PSY 3604: Intro to Abnormal Psychology, Section 002
Exam 1 Study Guide
Abnormal Psychology Overview
o Elements of abnormality
Subjective distress
Maladaptiveness
Statistical deviancy
Violation of societal norms
Social discomfort
Irrationality
Unpredictability
Dangerousness
Points to Remember:
Different abnormalities may entail different elements
Current definitions rely of suffering, maladaptation
o Advantages and disadvantages of classifying mental disorders
DSM as classification tool
Descriptive and concrete
Provides a common language
Allows us to structure information in an efficient manner
Defines the domain of what is considered to be pathological
Disadvantages
We lose detailed personal information about the person with the
disorder
Can facilitate stigma, stereotyping, and labeling.
Fear of being discriminated against may lead some people to avoid
seeking treatment.
o Cultural differences in what is abnormal
Societal norms and expectations in reference to which abnormality is
defined
Way disorders presented by individuals
Variation in the way different cultures describe distress ( no word for
‘depressed’ in native American culture).
Certain form of culture-specific psychopathology
o Prevalence of mental disorders
Mental health epidemiology
Epidemiology: the study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or
health related behaviors in a given population.
Prevalence: the number of active cases in a population during any given
period of time. Typically expressed in percentages.
Point prevalence: the estimated proportion of actual, active cases of a
disorder in a given population at a given point in time.
, 1-year prevalence: the total number of cases of a health-related state or
condition in population for a given year.
Lifetime prevalence: The proportion of living persons in a population who
have ever had a disorder up to the time of the epidemiologic assessment.
Incidence: occurrence (onset) rate of a given disorder in a given
population.
Tend to be lower than prevalence figures because they exclude preexisting
cases.
Comorbidity: occurrence of two or more identified disorders in the same
psychologically disordered individual.
o Common forms of treatment
Psychotherapy
Medication
o Approaches used to gather information about mental disorders
Case study: an in-depth examination of an individual or family that draws from a
number of data sources, including interviews and psychological testing.
Can be subject to bias because the writer of the case study selects what
information to include and what information to omit.
This means that the conclusions of a case study have low generalizability.
Self-report data: data collected directly form participants, typically by means of
interviews or questionnaires.
People may not be very good self-reporters of their own subjective states
and experiences.
Direct Observation: Method of collecting research data that involves directly
observing behavior in a given situation.
o Unresolved issues related to classifying and defining “abnormal”
Categorization of increasing numbers of people as mentally ill
How broadly should abnormality be defined?
Financial interest of mental health professionals to benefit from inclusive
definitions
Historical and Contemporary Views of Abnormal Behavior
o Interpretations of abnormal behavior throughout history
Key people, definitions, classifications:
Greeks and Romans
o Physical account (temperament is determined by 4 bodily
fluids)
o Hippocrates
Father of modern medicine
Denied that deities and demons intervened in the
development of illnesses.
Exam 1 Study Guide
Abnormal Psychology Overview
o Elements of abnormality
Subjective distress
Maladaptiveness
Statistical deviancy
Violation of societal norms
Social discomfort
Irrationality
Unpredictability
Dangerousness
Points to Remember:
Different abnormalities may entail different elements
Current definitions rely of suffering, maladaptation
o Advantages and disadvantages of classifying mental disorders
DSM as classification tool
Descriptive and concrete
Provides a common language
Allows us to structure information in an efficient manner
Defines the domain of what is considered to be pathological
Disadvantages
We lose detailed personal information about the person with the
disorder
Can facilitate stigma, stereotyping, and labeling.
Fear of being discriminated against may lead some people to avoid
seeking treatment.
o Cultural differences in what is abnormal
Societal norms and expectations in reference to which abnormality is
defined
Way disorders presented by individuals
Variation in the way different cultures describe distress ( no word for
‘depressed’ in native American culture).
Certain form of culture-specific psychopathology
o Prevalence of mental disorders
Mental health epidemiology
Epidemiology: the study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or
health related behaviors in a given population.
Prevalence: the number of active cases in a population during any given
period of time. Typically expressed in percentages.
Point prevalence: the estimated proportion of actual, active cases of a
disorder in a given population at a given point in time.
, 1-year prevalence: the total number of cases of a health-related state or
condition in population for a given year.
Lifetime prevalence: The proportion of living persons in a population who
have ever had a disorder up to the time of the epidemiologic assessment.
Incidence: occurrence (onset) rate of a given disorder in a given
population.
Tend to be lower than prevalence figures because they exclude preexisting
cases.
Comorbidity: occurrence of two or more identified disorders in the same
psychologically disordered individual.
o Common forms of treatment
Psychotherapy
Medication
o Approaches used to gather information about mental disorders
Case study: an in-depth examination of an individual or family that draws from a
number of data sources, including interviews and psychological testing.
Can be subject to bias because the writer of the case study selects what
information to include and what information to omit.
This means that the conclusions of a case study have low generalizability.
Self-report data: data collected directly form participants, typically by means of
interviews or questionnaires.
People may not be very good self-reporters of their own subjective states
and experiences.
Direct Observation: Method of collecting research data that involves directly
observing behavior in a given situation.
o Unresolved issues related to classifying and defining “abnormal”
Categorization of increasing numbers of people as mentally ill
How broadly should abnormality be defined?
Financial interest of mental health professionals to benefit from inclusive
definitions
Historical and Contemporary Views of Abnormal Behavior
o Interpretations of abnormal behavior throughout history
Key people, definitions, classifications:
Greeks and Romans
o Physical account (temperament is determined by 4 bodily
fluids)
o Hippocrates
Father of modern medicine
Denied that deities and demons intervened in the
development of illnesses.
