PSY 139 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Uncorrelated Random Variables, Meta-Analysis, Internal Validity
12 Jun 2015
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Chapter one: abnormal psychology: an overview: abnormal psychology- concerned with understanding the nature, causes, and treatment of mental disorders. (also called psychopathology) There is no universal agreement about what is meant by abnormality or disorder: there is no one behavior that makes someone abnormal. There are some clear elements or indicators of abnormality: suffering- if people suffer or experience psychological pain we are inclined to consider this as indicative of abnormality. This is a behavior that inhibits a persons ability to adjust to particular situations. Maladaptive behavior interferes with our well-being and with our ability to enjoy our work and our relationships. Although many social rules are arbitrary to some extent, when people fail to follow the conventional social and moral rules of their cultural group we may consider their behavior abnormal. These disturbances are thought to reflect a dysfunction in biological, psychological, or developmental processes that are necessary for mental functioning.
