... | | |Abnormal Psychology | Copyright © 2010, 2009, 2007 by University of Phoenix. All rights reserved. Course Description This course is designed to provide students with an introduction to theories and research concerning abnormal behavior (psychopathology). The course will address such topics as the incidence (frequency) of abnormal behavior of various types; how abnormal behaviors are classified into various diagnostic categories; the etiologies (causes) of psychological disorders; and the variety of methods employed in the treatment of abnormal behavior. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: • University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. • Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Hansell, J., & Damour, L. (2008). Abnormal psychology (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley. Meyer,...
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...SUMMARY * Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder. * The field of abnormal psychology identifies multiple causes for different conditions, employing diverse theories from the general field of psychology and elsewhere, and much still hinges on what exactly is meant by "abnormal". * There has traditionally been a divide between psychological and biological explanations, reflecting a philosophical dualism in regards to the mind body problem. * There have also been different approaches in trying to classify mental disorders. * Abnormal includes three different categories, they are: * subnormal * supernormal * paranormal * The science of abnormal psychology studies two types of behaviors: * Adaptive behavior * Maladaptive behavior * Clinical psychology is the applied field of psychology that seeks to assess, understand and treat psychological conditions in clinical practice. * The theoretical field known as 'abnormal psychology' may form a backdrop to such work, but clinical psychologists in the current field are unlikely to use the term 'abnormal' in reference to their practice. * Psychopathology is a similar term to abnormal psychology but has more of an implication of an underlying pathology, and as such is a term more commonly used in the medical specialty...
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...understand, and predict the behavior and mental processes of organisms. > the goals of psychology are to describe, explain, predict, and control behavior. ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY * Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder. * Although many behaviors could be considered as abnormal, this branch of psychology generally deals with behavior in a clinical context. * There is a long history of attempts to understand and control behavior deemed to be aberrant or deviant (statistically, morally or in some other sense), and there is often cultural variation in the approach taken. * The field of abnormal psychology identifies multiple causes for different conditions, employing diverse theories from the general field of psychology and elsewhere, and much still hinges on what exactly is meant by "abnormal". * There has traditionally been a divide between psychological and biological explanations, reflecting a philosophical dualism in regards to the mind body problem. * There have also been different approaches in trying to classify mental disorders. * Abnormal includes three different categories, they are: * subnormal * supernormal * paranormal * The science of abnormal psychology studies two types of behaviors: adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. * Behaviors that are maladaptive suggest...
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...Melissa Redmond April 2, 2012 Psy/410 Components Introduction Eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual, gender identity, and personality disorders lessen the ability for the human to function normal. Although their components have many varieties, being able to understand each of them allows for the reduction of classified awareness of these disorders and advertises a more realistic function of preventions and interventions to give support and become more normal. Eating Disorders Biological Biological components involve a genetic basis, deficiencies, hormonal excesses, and abnormal neural activity. People suffering from bulimia and anorexia have serotonin levels that are low and unusual along with structural brain abnormalities. Alterations in the brain may be responsible for the change in the metabolic reactions and endocrine to starvation. Emotional Eating disorders may be a compound reaction to expectations that are high and usually start with the parents and kept up with by the person. Eating disorders can also be considered a way of protecting self from adult sexuality or it could be a response to a situation where sexual abuse may have taken place. There are many times where the individual has high expectations but unfortunately they have to deal with never being able to reach them (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Cognitive Cognitive in eating disorders have to deal with the individual focusing more on situations where eating and starving...
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...abnormal psycology Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Jessica University of Phoenix PSY/410 Facilitator: Maria Neely; MA; M.ed. 19 December 2011 Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology * There is a fine line when comparing normal and abnormal behavior. What appears to be abnormal is considered normal by others. Abnormal behaviors are defined as psychopathology, which relates to abnormal behavior that can be defined, classified, explains, and treated (Hansell & Damour, 2008). This paper will examine the origins of abnormal psychology, include challenges to defining and classifying normal and abnormal behavior, provide a brief overview of how abnormal psychology has evolved into a scientific discipline, and the last part will analyze the psychosocial, biological/medical, and socio-cultural theoretical models related to the development of abnormal psychology. When assessing a person with a mental health problems looking at factors such as feelings, thoughts, and behaviors can play a very important role. The origins of abnormal behavior started...
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...Phase 1 Individual Project Abnormal Psychology and the Workplace PSYC337-1204B-01 Professor Byers Jennifer Buchanan November 26, 2012 Abstract The definition of abnormality has gone through some significant changes through history. For centuries the causes of abnormal behavior has been debated. In ancient times supernatural explanations were offered to explain abnormal behavior, such as good vs. evil and displeasure of the gods. It was also believed that people who expressed behavior were considered to be possessed by an evil spirit. Then, in 460 B.C. Hippocrates, also known as the Father of medicine, proposed a biological explanation to the reasons behind abnormal behavior. He suggested that an imbalance of blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow pile was the cause of mental illness. Along came the Greeks with their diagnosis and treatment for hysteria, and years later in 1896 Sigmund Freud developed his systematic theory of psychodynamics he believed to be the psychological components of hysteria. During the 20th century behaviorism, humanistic/cultural/normative perspectives emerged, drastically changing the way abnormal behavior is viewed. In this paper I will discuss how these perspectives in detail. I will also discuss how the terms normal and abnormal and how these labels can affect the people they are placed on in the workplace and in life in general. Abnormal Psychology Abnormal psychology is a branch of psychology that studies people’s emotional, cognitive...
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...Psych 1 Research paper Psychological Disorders Psychological disorders can be very serious, and in most cases are very serious. As many as 450 million people suffer around the world from mental illnesses, including various anxiety disorders, mood disorders, psychotic disorders and more. Psychological disorders can be mentally debilitating and even lead to self-harm and suicide. These disorders and illnesses are nothing to joke about and should be taken seriously. Psychologists point that while someone may have a disorders, they shouldn't be looked at as they're disorder. For instance a child with autism should not be referred to as an "autistic person". Instead we should say "people with autism" because there is so much more to people than their disorder. We are all still humans, regardless of the disorder or illness that some of us may have. Psychological disorders may not always be noticeable to friends, family and/or their surroundings as we may not be able to see their disability. Psychological disorders are often referred to as invisible disabilities, because even though someone may have one, they're often able to hide it from you. I think the majority of people that choose to hide their mental illnesses is due to the fact they don't want to be looked at as "crazy". I, myself, have an anxiety and mood disorder and I can say I choose to hide this from most people because I don't want to be looked at as "a crazy person" or mentally unstable, even though that may very...
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...Case Study of O.J. Simpson This paper is a case study of an individual with an alleged abnormal personality disorder. An overview of this particular case will be stated. In addition, an explanation of the biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components of the disorder will be a main focal point. This discussion is about a case study of O.J. Simpson, the famous football hero and even more famous subject of the most infamous murder trial in contemporary American history. Orenthal James Simpson was the subject of a California trial regarding a brutal murder of his wife Nicole Brown-Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman. Both victims were horribly murdered, the ferocity of these murders was apparent with the fact that Nicole Brown Simpson and Mr. Goldman’s heads were almost completely severed from their bodies. Truly, whoever committed this crime was a sociopath with no cognition of the normality that our society consider right or wrong. Yes, the question remains if Mr. Simpson committed this horrible, psychopathic act, this paper will delve into the scenario that he did, although he was figured innocent (Meyer, Chapman, & Weaver, 2009) The disorder in question is sociopathic, so what is a sociopath? Also known as Antisocial Personality Disorder, the definition is: Psychopaths have a personality disorder characterized by an abnormal lack of empathy combined with abnormally immoral conduct despite an ability to appear normal. In basic terms...
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...Suicide; Behaviors and Treatment What is suicide? According to Dictionary.com, Suicide is “the intentional taking of one’s own life” (Dictionary.com, 2009). Suicide takes the lives of almost 30,000 Americans a year and is the 11th leading cause of death in American, homicide being the 15th (Save.org, 2009). Suicide can be caused by many different abnormal behaviors and can effect not only the victim but also family and friends of the victim. Suicidal thoughts and feelings should be taken seriously because they’re true feelings one is having. I hope to educate the reader on abnormal disorders that can cause suicide, the symptoms and behaviors of a suicidal person, and educate the reader on ways to prevent a person from taking their own life. According to Suicide Awareness Voices of Education, suicide takes the lives of almost 30,000 Americans a year. For younger people, ages 15-24, suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death. For older adults suicide is more likely to happen if the adult has lost a spouse. Males are four times more likely to commit suicide then females. Many people who attempt suicide never seek professional help but 80% of people who do seek professional help are treated successfully. Substance abuse is a strong risk factor for suicide but depression is the strongest risk, 15% of people who are clinically depressed die from suicide (Save.org, 2009). All facts listed are true facts that everyone can believe, but what most people fail to believe...
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...Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Autumn Messina PSY/ 410 February 18, 2012 Stephen Sharp Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Over the years abnormal psychology has undergone so many different changes but finding the root of abnormal behaviors has been the one key element to these theories to help treat those suffering from a mental illness. In the paragraphs below there will be discussion about the origins of abnormal psychology and the challenges of defining and classifying normal and abnormal behavior. An overview of how abnormal psychology has evolved into scientific discipline and how psychosocial, biological/medical, and socioculture models are related to the development of abnormal psychology. Everybody around us is not perfect and we all have some type of misunderstanding about us but with some it is worse than others. Some people have problems with depression to obsession-compulsion and these behaviors would fall under abnormal psychology. For us to understand abnormal psychology we have to know what the meaning of abnormal means. Many of our behaviors follow what is called a normal curve. This curve is shaped like a bell and most individuals are clustered at the highest tip of the curve, which would be considered normal or average. According to Cherry (2012), “people who fall very far at either end of the normal curve might be considered abnormal” (para. 2). Many things in our life can cause stress or disruption, which...
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...Jim Margie Herndon PSYCH515 September 10, 2012 Dr. Napier-Ionascu Case Study of Jim Abnormal behavior and determining whether it qualifies a person with a mental disorder is complex and incorporates many differing perceptions. No concrete definition is assigned in terming behavior to be abnormal but there are six primary elements recognized. Mental disorders are assigned by professionals according to a classification system. The debate of whether this is the most sufficient system of assignment continues as some argue against the organizational structure based on the history and detail of an individual in classifying them under a label. A case example describing a personality, behaviors, and thought processes of an individual named Jim are analyzed to determine abnormal behavior and mental disorder qualifications. Determining Abnormal Behavior The case example of Jim is a summary of background information of a male named Jim to analyze how factoring the primary elements of abnormal behavior and the definition given by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual for Mental Disorders (2000) fourth edition, to separate from, and then together, prove the complexity in determining the behavior of a person as abnormal and whether or not it would qualify them for a mental disorder. The Six Elements Butcher, Monika, & Hooley (2010) outline the primary elements of abnormal behavior as suffering, maladaptiveness, deviancy, violations of standards of society, social discomfort...
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...Eating, Substance Abuse, Sex/Gender/Sexual, Impulse Control and Personality Disorders Paper and Matrix Kristen Brown Psy 410 February 7, 2010 Kristi Lane Eating, Substance Abuse, Sex/Gender/Sexual, Impulse Control and Personality Disorders Paper and Matrix Biological Eating Disorder Eating disorders have been linked to many biological components such as genetic factors, hormonal and neurotransmitter abnormalities, and damage or abnormalities to certain structures in the brain. Research conducted on twins has shown that genetic factors play an enormous role in whether one will develop an eating disorder. Many individuals who have eating disorders also seem to suffer from other disorders that have genetic factors involved. Eating disorders have been linked to people who also have obsessive compulsive disorder. Individuals who have hormonal or neurotransmitter abnormalities tend to have no control over their eating habits. People who have hormonal abnormalities tend to have unlevel amounts of hormones related hunger. Bulimia nervosa is linked to low hormone amount of the hormones that suppress appetite cause the individual to feel excessively hungry. The reverse is the case for anorexia nervosa. Endorphins play a key role in the body’s feelings of pleasure and people who suffer from eating disorders tend to have endorphins secreted when they are completed measures to prevent weight gain such as self-induced vomiting. Lastly, some people who have been diagnosed with eating...
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...Abnormal Psychology and Therapy Learning Team B PSY/300 November 17, 2011 Wanda Rush Abnormal Psychology and Therapy Society itself can play a role on an individual and have an effect on that person in many ways. Laws can be passed that can create severe punishments for antisocial behaviors which can have a strong desire for ethics and morals which comes through religious institutions. The primary reason why society can control behavior of some citizens is the natural need for growth and maturity. In this paper we will examine two mental disorders and two mental illnesses along with the similarities and differences from the perspective of psychology and school of thought for treating mental disorders. Normal psychology is described as a person appearing to be in good mental and physical health. He/she tends to be in compliance to societies expectations and would be generally considered a normal person by the general population. The patterns of behavior tend to be equivalent to those demonstrated by most of society. Society controls behavior by two different means. Tradition and Laws! First let us examine tradition. Traditions are simply rituals, which are as old as humanity and conducted so that everyone will behave in a socially acceptable way. For example, table manners are a universal claim, with variations existing in different cultures; they remain similar all around the world. Laws are established by society which...
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...Eating, Substance Abuse, Sex/Gender/Sexual, Impulse-Control, and Personality Disorders The capacity for normal human functioning is reduced when an individual suffers from eating disorders, substance abuse, sexual, gender identity and/or personality disorders. When an individual suffers from an eating disorder their perception of the self is blurred with a constant need to be “skinner”. Society plays a major role in self-perception. Society portrays beauty as women and men who weigh ninety-five pounds. Due to this current obsession to be skinny in today’s society, many young girls and boys will develop an eating disorder, or turn to drugs and alcohol as a way to escape from the daily pressures to be beautiful in today’s society. This paper will analyze the biological, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral components of eating, substance abuse, sex/gender/sexual, and personality disorders. The DSM-IV-TR includes two axis I categories of eating disorders, anorexia nervosa—restricting and binge-eating/purging types—and bulimia nervosa—purging and non-purging types. Biological factors involved with eating disorders include genetic basis, hormonal excesses and deficiencies and abnormal neural activity. People who suffer from anorexia and bulimia usually have low serotonin levels as well as structural brain abnormalities. High expectations set by parents is a key factor in the emotional aspect of this disorder. Many strive toward high expectations and suffer the effects of...
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...need to describe what is considered normal versus abnormal behavior within the workplace. This will help to me define how these labels relate and effect a successful working atmosphere. I will also provide a description pertaining to the different psychological perspectives in relation to abnormal and normal behavior. Finally, I will discuss whether labeling a person “normal” is appropriate or not. Abnormal Psychology and Defining Abnormal and Normal There are many different branches in the field of psychology, including abnormal psychology. This branch deals with abnormal behaviors and psychopathology (Cherry, 2013). Abnormal p [psychology covers a wide range of different disorders; depression, obsession-compulsive disorders (OCD), to sexual deviation (Cherry, 2013). This branch looks at looks at different modes of stress or distractions that cause a person to act in a particular manner (McLeod, 2008). For instance, a person’s behavior that interferes with their daily life routine, working or taking care of their children, creates a need to address this behavior. To understand this concept better one needs to get a better realization of the terms “normal” and “abnormal.” When thinking about the two terms one would think the answer to such a question, like what is normal or vice versa, is a simple response. But, in actuality it is a little more complex than that. Behaviors are deemed normal or the other by looking at behaviors of a group, age or gender (Cherry, 2013). The...
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