To study the abnormal is the best way of understanding the normal.- William James (1842-1910)

2. Abnormal Behavior in Historical Context
Understanding
Psychological Disorder

3. Psychological Disorder
a behavioral or psychological syndrome or
pattern that happens with an individual which
causes significant distress or impairment or
having a considerably increased chance of
suffering pain, death, discomfort, disability, or
an essential lack of freedom which is not an
expected response to a particular situation.
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4. Psychological Disorder
is clinically defined as an abnormality that is:
DEVIANT because it goes against what is
normal, DISTRESSFUL because not only does it
upset the person but also creates an unpleasant
situation for the friends and family members of
the sufferer, and DYSFUNCTIONAL because it
causes a person to be unable to function
normally in everyday life.

5. Psychological Disorder
is a (1) psychological dysfunction
within an individual that is (2)
associated with distress or
impairment in functioning and (3) a
response that is not typical or
culturally expected.

6. The criteria defining a psychological disorder

7. Psychological Dysfunction
Breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or
behavioral functioning
Example:
Three weeks ago, Jane 35-year old business
executive, stopped showering, refused to
leave her apartment and started watching
television talk shows. Threats of being fired
have failed to bring Jane back to reality, and
she continues to spend her days staring
blankly at the television screen.

8. Personal Distress
a. Difficulty performing appropriate and
expected roles
Example :
Miguel recently began feeling sad and
lonely. Although still able to function at
work and perform other responsibilities, he
feels himself feeling down much of the
time and he worries about what is
happening to him.

9. b. Impairment in functioning
Example :
Jenny admitted that she was a shy and lazy girl,
but one thing troubles her; she finds that it is very
difficult and almost impossible to date or even
interact and makes every attempt to avoid
interactions with other young ladies even though
she would like to befriend with them.

10. Atypical or Not Culturally Expected
Response
Reaction is outside cultural norms or
deviating from the average.
Example :
Going on stage performing naked in one culture
may be considered normal and acceptable, while
in others it may lead to arrest. In one particular
tribe men wear costumes to attract women. In
other society this would be considered abnormal.

11. Abnormal Behavior Defined
The most widely accepted definition used
in Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM)
describes behavioral, psychological, or
biological dysfunction that are unexpected
in their cultural context and is associated
with present distress and impairment in
functioning, or increased risk of suffering,
death, pain, or impairment.

12. The Science of Psychopathology
Concerned with the scientific study of
psychological disorders by the specially
trained professional including clinical and
counseling psychologist, psychiatrists,
psychiatric social worker, and psychiatric
nurses, as well as marriage and family
therapist and mental health counselor.

13. Functioning as a scientist-practitioner

14. Three major categories make up the study and discussion of psychological disorders.

15. Historical Conceptions of
Abnormal Behavior

16. The Supernatural Tradition
Abnormal behavior is attributed to agents
outside our bodies or social environment,
such as divinities, demons, spirits, or other
phenomena such as magnetic fields or the
moon and the star.
14th Century- Deviant behavior was believed
to be caused by demonic possession,
witchcraft, sorcery.

17. The Supernatural Tradition
Deviant Behavior has been considered the
Battle between Good and Evil
When confronted with unexplainable,
irrational behavior, and by suffering and
upheaval, people perceived evil.
In the Great Persian Empire from 900-600
B.C., all physical and mental disorders were
considered the work of the devil.

18. The Supernatural Tradition
Treatments for Possession include:
 Confinement, Beatings, and other forms of Tortures
Exorcism is the religious or spiritual practice of
evicting demons or other spiritual entities from a
person or an area they are believed to have
possessed. In Christianity, it is the practice of casting
out demons often done by a member of the
Christian Church thought to be graced with special
powers and ability using prayer to invokes God to
intervene with the exorcism.

19. The Supernatural Tradition
Treatments for Possession include:
Therapeutic Elements of shock such as:
Hanging people over a pit of full of
poisonous snakes to scare the evil spirits
right out of their bodies.
Dunking the possessed in ice-cold water.

20. The Supernatural Tradition
Other Supernatural Phenomena
Mass Hysteria - emotion contagion
Example: One person’s feeling of dizziness,
headache, nausea, and stomach pains
spreads to the people around him.
Lunatic (Moon & Stars) – heavenly bodies
affect human behavior.

21. The Supernatural Tradition
Other Supernatural Phenomena
Mass Hysteria - emotion contagion
Example: One person’s feeling of dizziness,
headache, nausea, and stomach pains
spreads to the people around him.
Lunatic (Moon & Stars) – heavenly bodies
affect human behavior.