
 Histrionic Personality Disorder 5 mins
 Antisocial personality disorder
Mood (Affective)
Disorders
Affective Disorders
 Mood disorders have significant and chronic
disruption in mood as the predominant symptom
 Impaired cognitive, behavioral, and physical
functioning
 Differentiated from normal moods on the basis of
duration, intensity and absence of cause
 Prevalence: most common of all psychological
disorders affecting 12 million Americans a year.
More common in women. Greatest risk between
ages 15-24 and 35-44.
Affective Disorders
 Unipolar depression or clinical depression- one
major mood or affect that is low.
 Behavioral symptoms- dejected, unsmiling, downcast
demeanor, slow movement and speech, tearfulness
and spontaneous crying and loss of interest or
pleasure in one’s usual activity
 Emotional symptoms involve feelings of sadness,
hopelessness and guilt while feeling emotionally
disconnected
 Cognitive symptoms- difficulty thinking,
concentrating, and remembering. Global negativity
and pessimism. Suicidal thought and preoccupation
with death
 Physical symptoms- changes in appetite (weight loss
or gain) sleep disturbances, vague aches and pains,
loss of energy or restlessness
Other Depressed Mood
Disorders
 Dysthymic Disorder- involves chronic, low grade
feelings of depression that produces subjective
discomfort but does not seriously impair one’s
ability to function
 Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)- involves
episodes of depression which typically recur in fall
and winter and alleviate in summer and spring
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder
 Characterized by alternating episodes of major
depression and mania
 Previously referred to as manic -depression
 Prevalence and course:
 Annually about 2 million Americans suffer from
bipolar disorder
 Onset typically in the early 20s
 Affects men and women at the same rate
 Responds favorable to drug therapy (lithium)
Bipolar Disorder
 Depression has been defined.
 Mania includes:
 Emotional symptoms include euphoria, expansiveness
and excitement
 Behavioral symptoms include out-of-character energy
or activity, frenzied, disorganized activity, rapid-fire
speech, spending sprees, illegal activities, disrupted
sleep patterns
 Cognitive symptoms include wildly inflated self-
esteem, grandiosity, easily distractibility, irritability,
verbal abusiveness
Cyclothymic Disorder
 Milder but chronic form of bipolar disorder involves
moderate but frequent mood swings. People with
the disorder are perceived as extremely moody,
unpredictable and inconsistent
Examples
 Bipolar 5 mins
 Maurice Bernard 3 mins
 SAD 5 mins
Explaining affective
disorders
The biopsychological perspective
The behavioral perspective
The cognitive perspective
The biopsychosocial perspective
Developmental Disorders
Developmental Disorders
 These disorders encompass a wide variety of
psychological problems that involve disturbances in
acquisition of cognitive, language, motor or social
skills.
 Many symptoms may be behavioral oddities that
require little attention and may disappear without
intervention while some are more serious disorders.
Developmental Disorders
 Autistic Disorders
 Developmental Skills Disorders
 Attention Deficit Disorder
 Hyperactivity Disorder
 TED TALK Temple Grandin 20 mins
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
 A group of severe disorders characterized by the
breakdown of personality functioning, withdrawal
from reality, distorted emotions and disturbed
thoughts. Originally a vague general description
that led to over diagnosis
 NOT “split personality” one personality that is
shattered; split is from reality
 Onset in late teen or early 20s, early diagnosis key to
successful treatment
Schizophrenia
 DSM-IV indicates the following symptoms:
 Delusions
 Hallucinations
 Marked disturbances of speech, affect or thinking
 Deterioration from former functioning level
 Symptoms last at least 6 months and are currently
present for one month
Another classification
system
 Positive symptoms- an  Delusions
excess or distortion of
 Hallucinations
normal functioning
 Severely disorganized
thought process, speech
or behavior
 Disturbances involving
extremely high or low
activity levels of motor
activity or odd
movements and gestures
Another classification
system
 Negative Symptoms-
restriction or reduction
of normal functioning
 Flat affect, showing
little emotion
 Inability to feel
pleasure
 Lack of motivation
 Lack of meaningful
speech
 Cessation of personal
hygiene
Types of schizophrenia
 Paranoid Schizophrenia- involves strongly held
delusions of persecution or grandeur. Onset tends to
be later in life (in the 30s). Rarely exhibits
disorganized behavior, but may act upon delusions.
 Disorganized Schizophrenia- inappropriate behavior
and affect including odd movements and
disconnected emotional states. Incoherent language
(word salad)
Types of Schizophrenia
 Catatonic Schizophrenia- frozen rigid or excitable
motor behavior. Maintains postures for hours.
 Undifferentiated Schizophrenia- has mixed set of
symptoms. It involves thought disorders and
features from other types of schizophrenia.
Course of Schizophrenia
 Typically occurs in men younger than 25 and women
between 25 and 45.
 Men and women equally affected.
 1-2% of the world’s population
 Present in all cultures.
 Gradual onset- some
changes in previous
behavior noted by
others (social
withdrawal)
 Sudden onset-
symptom free then
symptoms present
 Better prognosis for
recovery
 Promodal phase, active
phase, residual phase
 “Rule of Thirds”
 Next slide
Rule of Thirds
 One-third- patients recover
 One-third-patients are helped with medication but
retain some symptoms
 One-third- patients are not helped by drug therapy
and retain symptoms as a chronic condition
Explaining
Schizophrenia
 In the Biopsychological Perspective
 Genetic factors (studies within families and twin and
adoption studies)
 Abnormal Brain Chemistry (some studies implicate
dopamine and dopamine blocking drugs reduce the
symptoms, particularly the positive ones)
 Prenatal Viral Infection-based cause (mother suffers
from seasonal influenza during 2nd trimester)
 Abnormal brain structure (abnormalities in the
frontal lobe, temporal lobe and basal ganglia and/or
fluid-filled ventricles)
Currently
 Researchers have not been able to find a single cause
of schizophrenia.
 Schizophrenia may be viewed as a complex, chronic
mental illness affecting people in different ways.
Secret Life of the Brain

A PBS series that is widely available for a relatively
low cost.
 The segment on “Adolescence” focuses on
schizophrenia in adolescence. It is particularly
effective for students.
 The second part of this segment covers addiction and
adolescence.
The Impact of
Psychological Disorders
Who suffers from
psychological disorders?
Frequency of
Psychological Disorders
 World Health Organization estimates that 400 million
people worldwide suffer from psychological disorders
 US government survey suggests that 15% of
population is in need of psychological therapy
 2 million people per year are admitted to mental
hospitals and psychiatric units
 2.4 million American seek out-patient care
 In any given year, 5 million adults and 3 million
children will suffer an acute episode of a serious
disorder.
Stigma of Mental Illness
Misconceptions about
people with mental illness
leads to misunderstandings
and discrimination.
Misconception
 People with mental illness will
never recover.
Misconception
 All people with mental illness
are dangerous to society.
Misconception
 Individuals treated for
psychological disorders will
make poor employees.
Efforts to combat stigma
of mental illness
 Some organizations that make
efforts to combat misconceptions
and stigma attached to mental
illness
 APA
 NMHA
 NAMI
Goals of these
organizations
 Educate the public
 Confront discrimination
 Challenge negative stereotypes
 Emphasize that treatment works
 Ultimately achieve understanding that serious mental
illnesses are no-fault, biologically based diseases that
should receive the same attention, concern, research
and care dollars that other diseases garner.
The Big Picture: Perspectives in Studying
Personality, Abnormal Behaviors and Treatment

Draw a graphic of your choosing (flower, fish, balloons, whatever)

Somewhere on your graphic, identify, define and list names associated
with the 6 current perspectives in psychology (listed below)

behavioral, biological, cognitive, evolutionary, humanistic,
psychodynamic/psychoanalytic

Predict how each perspective would explain development of personality.

Analyze (Predict) how each perspective would explain the development of
a disordered behavior.

Evaluate a list of major treatment orientations for each perspective used in
therapy.

Note To Teacher: This may be a preview or review of content.
Suggested Activities
Student Project: Encounters with the Mentally Ill
Multimedia Project for the Introduction of Psychological Disorders
Foldable of Psychodiagnosis
Movies and Mental Illness
Your Suggestions?
From the Office of Teaching Resources in Psychology
(OTRP)
APA Div. 2
Society for the Teaching of Psychology
Films Illustrating Psychopathology OTRP Danny
Wedding
Using Film to Teach Psychology Elizabeth M. Nelson
ON To Treatment!
Back to Big Picture for Treatment