Psy101 13

Psych 101 Chapter 14 1

Prologue to Chapter 14Prologue to Chapter 14

This chapter is about abnormal behavior Anxiety and depression problems are very

common in our society It is estimated that between 30-40% of all

adults in our society have problems with anxiety and/or depression

25% of the population will, at one time or another, require medical intervention as a result of psychological problems


Abnormal behaviorAbnormal behavior

Abnormal behavior consists of those actions, thoughts, or feelings that are harmful to the person or others

Historical views of abnormal behavior supernatural causes biological causes psychological causes



Contemporary views of abnormal behavior it has become increasingly clear that both

biological and psychological causes are involved in the origin of many psychological disorders

supernatural causes are not in the realm of study of the science of psychology, only psychological and biological causes



The concept of “insanity” Insanity: a legal term with different meanings

in different United States “not guilty by reason of insanity” “not competent by reason of insanity” “committed to a mental institution by reason

of insanity” the term is relatively meaningless is

psychology because it is too vague


Anxiety DisordersAnxiety Disorders


Anxiety disordersAnxiety disorders

Anxiety disorders involve excessive worry, nervousness, tension, or fear

Types of anxiety disorders include phobias, generalized and panic anxiety disorders, post-traumatic stress disorder, and obsessive-compulsive disorders

We’ll briefly discuss each of these anxiety disorders


Phobias and Anxiety DisordersPhobias and Anxiety Disorders

Phobias: intense, unrealistic fears of stimuli that generally do not elicit intense fear in the general population

Generalized and Panic Anxiety Disorders GAD: experienced as relentless, free-floating

anxiety, a general sense of foreboding, doom PAD: experienced as periods of calm

punctuated by periods of sharp, intense anxiety that are extremely frightening


Post-traumatic Stress DisorderPost-traumatic Stress Disorder

PTSD is a response to the stress of such events as war, rape, natural disasters, and urban crimes

PTSD may suddenly appear years after the stressor, e.g., the Vietnam War, has happened

PTSD seen in Viet vets and in U.S. Post Office workers that kill their supervisors


Obsessive-Compulsive DisordersObsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Obsession: anxiety-provoking thought that refuses to go away despite efforts to make it go away

Compusion: an irresistable urge to engage in specific behaviors and actions despite efforts to not do them

Shakespeare’s “Macbeth” had an obsessive-compulsive disorder

Psych 101 Chapter 14 10Somatoform DisordersSomatoform Disorders


Somatoform disordersSomatoform disorders

Experiencing physical health problems with a psychological etiology

Somatization disorders and hypochondriasis somatization disorders involve numerous symptoms

of somatic illnesses with physical cause hypochondriasis: excessive concern about health;

looking out for any little problem as a major health disorder/disease


Somatoform disordersSomatoform disorders

Conversion Disorder and Somatoform Pain Disorder Conversion Disorder: experience of extreme

physiological disorders, e.g., blindness or paralysis, without physical cause

Somatoform Pain Disorder: primary problem is pain with no physical cause, e.g., back pain or neck pain with no physical injury or apparent physical cause

Psych 101 Chapter 14 13Dissociative DisordersDissociative Disorders


Dissociative DisordersDissociative Disorders

Amnesia and Fugue psychogenic amnesia: involves loss of

memory of all or part of a stressful experience for no physical reason

fugue state: involves a much more complete loss of memory; person may establish an entire new identity in a new location after a fugue


Dissociative DisordersDissociative Disorders

Depersonalization and Multiple Personality Disorder depersonalization: situation in which person

perceives distortions or sense of unreality in their bodies or environment

multiple personality disorder: personality shifts abruptly and repeatedly from one personality to another; e.g., Sybil or Eve


Mood DisordersMood Disorders


Mood disordersMood disorders

Characterized by disturbances in a person’s mood

Mood disorders include major depression and bipolar affective disorder

Major depression: characterized by deep unhappiness, loss of interest in life, a negative opinion of self and others, sleep disturbances, eating disturbances, etc.



Cognitive factors in depression self-image, self-esteem, and thought

processes associated with these thinking yourself out of a depression… is it

possible? medications in depression

Post-partum depression and its association with hormone imbalances



Bipolar Affective Disorder manic-depression as alternate times of elation

and severe depression treatment with lithium bicarbonate person must have a manic episode to be

considered bipolar unusual behavior often occurs in bipolar

affective disorder when not under lithium


SchizophreniasSchizophrenias


Schizophrenias and delusional disordersSchizophrenias and delusional disorders Schizophrenia: a psychotic state typified by

extreme cognitive and emotional disturbance as well as social withdrawal

Types of schizophrenia include: Paranoid schizophrenia Disorganized schizophrenia Catatonic schizophrenia Delusional disorders


SchizophreniaSchizophrenia

Paranoid schizophrenia type of schizophrenia person may experience delusions of

persecution and/or delusions of grandeur often accompanied by halucinations person is often not hospitalized as they often

may hide their illness in their paranoia person is suspicious of everything and

everybody and feels life is a “covert action”



Disorganized schizophrenia characterized by shallow silliness; formerly

called hebephrenic schizophrenia characterized by extreme social withdrawal fragmented halucinations and delusions sometimes seen in homeless people who

jibber to themselves and others and seem to be carrying on a conversation with somebody when no one is there



Catatonic schizophrenia characterized by long periods of catatonic

stupor; waxy flexibility individual may remain in a fixed position for

hours or longer only suddenly to become violent

recovered catatonics report that they felt that if they moved the world would end or some other doom would occur


Delusional disorderDelusional disorder

Delusional disorders are rare disorders typified by paranoid delusions of grandeur and persecution

Delusions are less logical in these individuals than those delusions suffered by paranoid schizophrenics

Delusions are faulty ideas, e.g., a person wears tin foil on head to protect from Martian thought waves


PersonalityDisorders


Personality disordersPersonality disorders

Personality disorders are believed to result from personalities that improperly developed during childhood

Several types: schizoid, antisocial, paranoid, narcissistic, dependent, and passive-aggressive to list a few

We’ll look at schizoid and antisocial personality disorders now


Schizoid personality disorderSchizoid personality disorder

This personality disorder is typified by: blunted emotions in the person a general lack of interest in establishing or

maintaining social relationships the person is a strict “loner” and will resist or

reject friendship efforts made toward them by others

person appears to be devoid of attachment motivation


Antisocial personality disorderAntisocial personality disorder

This personality disorder is typified by a person with: very “smooth” social skills a charming person who can convince you by

flattery or other charms of just about anything this person has absolutely no sense of guilt

about anything they do these individuals are predators and see others

as objects to be used and abused


A word about other personality disordersA word about other personality disorders Paranoid personality disorder Narcissistic personality disorder Dependent personality disorder Passive-aggressive personality disorder It is near-to-impossible to provide

therapy/treatment to individuals with personality disorders; what you see is what you’re going to get...


Application of Psychology


Application of psychologyApplication of psychology

Abnormal psychology and civil liberties What limits are there on civil liberties to

those that are “abnormal?” What is “abnormal” anyway?

The “homelessness” problem is, to a large extent, the result of abolishing state mental institutions in which were housed many simple and disorganized schizophrenics and other “abnormal” people


Application of psychologyApplication of psychology

Jack Kavorkian’s “physician-assisted suicide” is a step toward what happened in Nazi Germany where the “abnormals” (mentally incompetent) were euthanized by the state the costs of caring for abnormals the morality/ethics of a society and its

“abnormal” population what do you think?


Questions?Questions?

Any questions over Chapter 14?

Psy101 13

Health & Medicine

Transcript of Psy101 13