Abnormal Behavior

Abnormal Psychology
The scientific study of abnormal behavior
in order to describe, predict, explain, and
change abnormal patterns of functioning.

Goal of course:
Learn theories of abnormal behavior.
Learn scientific based knowledge about
abnormal behavior.
Decrease judgment of others.

What is Psychologically Abnormal?

The Four Ds

Deviance
Distress
Dysfunction
Danger

Four Ds in More Detail I.

Deviance

Deviance from or violation of a societys ideas

about proper function.

Norms- a societys explicit and implicit rules for

proper conduct.
Culture- a societys shared rules that govern the
behavior of its members, common history, values,
beliefs, habits, skills, technology, and arts.

Includes a valuational aspect which varies

from culture to culture.

Four Ds in More Detail II.

Distress
Pain or discomfort
Dysfunctional or Maladaptive Behavior
It interferes with daily functioning.
Danger

Behavior that becomes dangerous to self or

others.

Note: Abnormal behavior is to some degree

arbitrary and culturally determined

Medical Model vs. Bio-psychosocial Model

DSM DEFINITION: MENTAL DISORDER

[A mental disorder] is conceptualized as a clinically significant

behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an

individual and that is associated with present distress (a painful
symptom) or disability (impairment in one or more areas of
functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death,
pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom. In addition, this
syndrome or pattern must not be merely an expectable and culturally
sanctioned response to a particular event, for example, the death of a
loved one. Whatever its original cause, it must currently be
considered a manifestation of a behavioral, psychological, or
biological dysfunction in the individual. Neither deviant behavior (e.g.
political, religious, or sexual) nor conflicts that are primarily between
the individual and society are mental disorders unless the deviance or
conflict is a symptom of a dysfunction in the individual as described
above.
Syndrome- a group of clinical observations or symptoms that tend to
co-occur.

Other Definitions
Psychological Disorder a harmful dysfunction in which

behavior is judged to be atypical, disturbing,

maladaptive, and unjustifiable.

Abnormal Behavior- we define behavior as abnormal, a

manifestation of mental disorder, if it is both persistent

and in serious degree contrary to the continued wellbeing of the individual and/or that of the human
community of which the individual is a member.
(Carson, Butcher, & Mineka)

Classification of Abnormal Behavior

A useful classification system must be

reliable and valid.

Three models of classification

1. Categorical
2. Dimensional
3. Prototypal

Three Models of Classiciation

Categorical Approach

Human behavior can be divided into two categories (health or

unhealthy).
The unhealthy category consists of discrete, nonoverlapping,
classes or types.
Dimensional Approach
Bx= product of different dimensions (eg. anxiousness, extroversion)
People differ in profile or configuration of these dimensional traits.
Normal or abnormal is determined by looking at any particular
dimension and making a determination usually based on a
normative percentage.
Prototypal Approach
Assumes the existence of conceptual entities (prototypes) depicting
idealized combinations of characteristics, ones that more or less
regularly occur together.

DSM Classification of Mental Disorders

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental

Disorders (DSM)
Introduced in 1952
Moving from a subjective to operational
definition.
Diagnosis is based on signs and symptoms

Signs- objective observations of a patients physical

or mental disorder by a diagnostician.
Symptoms- patients subjective description of a
physical or mental disorder.

The Five Axes of DSM-IV-TR

Axis I - Particular clinical syndromes
Axis II - Personality disorders
Axis III - General medical conditions
Axis IV - Psychosocial/environmental

problems
Axis V - Global assessment of functioning
The DSM is organized into major etiological

groupings (see next slide)

DSM Main Categories

Axis I & Axis II Disorders
Disorders secondary to gross destruction or

malfunctioning of brain tissue

Substance-use disorders
Disorders of psychological or sociological
origin having no known brain pathology
Disorders usually arising during childhood or
adolescence

Mental Disorders Qualifying Terms

Comorbidity-existence of two or more disorders
Acute- describes a disorder of sudden onset, usually

with intense symptoms

Chronic- describes a long-standing or frequently
recurring disorder, often of progressing seriousness
Mild/Moderate/Severe- describes a disorder of a low
order of severity, intermediate order of severity, and a
high degree of seriousness.
Episodic Disorder- describes a disorder that tends to
abate and to recur
Recurrent- describes a disorder pattern that tends to
come and go.

Labeling: Positive and Negative

Communication
Social Label
May limit Inquiry Once Applied
Self-fulfilling Prophecy
Have Pejorative and Stigmatizing Implications

Second-Class Citizens
Devastate Self-Esteem and Morale

The Extent of Abnormal Behavior

Epidemiology- study of the distribution of diseases,

disorders, or health-related behaviors in a given

population.
Prevalence- the proportion of active cases of a
disorder that can be identified in a population at a
given point in, or during a given period, of time.
Incidence- occurrence (onset) rate of a given disorder
in a given population.
Lifetime Prevalence- the proportion of living persons
in a population who have ever had a disorder up to
the time of the epidemiological assessment.

The Extent of Abnormal Behavior

Any mood disorder

Any anxiety disorder

(male) Lifetime % = 14.7; 12-month % = 8.5

(female) Lifetime % = 23.9; 12-month % = 14.1
(total) Lifetime % = 19.3; 12-month % = 11.3
Lifetime % = 19.2; 12-month % = 11.8
Lifetime % = 30.5; 12-month % = 22.6
Lifetime % = 24.9; 12-month % = 17.2

Any substance abuse d/o

Lifetime % = 35.4; 12-month % = 16.1

Lifetime % = 17.9; 12-month % = 6.6
Lifetime % = 26.6; 12-month % = 11.3

Historical Views of Abnormal Behavior

Demonology, Gods, and Magic
Cause- possession of evil spirits
Tx- exorcism
Early Greek and Roman Thought
Hippocrates (460-370 B.C)

Cause

Mental Disorders have natural causes

Brain Central Organ of Intellectual Activity
Heredity
Four Bodily Humors (blood, black bile, yellow bile, and
phlegm)

Tx
Tranquil lifestyle, abstinence from excesses, bleeding,
exercise
Pleasant surroundings, massage, hydrotherapy,
education,
Bleeding, purging, mechanical restraints

Historical Views of Abnormal Behavior II

Early Greek and Roman Thought (cont)
Galen (130-200 A.D.)

Anatomy of Nervous System

Causes
Physical and Mental Categories
Head injuries, alcoholic excess, shock, fear, menstruation
Disappointment of love

Tx
Contrariis contrarius (opposite by opposite)

Middle Ages (500-1500)

Return to Demonology & Superstition and away
from Physical Causes

Mass Madness (lycanthropy and tarantism)

Historical Views of Abnormal Behavior III

Middle Ages (1500-1700s)

Establishment of Asylums and Shrines

Means of removing mentally ill from society

Horrid condition of filth and deprivation including:
darkness, starvation, restraints, cold baths, tortures.

Beginning of the Modern Era

Biological Link between Brain and Mental Disorder

General Paresis & Syphilis

Classification System (Kraeplin) & Medical Model

Historical Views of Abnormal Behavior IV

Establishing the Psychological Basis

Mesmerism
Nancy School
Psychoanalysis (Freud)
Hypnosis and Catharsis
Unconscious and Free Association

Establishing An Experimental Research

Laboratories
Behavioral Perspective
Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning

Research in Abnormal Psychology

Observation of behavior
Forming hypotheses about behavior
Sampling
Generalization

Research in Abnormal Psychology

Control group
Criterion group

Correlation versus Causation

Potential relationships between two variables:
Variable A causes variable B
Variable A and variable B are both caused by
variable C
Variables A and B are both involved in a
complex pattern of variables influencing A
and B in similar ways

Research in Abnormal Psychology

Independent Variable

The manipulated factor

Dependent Variable

Changes as the manipulated factor is changed

Research in Abnormal Psychology

Animal research
Analogue studies
Clinical case studies

Research in Abnormal Psychology

Retrospective strategies

Looking backward in order to reconstruct the

clients developmental history

Prospective strategies

Focus on individuals who have a higher-thanaverage likelihood of becoming

psychologically disordered before abnormal
behavior shows up