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Abnormal Psychology
Chapter Fifteen
I. Basics of Abnormal
Psychology
A. Definitions of Abnormality
1. Abnormal behavior refers to patterns of
behavior, thought & emotion that are
abnormal
– Also known as psychopathology
2. Reasons for Abnormality:
– The behavior occurs rarely/infrequently in the
general population
•
Exceptions– extremely high intelligence & exceptional
athletic ability
– The behavior causes personal distress
•
•
People will deny the problem in some disorders
The problem causes little or no emotional discomfort
to the individual
A. Definitions of Abnormality
– The behavior results in a loss of normal
functioning or impairs normal functioning
• People unable to get along with others, to hold a
job, to eat properly or to function on a daily basis
– The behavior is unconventional (if a behavior
violates the norms or standards of society)
– The behavior causes discomfort to others
– The behavior is irrational
• It impairs one’s ability to think clearly & to make
rational decisions
– The behavior is unpredictable (fluctuates from
one extreme to another for no apparent
reason)
B. Views of Psychopathology
1. Believed to be caused by evil spirits &
witchcraft (1600s)
– Displayed odd/abnormal behavior were
believed to be witches or to be possessed by
demons
2. Mental illness was viewed as a disease of
the mind (18th century)
3. Abnormal behavior is result of multiple
factors (including biological, cognitive,
social & psychological factors)
C. Theories of Psychopathology
1. Psychoanalytic– abnormal behavior is the
result of childhood conflicts that were not
adequately resolved
– Over- and under-indulgence of desires
across childhood; conflicts with parents early
in life
2. Humanistic– one’s self concept & one’s
relationship with society as important
influences on behavior
– Can result from denial, distortion or
questioning of one’s true self; lack of
C. Theories of Psychopathology
3. Cognitive– faulty thoughts & beliefs are
central to abnormal behavior
– Results from inappropriate thoughts, distorted
perceptions, & irrational beliefs
4. Biological– biological and/or genetic
influences on behavior
– Results from structural/anatomical, chemical
and/or functional abnormalities in the brain
5. Behavioral– product of family learning
through conditioning and/or modeling
– Learned through past experience and present
environmental conditions
C. Theories of Psychopathology
6. Sociocultural– emphasizes social & cultural
factors as important contributors to abnormal
behavior
– Behavior is defined by culture & influenced by
socialization & cultural values
– Can be shaped by family and society
7. Diathesis-stress model– incorporates
elements from other perspectives
– Inherited characteristics combine to create
varying degrees of predisposition for a
psychological disorder
– Developing a disorder depends on degree of
stress/negative experiences one has
D. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM-IV TR)
1. Manual used by professionals to aid
in the diagnostic process
2. Published by the American
Psychological Association
3. Provides a classification system for
mental disorders & describes in detail
the criteria & symptoms that must be
present for a particular diagnosis to
be made
E. Axes of the DSM-IV TR
1. Classifies behavior across 5 dimensions or
axes
2. First 3 axes assess an individual’s clinical
condition
3. Axes:
– Axis I: presence of clinical conditions (mood
disorders, anxiety disorders, schizophrenic
disorders, & addictive behaviors)
– Axis II: presence of personality disorders & mental
retardation
– Axis III: general medication conditions that
might/might not be involved in conditions
assessed in Axes I and II
– Axis IV: presence of psychosocial &
environmental stressors that the individual might
currently be facing
II. Mood Disorders
Chapter Fifteen
A. Basics
1. Characterized by disturbances or
extreme fluctuations in emotion or
mood
2. Previously known as an affective
disorder
3. Mood disorders are among the most
common mental health problems
experienced by children and
adolescents
B. Unipolar Disorder
1. Also known as major depressive disorder
2. Characterized by persistent & intense
sadness, despair, feelings of
worthlessness, helplessness, low selfesteem, & high guilt & shame
3. Sadness they feel will interfere with their
ability to function, to feel pleasure, & to
maintain interest in life
4. Also experience physical changes,
including sleep & eating disturbances &
reports of physical illness & pain
C. Bipolar Disorder
1. Also known as manic depression
2. Characterized by alternating periods of
depression & mania
– Depression similar to that of unipolar
depression
– During a manic episode, an individual might
be overly excited & extremely active
– They might show unrealistically high selfesteem & an inflated sense of importance
– Might make elaborate plans, be impulsive,
hyperactive & sleepless for days at a time
– Flight of ideas & speech often becomes rapid
D. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
1. Developing a deep depression
typically during winter, but can also
happen in spring
2. They tend to sleep and eat
excessively
3. The hormone melatonin (higher
levels) may play a role
E. Factors that Contribute to Mood
Disorders
1. Depressive disorders might be partially
inherited (increased risk of developing
depression if family member suffers from
it)
– Stronger genetic link for bipolar disorder
2. Biological factors are also associated with
depressive disorders
– Significant differences in brain activity during
depressive & manic episodes
– Depression is linked to chemical imbalances
Depressed state
Manic state
Depressed state
III. Anxiety Disorders
Chapter Fifteen
Normal Anxiety or Not?
• If you are walking down the street and a large
dog runs at you barking, it’s perfectly normal to
be afraid. However, if you get anxious if a dog
appears on the TV you’re watching, that’s a
disorder. If a student gets up to give a speech in
class and finds that his hands are trembling and
his throat is dry, that’s normal anxiety. If a
student runs out of the room crying when called
on to speak or faints while giving a speech, that
isn’t normal.
-from the files of Judith R. Levine, SUNY Farmingdale
A. Basics
1. Characterized by tension, worry,
nervousness, panic or fear that is
debilitating, distressing, & interferes
with an individual’s ability to function
on a daily basis
2. Many disorders will fall under this
category
B. Generalized Anxiety Disorder
1. Involves a chronic state of high
anxiety, tension & worry in which
individual cannot pinpoint any
particular cause of the stress
2. Report sense of impending doom & a
feeling that something dreadful is
about to happen
– Cannot identify any reason for
anxiety/worry
C. Panic Disorders
1. Involves anxiety attacks that produce
a sudden & intense rush of anxiety,
fear or impending doom that arises
abruptly & for no reason
2. Attacks are usually brief (10-15
minutes) but leave people worrying
excessively about future attacks &
avoiding activities for fear of having
an attack
D. Phobic Disorders
1. Involves intense, irrational fear &
avoidance of specific object or situation
that poses little or no objective danger
2. People will recognize the irrationality, but
still experiences anxiety & goes to
extremes to avoid or escape presence of
feared object
3. Common examples:
– Arachnophobia: fear of spiders
– Acrophobia: fear of heights
– Claustrophobia: fear of close spaces
E. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
(OCD)
1. Involves persistent, unwanted thoughts
(obsessions) that cause anxiety & lead
individual to engage in repetitive
acts/rituals (compulsions) in an attempt to
reduce anxiety
2. Thoughts & acts become uncontrollable &
interfere with individual’s ability to
function
3. Examples:
– Endless counting; checking locks &
repeatedly washing their hands
IV. Schizophrenia
A. Symptoms of Schizophrenia
1. Major feature of all schizophrenic disorders– a
break from reality (or a psychotic episode)
2. Might experience hallucinations (perceive
things without external stimulation)
– Voices & sounds are most common forms
3. Exhibit disorganized & incoherent speech
(words become scrambled; create artificial
words)
4. Logic is impaired & thoughts are disorganized &
bizarre
– Experience delusions (distorted beliefs)– being
watched; someone important; giving/sending them
A. Symptoms of Schizophrenia
5. Involves a variety of emotional
disturbances including inappropriate
affect, exaggerated affect, blunted or flat
affect, & rapid fluctuations in affect
6. Certain types of schizophrenia involve
unusual mannerisms & movements in
which the individual might show excessive,
uncontrollable motor activity or tics
– May even display catatonic behavior
(immobile stance)
B. Types of Schizophrenia
1. Paranoid: hallucinations, delusions, &
unpredictable behavior
2. Catatonic: motor disturbances
3. Disorganized: incoherent speech, emotional
disturbances, social withdrawal & bizarre
behavior
4. Undifferentiated: Meets criteria for a
diagnosis of schizophrenia but no defining
symptom exists
5. Residual: Major psychotic
episode/symptoms are not present, but
C. Factors Contribute to
Schizophrenia
1. Schizophrenia results from a complex
interaction of genetic, biological, &
environmental factors
– One’s risk of developing schizophrenia
increases as genetic relatedness to an
individual with schizophrenia increases
– Excess levels of certain neurotransmitters in
the brain are associated with schizophrenia
– There are even structural differences in the
brains of individuals with schizophrenia &
those without
V. Somatoform Disorders
Chapter Fifteen
A. Basics
1. Involve problems in which one experiences
physical symptoms that have no physiological
or biological basis
2. Two types:
– Hypochondriasis: an individual has physical
complaints for which medical doctors are unable
to locate the cause
•
Believe that minor problems such as headaches are
signs of a severe physical illness even after he/she is
assured by doctors that no evidence exists
– Conversion disorder: an individual will report the
existence of a severe physical problem such as
paralysis/blindness without any physiological
B. Causes
1. Psychoanalytic theorists feel that these
disorders are merely outward
manifestations of unresolved
unconscious conflicts
2. Behaviorists would say that people with
this type of disorder are being reinforced
for their behavior
– Examples:
•
•
Someone experiencing blindness due to
conversion disorder may avoid unpleasant tasks
like working
Someone with hypochondriasis may receive a
VI. Dissociative Disorders
Chapter Fifteen
A. Basics
1. Characterized by the fragmentation of
experience, memory, or
consciousness
2. Involves a number of related
disorders
B. Types of Dissociative Disorders
1. Dissociative Amnesia: involves memory loss
that is typically selective
– Examples: Not being able to recall one’s own
name, not recognizing loved ones, not
remembering one’s address
– People will generally appear normal,
maintaining memories for previously learned
skills & abilities
2. Dissociative Fugue: form of amnesia in
which one forgets who they are, wanders
from home & starts a completely new life
– Flee from their usual environment & assume a
B. Types of Dissociative Disorders
3. Depersonalization Disorder: involves a
separation of mind & body in which
individuals experience episodes of feelings
detached from their body
4. Dissociative Identity Disorder: occurs when
two or more distinct personalities develop in
one individual
– Each personality has unique memories,
behaviors & social relationships
– Personalities might even be a different sex,
race, or age than the original personality
– Formerly known as multiple personality disorder
C. Causes
1. Psychoanalytic theorists believe that
this disorder results when an
extremely traumatic event has been
repressed that a split in
consciousness occurs
2. Behaviorists state that people who
have experienced trauma simply find
not thinking about it to be rewarding,
thus producing amnesia or DID
D. Criticisms of DID
1. Cases of DID are rare outside of the
U.S.
2. Numbers increased dramatically as
cases became more publicized
3. Percentage of population question
whether DID is a legitimate
psychological disorder
– Some diagnosed with DID may
have been led to role-play the
disorder inadvertently as a result of
VII. Personality Disorders
Chapter Fifteen
A. Basics
1. Personality disorders are
characterized by long-standing,
inflexible, & maladaptive behavior
patterns that cause an individual or
society impairment or distress
– All begin by early adulthood and are
present in a variety of contexts
– All cannot be explained by any other
disorder (i.e., schizophrenia, major
depressive disorder, etc.)
B. Categories of Personality
Disorders
1. Cluster A – Disorders that resemble
schizophrenic-like behaviors, but not as
severe
– Paranoid - distrust others and are
suspicious of their motives
(secretive/jealous behavior)
– Schizoid - express only a limited range
of emotion in social interactions and
form few if any close relationships with
others
– Schizotypal - have little capacity for close
B. Categories of Personality
Disorders
2. Cluster B – Disorders that affect emotional &
behavioral norms.
– Antisocial - regularly disregard and violate the
rights of others. These behaviors may be
aggressive or destructive. They may be selfcentered & lack a sense of responsibility & feel
little personal distress
– Borderline - behave impulsively and their
relationships, self-image, and emotions are
unstable (feelings of depression, emptiness– high
suicide risk)
– Histrionic - exaggerate their emotions and go to
excessive lengths to seek attention.
– Narcissistic - an excessive sense of how
B. Categories of Personality
Disorders
3. Cluster C – Disorders that reflect
anxiety & are not severe enough for
diagnosis as an anxiety disorder.
– Avoidant - socially inhibited, usually feel
inadequate & are overly sensitive to criticism.
– Dependent –characterized by extreme
dependence on others, submissive & clingy
behavior, difficulty making decisions, &
helplessness
– Obsessive-Compulsive - sacrifice openness,
spontaneity, & flexibility to pursue orderliness,
control, and perfectionism.