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Abnormal Psychology
A.K.A. Psychological Disorders
Deviant, distressful, dysfunctional patterns
of thoughts, feelings or behaviors
Early Theories
• Abnormal behavior was evil spirits
trying to get out.
• Led to harsh, ineffective remedial
treatments
– Trephining, beatings, burnings, etc.
History of Mental Disorders
• Medical Model (Pinel)–
psychological disorders are a
biologically based…a “sickness”
that needs to be diagnosed and
cured
• Example:
.
– Neglects the importance of social
circumstances and psychological factors.
Perspectives and Disorders
Psychological
School/Perspective
Psychoanalytic/Psy
chodynamic
Cause of the Disorder
Internal, unconscious
drives
Humanistic
Failure to strive to one’s
potential or being out of
touch with one’s feelings.
Behavioral
Reinforcement history, the
environment.
Cognitive
Irrational, dysfunctional
thoughts or ways of
thinking.
Sociocultural
Biomedical/Neuroscience
Dysfunctional Society
Organic problems,
biochemical imbalances,
genetic predispositions.
Treatments of the
Disorder
History of Mental Disorders
• Biopsychosocial Model– current
approach
– Interaction of nature and nurture
– Influence of culture
DSM IV
• Diagnostic Statistical Manual
of Mental Disorders:
• DSM will NOT
• Criticism: classifies an
excessively broad range of
human behaviors as
psychologically disordered.
Classifying Psychological
Disorders
Two Major Classifications in the
DSM
Neurotic Disorders
• Distressing but one can
still function in society
and act rationally.
Psychotic Disorders
• Person loses contact
with reality,
experiences distorted
perceptions.
John Wayne Gacy
The Rosenhan Study
• Rosenhan’s associates
were Malingering
symptoms of hearing
voices.
• They were ALL admitted
for schizophrenia.
• None were exposed as
imposters.
• They all left diagnosed
with schizophrenia in
remission.
• What are some of the
questions raised by this
study?
ADHD
• Symptoms:
– Inattention/distraction
– Hyperactivity
– Impulsivity
• Causes:
– Biological
– Social
ADHD
• Assessing:
– Eye Tracking device
• Gender:
– 2-3X more in Boys
• Prevalence:
– 4% of all children
ADHD Treatment
• Treatment
– Biological – assume problem is organic
requires drug treatment therapy
– Behavioral – assume problem behaviors are
the problem and apply operant and
classical conditioning principles