PSYB32H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: William Tuke, Brain Fever, Stone Age
Document Summary
Chapter 1: introduction, definitional and historical considerations, and canada"s mental. Field concerned with the nature and development of abnormal behaviour, thoughts, and feelings. Abnormality is the presence of several characteristics at one time Normal curve or bell-shaped curve: places the majority of people in the middle and very few people fall at either extreme (a person is normal if they don"t deviate from the average) Statistical infrequency is used explicitly in diagnosing mental retardation (measuring iq) Does the behaviour violate social norms or threatens/makes anxious those observing it. Various forms of unusual behavior can be tolerated (highly anxious people don"t violate social norms but are central in abnormal psychology, but criminals and prostitutes violate norms and are not studied in abnormal psychology. Cultural diversity can affect how people view social norms. Does the behaviour create distress and torment in the person experiencing it. Anxiety disorder/depression = suffering but psychopath = no guilt/remorse/anxiety.
