PSY340H5 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Abnormal Psychology, Intellectual Disability, Normal Distribution
Document Summary
Psy340: chapter 1: psychopathology; the field concerned with the nature and development of abnormal behavior, thoughts and feelings, abnormal behavior; is determined by the presence of several characteristics at one time. Statistical infrequency abnormal behavior is infrequent in the general population. The normal curve (bell-shaped curve) places the majority of people in the middle as far as any particular characteristic is concerned. This is explicitly used in mental retardation. Although some infrequent behaviors or characteristics of people are infrequent, they may still not be considered as abnormal since they benefit them (great athletic ability) Violation of norms whether a behavior violates social norms or threatens or makes anxious those observing it. Violation of norms explicitly makes abnormality a relative concept as various forms of unusual behavior can be tolerated, depending on the prevailing cultural norms. A murderer or a prostitute is not studied in abnormal psychology but what they do is considered as violating a social norm.
