Chapter 1 - Abnormal Behavior in Historical Context Abnormal Psychology (PS265)
Class Notes Guide Shoshana Sloman
DEFINING "PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER"
A psychological dysfunction within an individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a resonse that is not typical or culturally expected.
Each criterion contributes something to the definition.
Any one element, alone, would not constitute a psychological disorder.
Criteria: (Standard for judging)
Psychological Dysfunction:
Breakdown of cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning. (Examples?)
Where do we draw the line? Considered a continuum or dimension, rather than being present or absent. (dys = Greek for bad, abnormal, difficult)
(ab = Latin for off, away from; norma = rule -- abnormal = deviating from the norm, from the rule)
Personal Distress or Impairment:
Distress: The individual is usually extremely upset about the dysfunction.
This is not ALWAYS the case, however, as is often true with mania.
Impairment: Interferes with normal activities, with achieving things that the person wants to.
But not always. Depends on the severity. (Some simple phobias, for example.)
Illustrates how most psychological disorders are extreme expressions of otherwise normal behavior.
Atypical or Not Culturally Expected:
Deviates from the average, the greater the deviation, the more abnormal, but that doesn’t automatically imply a disorder. (Pro athletes, talented artists.) More productive, more tolerated.
To use this criterion alone has led to abuses--political prisoners in Soviet Union,
DSM-IV-TR Definition:(Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-fourth edition-text rev)
Behavioral, emotional, or cognitive dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with personal distress or substantial impairment in functioning.
When using