[PSYCO239] - Midterm Exam Guide - Everything you need to know! (71 pages long)
Document Summary
The scientific study of abnormal behavior in an effort to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning. Workers in this field are called clinical scientists and they gather information systematically so that they can describe, predict, and explain the phenomena they study. The knowledge they acquire is then used by clinical practitioners whose role is to detect, assess, and treat abnormal patterns of functioning. Many definitions have been proposed, yet none has won total acceptance. Most definitions have certain features in common: What does it mean to be abnormal: deviance. How different you are from what your culture accepts. From behaviors, thoughts, and emotions that differ markedly from a society"s ideas about proper functioning. From social norms-stated and unstated rules for proper conduct. Behavior that breaks legal norms is illegal. Behavior, thoughts and emotions that break norms of psychological functioning are called abnormal.
