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Abnormal behavior

 It is any behaviour that deviates from what is considered normal.

 There are four general criteria that psychologists use to identify abnormal behaviour:
violation of social norms, statistical rarity, personal distress, and
maladaptive behaviour.
Psychopathology
 It is a term which refers to either the study of mental illness or mental distress or the
manifestation of behaviours and experiences which may be indicative of mental illness
or psychological impairment.
The "4 D's" of Abnormality
1. Distress
• This is when behaviour causes anxiety, bad feelings or other negative feelings for
either the person or others who come in contact with them.
• Example: Mary is feeling down, doesn't feel like she can even get out of bed, hasn't
bathed in four days and won't respond to texts from her friends.
2. Danger
• Behaviours are the detrimental to the person or people around them.
• Example: During his manic phases of bipolar disorder, Juan will often go to the casino
and bet his rent money on roulette, not caring that if he loses he won't be able to pay
for his apartment.
3. Deviance
• There are two different types: statistical and social. Statistical deviance means that the
behaviour does not occur often in society. Social deviance means that most people in
the community find the behaviour to be "odd". Neither of these by themself is enough
for something to be abnormal.
• Example: Only one out of every hundred people will get a advanced (doctoral) degree,
making them statistically deviant. However, we wouldn't call that abnormal. However,
one out every thousand people howl at the moon (this is made up!), and that fact would
add to the abnormality.
4. Dysfunction
• This is the point at which a person has a significant impairment in a life area, such as
work, home, interpersonal or social life is impaired. In the addictions world, this is
often called "hitting rock bottom". A person can deal with a lot of danger and deviance,
but once they become dysfunctional, they often see (or others can see) that they need
outside help.
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MODELS OF ABNORMALITY

http://aspsychologyblackpoolsixth.weebly.com/explanations-of-abnormality.html

IDENTIFICATION OF ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

1. Deviation from Statistical Norm- most of the people fall within the middle range of intelligence,
but a few are abnormal stupid.
a. Intelligence –statistically abnormal for a person to get a score about 145 on IQ test or to
get a score below 35, but the lowest score is considered abnormal.
b. Anxiety – person who is anxious all the time or has a level of anxiety.
2. Deviation from Social Norm – every culture has certain standards for acceptable behavior;
behavior that deviates from that standard is considered to be abnormal behavior.
3. Maladaptive behavior – it is how the behavior affects the well-being of the individual, or
social group.
(ex. Paranoid individual, attempting suicide person )
a. Maladaptive to one’s self- It is the inability of a person to reach goals or to adapt the
demands of life.
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b. Maladaptive to Society – refers to a person’s obstruction or disruption to social group

functioning.
4. Personal Distress – considers abnormality in terms of the individual’s subjective feelings,
personal distress, rather than his behavior.
5. Failure to Function Adequately – a person considered abnormal if they are unable to cope
with the demands of everyday life.
- Suffering
- Maladaptiveness ( danger to self )
- Vividness and unconventionality ( stands out)
- Unpredictably and loss of control
- Irrationality/ incomprehensibility
- Causes observer discomfort
- Violates moral/social standards
6. Deviation from Ideal Mental Health – the six criteria which mental health could be measure:
- Positive view of the self,
- Capability for growth and development
- Autonomy and independence
- Accurate perception of reality
- Positive friendships and relationships
- Environmental mastery ( able to meet the varying demands of day-to-day situations )
SYMPTOMS OF ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR
1. Long Periods of Discomfort
2. Impaired Functioning
3. Bizarre Behavior
4. Disruptive Behavior
MENTAL DISORDER
• It refers to the significant impairment in psychological functioning.
• also called mental illness or psychiatric disorder
Mental Retardation (MR)
• It refers to substantial limitations in present functioning. It starts before age 18 and is
characterized by significantly sub average intellectual functioning, existing
concurrently with related limitations in two or more of the following applicable
adaptive skill areas: communication
• self-care
• home living
• social skills
• community use
• self-direction
• health and safety
• functional academics
• leisure
• work
Traditionally, MR has been classified into 5 categories:
• mild MR – IQ from (50-55) to 70
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• moderate MR – IQ from (35-40) to (50-55)

• severe MR – IQ from (20-25) to (35-40)
• profound MR – IQ below (20-25)
• MR, severity unspecified – this is diagnosed when there is a strong suspicion of MR,
but the individual cannot be tested with standardized intelligence tests.

CAUSES AND SYMPTOMS OF MR

• Various genetic disorders (e.g. Down’s Syndrome, phenylketonuria)
• Certain maternal infections during pregnancy (e.g. rubella)
• Mother who abuses substances such as alcohol during pregnancy
• Certain psychosocial conditions (e.g. problems with caregiving, low socioeconomic
status, low parental education)
• Maternal exposure to various drugs (e.g. thalidomide, valproic acid)
• Maternal exposure to environmental chemicals (discussed in detail later)
Prevention of MR
• Immunization against diseases
• Paediatric care
• Screening ( critical, undernourished
• New born screening
• Good prenatal care
Intelligence Tests to Measure Learning Abilities and Intellectual Functioning
1. Standard - Binet Intelligence Scale 4. Kaufman Assessment for Children
2. Wechsler Intelligence Scales
3. Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence