Chapter 1
Wicks-Nelson, R. & Israel, A.C. (2015). Abnormal child and adolescent psychology, with DSM-
5 updates. (8th ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Introduction
DEFINING AND IDENTIFYING ABNORMALITY
The criteria for abnormality are primarily based on how a person is acting or what a person is
saying and only rarely include a specific known marker for disorder
Informative to consider several factors
Atypical and Harmful Behavior
o Psychological problems frequently are viewed as atypical, odd, or abnormal—all of which
imply that they deviate from the average
o The deviations we are considering are assumed to be harmful in some way to the individual
o APA defines disorder as a syndrome of clinically significant behavioral, cognitive, or
emotional disturbances that reflect dysfunction in underlying mental processes, and that is
associated with distress or disability in important areas of functioning
o Is viewed as interfering with adaptation, that is, with individuals fitting the circumstances of
their lives
o Hinders or prevents the young person from negotiating developmental tasks, whether
acquiring language skills, emotional control, or satisfactory social relationships
o Disorder may be viewed as residing within the individual
Alternatively, for it can be regarded as the individual's reactions to circumstances—
with the interface of the person with other people or environmental conditions
Developmental Standards
o Age is always important in judging behavior, but it is especially important for children and
adolescents because they change so rapidly
o Judgments about behavior rely on developmental norms, which describe the typical rates of
growth, sequences of growth, and forms of physical skills, language, cognition, emotion, and
social behavior
o Includes atypical frequency, intensity, or duration of behavior, as well as the display of
behavior in inappropriate situations
Culture and Ethnicity
o The term culture encompasses the idea that groups of people are organized in specific ways,
live in specific environmental niches, and share specific attitudes, beliefs, values, practices,
and behavioral standards
o Rates of disorders have been found to vary and disorders may be expressed in subtly
different ways
An example of the latter is anxiety disorder;
It appears to be universal but is expressed more through bodily symptoms in
Asian and Latino groups than in European Americans
o Cultural analyses describe the many ways in which cultures shape normal and abnormal
development and also conceptualize, explain, and treat psychopathology
Cultural norms have broad influence on expectations, judgments, and beliefs about
the behavior of youth
o Need to consider ethnicity or race when assessing various aspects of abnormality
Ethnicity denotes common customs, values, language, or traits that are associated
with national origin or geographic area
Race, a distinction based on physical characteristics, can also be associated with
shared customs, values, and the like
, Other Standards: Gender and Situations
o Gender norms significantly influence development; they affect emotions, behaviors,
opportunities, and choices
o Gender stereotypes play a role in judgments about normality
o Judgments of deviance or normality of behavior also take into account situational norms—
what is expected in specific settings or social situations
The Role of Others
o The identification and labeling of a problem is more likely to occur when others become
concerned
o At adult attitudes, sensitivity, tolerance, and ability to cope all play a role in identifying
disorders
Changing Views of Abnormality
o Most appropriately viewed as a judgment that a person's behavior, emotion, or thinking is
atypical, dysfunctional, and harmful in some way—a judgment involving knowledge about
development, cultural and ethnic influences, social norms, and the people making the
judgment
HOW COMMON ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS?
Frequency depends on several factors, most importantly how a disorder is defined and the criteria
set for identification
Rates of disorder can vary with the measures used
Characteristics of the population examined—regarding, for example, age, gender, and clinic versus
community populations—can make a difference in prevalence
Due to variations across studies and methodological issues, it has been difficult to draw overall
conclusions about such historical or so-called secular trends
o Research findings are mixed
Two thirds to three-quarters of needy youth with diagnosable disorders do not receive adequate
treatment
HOW ARE DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL AND DISORDER RELATED?
How psychological difficulties are related to developmental level
Some relationship does exist between specific problems and the age at which they usually first
appear or are identified
Chronological age is correlated with developmental level that, in turn, makes some disorders more
likely than others
o For instance, developmental speech problems appear when children are first acquiring
language skills
Actual onset can occur gradually, with symptoms and social impairment escalating over time
For some disorders, time of onset varies according to gender
Knowing the usual age of onset can point to etiology
o Very early occurrence suggests genetic and/or prenatal etiology, whereas later onset directs
attention to additional developmental influences
o Cases that occur especially early are likely to be more severe
HOW ARE GENDER AND DISORDER RELATED?
Males being more frequently affected than females
Some gender differences are related to age
o Males are particularly vulnerable to neurodevelopmental disorders that occur early in life,
whereas females are more vulnerable to emotional problems and eating disorders that
more commonly are seen at adolescence
Wicks-Nelson, R. & Israel, A.C. (2015). Abnormal child and adolescent psychology, with DSM-
5 updates. (8th ed.) New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
Introduction
DEFINING AND IDENTIFYING ABNORMALITY
The criteria for abnormality are primarily based on how a person is acting or what a person is
saying and only rarely include a specific known marker for disorder
Informative to consider several factors
Atypical and Harmful Behavior
o Psychological problems frequently are viewed as atypical, odd, or abnormal—all of which
imply that they deviate from the average
o The deviations we are considering are assumed to be harmful in some way to the individual
o APA defines disorder as a syndrome of clinically significant behavioral, cognitive, or
emotional disturbances that reflect dysfunction in underlying mental processes, and that is
associated with distress or disability in important areas of functioning
o Is viewed as interfering with adaptation, that is, with individuals fitting the circumstances of
their lives
o Hinders or prevents the young person from negotiating developmental tasks, whether
acquiring language skills, emotional control, or satisfactory social relationships
o Disorder may be viewed as residing within the individual
Alternatively, for it can be regarded as the individual's reactions to circumstances—
with the interface of the person with other people or environmental conditions
Developmental Standards
o Age is always important in judging behavior, but it is especially important for children and
adolescents because they change so rapidly
o Judgments about behavior rely on developmental norms, which describe the typical rates of
growth, sequences of growth, and forms of physical skills, language, cognition, emotion, and
social behavior
o Includes atypical frequency, intensity, or duration of behavior, as well as the display of
behavior in inappropriate situations
Culture and Ethnicity
o The term culture encompasses the idea that groups of people are organized in specific ways,
live in specific environmental niches, and share specific attitudes, beliefs, values, practices,
and behavioral standards
o Rates of disorders have been found to vary and disorders may be expressed in subtly
different ways
An example of the latter is anxiety disorder;
It appears to be universal but is expressed more through bodily symptoms in
Asian and Latino groups than in European Americans
o Cultural analyses describe the many ways in which cultures shape normal and abnormal
development and also conceptualize, explain, and treat psychopathology
Cultural norms have broad influence on expectations, judgments, and beliefs about
the behavior of youth
o Need to consider ethnicity or race when assessing various aspects of abnormality
Ethnicity denotes common customs, values, language, or traits that are associated
with national origin or geographic area
Race, a distinction based on physical characteristics, can also be associated with
shared customs, values, and the like
, Other Standards: Gender and Situations
o Gender norms significantly influence development; they affect emotions, behaviors,
opportunities, and choices
o Gender stereotypes play a role in judgments about normality
o Judgments of deviance or normality of behavior also take into account situational norms—
what is expected in specific settings or social situations
The Role of Others
o The identification and labeling of a problem is more likely to occur when others become
concerned
o At adult attitudes, sensitivity, tolerance, and ability to cope all play a role in identifying
disorders
Changing Views of Abnormality
o Most appropriately viewed as a judgment that a person's behavior, emotion, or thinking is
atypical, dysfunctional, and harmful in some way—a judgment involving knowledge about
development, cultural and ethnic influences, social norms, and the people making the
judgment
HOW COMMON ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL PROBLEMS?
Frequency depends on several factors, most importantly how a disorder is defined and the criteria
set for identification
Rates of disorder can vary with the measures used
Characteristics of the population examined—regarding, for example, age, gender, and clinic versus
community populations—can make a difference in prevalence
Due to variations across studies and methodological issues, it has been difficult to draw overall
conclusions about such historical or so-called secular trends
o Research findings are mixed
Two thirds to three-quarters of needy youth with diagnosable disorders do not receive adequate
treatment
HOW ARE DEVELOPMENTAL LEVEL AND DISORDER RELATED?
How psychological difficulties are related to developmental level
Some relationship does exist between specific problems and the age at which they usually first
appear or are identified
Chronological age is correlated with developmental level that, in turn, makes some disorders more
likely than others
o For instance, developmental speech problems appear when children are first acquiring
language skills
Actual onset can occur gradually, with symptoms and social impairment escalating over time
For some disorders, time of onset varies according to gender
Knowing the usual age of onset can point to etiology
o Very early occurrence suggests genetic and/or prenatal etiology, whereas later onset directs
attention to additional developmental influences
o Cases that occur especially early are likely to be more severe
HOW ARE GENDER AND DISORDER RELATED?
Males being more frequently affected than females
Some gender differences are related to age
o Males are particularly vulnerable to neurodevelopmental disorders that occur early in life,
whereas females are more vulnerable to emotional problems and eating disorders that
more commonly are seen at adolescence
