Before we start…

H0w can we say something is

“Normal” and “Abnormal?”

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States

DSM- V

Typicality

Maladaptive

Emotional discomfort

Socially unacceptable behavior

Unusualness & Typicality Behavior that is experienced by only a few may be

abnormal, but not in all cases or situations. Normality is defined in terms of what is typical of most people.

Taken alone, however, this can be misleading when considering exceptional artists, scientists, or athletes

Maladaptive Behavior Behavior is maladaptive when it causes personal distress,

is self-defeating, or is associated with significant health, social, or occupational problems. The behavior impairs an individual’s ability to function adequately in everyday life. Unable to adjust to the demands of the environment

Emotional discomfort/distress Severe anxiety or depression are considered abnormal

when inappropriate, excessive, or prolonged. They feel helpless, hopeless, worthless, guilt, or extreme sadness

Socially unacceptable behavior

Deviation from the social norms or standards established by a society that define socially acceptable behaviors. These behaviors violate our notion of what is appropriate and acceptable.

This can change with different cultures. There are culture-bound syndromes, clusters of symptoms that descrie an illness that would be considered abnormal if we were unaware of the cultural context. They are not thought to have a psychological disorder if they bang their head if they believe they are possessed.

Dangerousness When violent or dangerous behavior is a threat to oneself

or others

Faulty Perceptions or Interpretations of Reality

Hallucinations involve distorted perceptions of reality. Delusions (unfounded beliefs) that are not based on real events are also distorted and faulty interpretations of reality

Legal Definition for Insanity A person is legally insane when he/she cannot make the

distinction between right and wrong. If he/she does not understand what he/she did and cannot control his actions, then he/she is not responsible and may be exonerated of a crime but incarcerated in a mental hospital rather than a prison

DSM Definition and criteria

for Abnormal DSM treats abnormal behavior as signs or symptoms of

underlying disorders or pathologies

Does NOT assume that abnormal behaviors reflect biological causes or defects, and recognizes that most mental disorders remain uncertain.

Some have purely biological causes; while others have psychological disorders

A mental disorder is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress or disability in social, occupational, or other important activities. An expectable or culturally approved response to common stressor or loss, such as the death of a loved one, is not a mental disorder. Socially deviant behavior (e.g., political, religious, or sexual) and conflicts that are primarily between the individual and society are not mental disorders unless the deviance or conflict results from a dysfunction in the individual, as described above.

Qualitative vs. Quantitative Qualitative research gathers information that is not in

numerical form.

Based on observations, unstructured interviews, and open-ended questionnaires.

Descriptive, hard to analyze

Quantitative research gathers data in numerical form which can be put into categories, or in rank order, or measured in units of measurement.

Experiments

Medical Model Is a way of describing and explaining psychological disorders as

if they are diseases.

Diagnosis refers to the process of distinguishing among disorders.

Etiology refers to the cause or origin of a disorder.

Prognosis refers to a prediction about the probable course and outcome of a disorder.

Critics argue that this model is not suitable for describing psychological problems. They say that psychological problems are not illnesses but rather behaviors and experiences that are morally or socially deviant.