Abnormal Psychology / Psychopathology
What are the 4 KEY characteristics of determining whether a thought/behaviour is abnormal? And
why is it used? -
✅Statistically infrequent, violate social norms, cause distress, cause impairment are four ways to
determine as there is NO UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED definition of what is 'abnormal'.
T/F: There are limitations in the four characteristics of abnormal behaviour/thought determination -
✅True.
T/F: Any deviation from the norm is abnormal but not all statistically infrequent mental
characteristics are considered 'abnormal' -
✅True. You would not treat Mozart, a 'gifted' musician, to make them normal.
T/F: Thoughts or behaviours that once was considered a 'violation of a social norm' can change over
time and differs between cultures. -
✅True. I.e., homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder until 1973; auditory hallucinations
are normal in some cultures.
T/F: Abnormal thoughts/behaviour DO NOT cause distress to the individual, or they are NOT usually
accepted with distress. -
✅False. Determining whether a thought or behaviour is abnormal follows this characteristic
where it causes distress. The only exception where it is normal to be distressed is in some situations
like trauma or bereavement.
T/F: some psychopathologies are not associated with distress -
✅True. E.g., psychopathy, mania.
T/F: The characteristic of 'impairment' in determining whether a thought or behaviour is abnormal is
limited due to the fact that some mental disorders do not necessarily mean the person is not
functional. -
✅True. I.e., asperger's disorder (autism spectrum)
What evidence are there to point out that abnormal thoughts and behaviours co-occur together? -
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, ✅Obsessions and compulsions; hallucinations and delusions; negative mood/flat affect and sleep
difficulties.
The first person to classify types of mental disorders based on systematic empirical observations -
✅Emile Kraepelin. Offered diagnostic categories defined by common patterns of symptoms. You
either have a mental disorder or you don't.
How do mental disorders reflect extreme versions of normal behaviour? -
✅Differs in severity, duration, degree of impairment, but not quality.
In treating mental disorders, the behaviour/thought must reach a certain dimension (the line)
beyond normal (extreme). This dimension becomes what? -
✅The category
What is the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)? Which one is used in
Australia and America? How many mental disorders are listed in the current manual? -
✅The DSM-5 (2013) is the latest manual used in AUS and the US. It consists of 300 mental
disorders (including the updated homosexuality, koro and gaming disorder), and it lists the
symptoms/criteria that must be met if someone has a mental disorder. It can help define that 'line' as
mental disorders are diagnosed on the basis of a designated list of characteristic symptoms.
What are some of the key symptoms of dissociative identity disorder? -
✅Formerly known as the 'multiple-personality disorder'. It is when someone shows two or more
distinct personality states, or an experience of possession. It causes distress or impairment, and is
not usually normal in everyday society.
Three aims of psychopathology -
✅describe mental disorders, understand the causes of mental disorders, develop treatments for
them
'labelling theory' -
✅labelling somebody with a mental illness and they act out the illness. Questions whether
mental disorders are just social constructions.
biological causes of mental disorders -
2|Page
What are the 4 KEY characteristics of determining whether a thought/behaviour is abnormal? And
why is it used? -
✅Statistically infrequent, violate social norms, cause distress, cause impairment are four ways to
determine as there is NO UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED definition of what is 'abnormal'.
T/F: There are limitations in the four characteristics of abnormal behaviour/thought determination -
✅True.
T/F: Any deviation from the norm is abnormal but not all statistically infrequent mental
characteristics are considered 'abnormal' -
✅True. You would not treat Mozart, a 'gifted' musician, to make them normal.
T/F: Thoughts or behaviours that once was considered a 'violation of a social norm' can change over
time and differs between cultures. -
✅True. I.e., homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder until 1973; auditory hallucinations
are normal in some cultures.
T/F: Abnormal thoughts/behaviour DO NOT cause distress to the individual, or they are NOT usually
accepted with distress. -
✅False. Determining whether a thought or behaviour is abnormal follows this characteristic
where it causes distress. The only exception where it is normal to be distressed is in some situations
like trauma or bereavement.
T/F: some psychopathologies are not associated with distress -
✅True. E.g., psychopathy, mania.
T/F: The characteristic of 'impairment' in determining whether a thought or behaviour is abnormal is
limited due to the fact that some mental disorders do not necessarily mean the person is not
functional. -
✅True. I.e., asperger's disorder (autism spectrum)
What evidence are there to point out that abnormal thoughts and behaviours co-occur together? -
1|Page
, ✅Obsessions and compulsions; hallucinations and delusions; negative mood/flat affect and sleep
difficulties.
The first person to classify types of mental disorders based on systematic empirical observations -
✅Emile Kraepelin. Offered diagnostic categories defined by common patterns of symptoms. You
either have a mental disorder or you don't.
How do mental disorders reflect extreme versions of normal behaviour? -
✅Differs in severity, duration, degree of impairment, but not quality.
In treating mental disorders, the behaviour/thought must reach a certain dimension (the line)
beyond normal (extreme). This dimension becomes what? -
✅The category
What is the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)? Which one is used in
Australia and America? How many mental disorders are listed in the current manual? -
✅The DSM-5 (2013) is the latest manual used in AUS and the US. It consists of 300 mental
disorders (including the updated homosexuality, koro and gaming disorder), and it lists the
symptoms/criteria that must be met if someone has a mental disorder. It can help define that 'line' as
mental disorders are diagnosed on the basis of a designated list of characteristic symptoms.
What are some of the key symptoms of dissociative identity disorder? -
✅Formerly known as the 'multiple-personality disorder'. It is when someone shows two or more
distinct personality states, or an experience of possession. It causes distress or impairment, and is
not usually normal in everyday society.
Three aims of psychopathology -
✅describe mental disorders, understand the causes of mental disorders, develop treatments for
them
'labelling theory' -
✅labelling somebody with a mental illness and they act out the illness. Questions whether
mental disorders are just social constructions.
biological causes of mental disorders -
2|Page
