Chapter 1Abnormal Psychology: Past and Present

2 Comer, Abnormal Psychology, 7e

What Is Psychological

Abnormality? Many definitions proposed Most definitions share 4 features:

◦ “The Four Ds”

Deviance –______________________________

Distress –_______________________________

Dysfunction –___________________________

Danger – ____

How would you define each of these? Each will be covered in more detail

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Deviance

From what?

◦ From behaviors, thoughts, and emotions that

differ markedly from a society’s ideas about

proper functioning

◦ From social norms

Explicit and implicit rules for proper conduct

Judgments of abnormality also depend on

specific circumstances (i.e., social context)

Social Norms Vary

You see someone dressed like this

today, it’s cause for concern. But Oct

31, wouldn’t even stand out – except for

being awesome.

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Distress

Behavior, ideas, or emotions usually

have to cause distress before they can

be labeled abnormal

◦ Not always the case

Examples of behavior that deviates from social

norms but does not cause distress:

Clothing styles

Skydiving, bungee jumping

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Dysfunction

Interferes with daily functioning

Culture plays a role in the definition of

abnormality

Dysfunction alone does not

necessarily indicate psychological

abnormality

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Danger

Behavior that is dangerous to oneself

or others

◦ May be careless, hostile, or confused

Although cited as a feature of

psychological abnormality, research

suggests that being dangerous is the

exception rather than the rule

Four Factors

These 4 factors – deviance, distress,

dysfunction, and danger are all taken

into account to determine whether

behavior is abnormal

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Treating Abnormal Behavior

First, clinicians decide that a person

is suffering from abnormality

Second, treatment, or therapy:

designed to change abnormal

behavior into more normal behavior

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What Is Treatment?

• According to Jerome Frank, all forms of therapy have three essential features:

1. A sufferer who seeks relief from the healer

2. A trained, socially accepted healer

3. A series of contacts between the healer and the suffer attempting to produce certain changes in the sufferer’s emotional state, attitudes, and behavior

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What were those treatments

again?• According to Jerome Frank, all forms of

therapy have three essential features:

1. A ________ who seeks relief from the healer

2. A trained, socially acceptable

3. A __________________ between the healer and the sufferer, through which the healer to produce certain changes in the sufferer’s emotional state, attitudes, and behavior

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What Is Treatment?

Broad guidelines, specifics often unclear:

◦ Lack of agreement about goals or aims

◦ Lack of agreement about successful outcome

◦ Lack of agreement about failure

◦ Are clinicians seeking to cure? To teach?

◦ Are sufferers patients (ill) or clients (having

difficulty)?

Who Seeks Treatment?

Each year, psychological disturbances

displayed by:

◦ 30% of adults in U.S.

◦ 19% of children

Comer: Abnormal

Psychology, Seventh EditionCopyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers

Figure 1.1 The impact of deinstitutionalization

Treatment in the Past

Holes from

trephinatio

n – sought

to release

evil spirits

Asylum in

1700s

England –

Bethlehem

Hospital, or

Bedlam

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The Early Twentieth Century:

Dual Perspectives Beginning in 1800s, replaced moral

perspective

◦ Mental illness was due to character faults

1. The Somatogenic Perspective

◦ Abnormal functioning has physical causes

2. The Psychogenic Perspective

◦ Abnormal functioning has psychological

causes

Comer: Abnormal

Psychology, Seventh EditionCopyright © 2010 by Worth Publishers

Table 1.2

Notice the gender

discrepancies