Psych 155b: Human Adjustment & Maladjustment

Dr. Kimberley Clow

SSC 6421

kclow2@uwo.ca

http://instruct.uwo.ca/psychology/155b/

Read Your Course Outline!

Can’t have antirequisites Psych 150, 251E, 253E, 257E, 350F/G

Textbook Sue, Sue, & Sue (2003). Understanding

Abnormal Behaviour. 7th Edition TA – Jennie Ward

Contact Jennie to go over exams jward9@uwo.ca

Evaluation 3 exams

Test1 and Test2 30% each; Non-Cumulative

Final Exam 40%; Cumulative

4 Grading options Test1 30%; Test2 30%; Final 40% No Test1; Test2 30%; Final 70% Test1 30%; no Test2; Final 70% No Test1; no Test2; Final 100%

Your grade is calculated in all 4 ways and I take the option that works BEST for you

Lecture Overheads

Lecture overheads are available on the class website BEFORE class Print them out and bring them to class Spend class time TAKING NOTES on the details I

talk about that aren’t in the overheads The overheads are not a replacement for coming to

class Just using the overheads is not sufficient preparation for

exams They are tools to help you take BETTER notes; not a

replacement for note taking

http://instruct.uwo.ca/psychology/155b/

Lecture Schedule

Date Topic Chapter

January 5 Introduction 1

January 12 Theoretical Approaches 2

January 19 Anxiety Disorders 5

January 26 Mood Disorders 11

February 2 Test 1

February 9 Schizophrenia 13

February 16 Personality Disorders 8

February 23 Reading Week N/A

March 1 Dissociative Disorders 6

March 8 Somatoform Disorders 6

March 15 Test 2

March 22 Eating Disorders 16

March 29 Mental Disorders & Aging 15

April 5 Law & Ethics 18

Exam Period Final Exam

Abnormal Psychology

The scientific study of abnormal behaviour, with the objective to Describe Explain Predict Control

So what are abnormal behaviours?

The Movies…

Myths of Abnormal Behaviour

The following are common myths about those suffering from mental illness: Easily recognized as deviant Disorder due to inheritance Incurable Weak willed Never contribute to society Always dangerous

What is Abnormal Behaviour?

Abnormal behaviour departs from some norm and harms the affected individual or others Conceptual Definitions Practical Definitions Surgeon General & DSM-IV Definitions

Conceptual Definitions

Statistical Deviation Deviations from Ideal

Mental Health Multicultural

Perspectives Cultural Universality Cultural Relativism

Practical Definitions

The 4 ‘D’s Discomfort Deviance Dysfunction Danger

Surgeon General & DSM-IV

“A clinically significant behavioural or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress (e.g., a painful symptom) or disability (i.e., impairment in one or more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom”

History Ancient Beliefs

Demonology Exorcism Trephining

Naturalistic Explanations Hippocrates Four Humours

Return to the Supernatural Mass Madness

Tarantism Witchcraft

Reforms

Humanism People are sick; not possessed Need to be treated with dignity

Reform Movements Moral Treatment

Shift from prison to hospital

Biological View Organic explanation for abnormal behaviour Drug revolution

Frequency of Mental Disorders

02468

101214

%

women

men

Psychology Student Syndrome

Many psych students find that the various disorders apply to them Abnormal behaviour is not qualitatively

different from “normal” behaviour Many of us will exhibit similar symptoms Behaviours are only problematic when they

harm or interfere with your daily functioning Diagnosing friends and romantic partners may

lead to conflict

Mental Health Professions

Who studies abnormal behaviour? Clinical Psychologist

Ph.D. and internship Psychiatrist

M.D. and internship School Psychologist

M.A. or Ph.D. Social Worker

M.S.W.

Who Do People Go See?

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

%

Diversity & Multiculturalism

Social Conditioning e.g., gender stereotypes

Cultural Values Interpret complaints with culture in mind

Sociopolitical Influences Different experiences affect what is

abnormal Bias in diagnosis

Diagnosing Abnormal Behaviour

Multiaxial approachI. Clinical disorders

II. Personality disorders

III. General medical conditions

IV. Psychosocial & environmental problems

V. Level of current functioning

An Example of Classification

Mark Axis I: Clinical Disorder

Alcohol Abuse Axis II: Personality Disorder

Paranoid Axis III: General Medical Condition

Cirrhosis Axis IV: Psychosocial & Environmental Problems

Problems with primary support group (divorce) Occupational problems

Axis V: Level of Current Functioning 54 (moderate difficulty in social & occupation functioning)

Interrater Reliability

Issues of Classification

Helps To making treatment

decisions To communicate among

clinicians Research

advancing knowledge of disorders

diagnosis as a first step to understanding mechanisms and developing treatments

Hinders By stigmatizing

patients Because different

labels can mean different things to different people

By biasing how we see the patient

By focusing on one point in the patient’s development Patient may outgrow

the label

Assessment

Observation Self-Report Inventories Biological Measures

Psychophysiological Measures Neuroimaging Techniques

Projective Tests Rorschach Ink Blots Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

Rorschach Ink Blots

Scoring

Look at the following factors Location Determinants Popularity of response Content Form

Generate hypotheses based on patterns of responses, recurrent themes, and interrelationships among scoring categories

Thematic Apperception Test - TAT

Interpretation

Murray’s concepts Need Press Thema

Basic Assumptions Person is identifying with the protagonist

in the story They are projecting their personality onto the

protagonist