* Deviation from social norms * Behaviour that is undesirable and deviates from that expected by the majority of society could be called abnormal * For example, people who neglect their personal appearance, people who do not observe the expected code of dress and people who behave aggressively towards total strangers without any reason * Limitations * Desirable behavior changes with time and culture * Desirable behavior depends on the situation * Deviant (criminal) behavior is not always an indication of psychological abnormality * * Failure to function adequately * People who are unable to function in society could be called abnormal * As an adult you are expected to have good personal hygiene, a home, close relationships and an income * Failure to have these things could be regarded as abnormal * Limitations * Can function adequately in society but still be abnormal eg. anti social personality * An individual may not experience personal distress but may cause observer discomfort * Dysfunction varies between different cultures * * Deviation of ideal mental health * Focuses on the positive aspects of mental health * Jahoda stated 6 ways to achieve ideal mental health 1. Achieving your potential 2. Adapt to change 3. Coping with stress 4. Making own decisions 5. Realistic 6. Self-respect * Deviations from these indicates that the indiviual is abnormal * Limitations * Very few people achieve ideal mental health in all six aspects * Can only measure ideal mental health subjectively * Mental health varies between cultures
* Assumptions * Abnormal behavior has a physical cause * It is treated by the medical profession like a physical illness * * Causes * Brain damage * Phineas Gage was an American railroad construction foreman who survived an accident in which a large iron rod was driven completely through his head, destroying much of his brain's left frontal lobe and this caused his personality and behvaiour to change, he became reportedly unreliable, partial to swearing and often making inappropriate remarks. * Infection * Clive Wearing lost his memory due to encephalitis, which is from herpes-simplex (the cold sore virus). The virus lies dormant in most of the population, however with Clive the virus went to his brain rather than his mouth, causing the brain to swell and crush against the bone, causing him to lose all memory. * Neurotransmitters * Dopamine hypothesis says that schizophrenia may cause an increase in dopamine, although it could also be too many D2 receptors that cause schizophrenia * Genetics * Holland et al * They completed a study on Mz and Dz twins * It was found that if your Mz twin had anorexia there was a 56% chance of you having anorexia too, however if your dz twin had anorexia there was only a 5% chance. * This shows that there may be a link between genetics and anorexia, however if there was a definite link then the concordance rate for Mz twins with anorexia would be 100% * * Evaluation * + Scientific: It is based on evidence from controlled experiments using objective measurements * + Effective Drug Treatments: Drugs have been successful in dealing with the symptoms of abnormal behavior * - Diagnosis Leads to Labeling: People can behave in accordance with the label they have been given. The label of mentally ill can stigmatize them because people have negative impressions of mental illness * - Treats Symptoms Not The Causes: Doesn’t identify and deal with the causes of abnormality so the problem can continue * - Used as a Form Of Social Control: By diagnosing people as mentally ill they can be hospitalized and removed from society. Their behavior is controlled and they have no freedom of choice * - Ignores the Social Influences on Behaviour: Abnormal behavior can
development of a disorder (e.g. social support, medication) Examine the concepts of normality and abnormality Normality is when one is within limits of “normal” functioning. Abnormal behaviour presents psychologists with a difficult task: it is difficult to define and therefore it is difficult to diagnose as it is based on the symptoms that people report or exhibit. There are four definitions of abnormality: statistical infrequency, deviation from social norms, dysfunctional behaviour and deviation…
Collins PSY/270 December 14, 2014 Stephanie Flinn What Is Schizophrenia? Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder in which personal, social, and occupational functioning deteriorate as a result of strange perceptions, unusual emotions, and motor abnormalities Symptoms POSITIVE - Pathological Excesses Delusions, disorganized thinking and speech, heightened perceptions and hallucinations, and inappropriate affect. NEGATIVE - Pathological Deficits Poverty of speech, blunted and flat affect, loss of…
animals to this chemical early in life is associated with: •Pre-cancerous changes in the mammary and prostate glands; •Altered development of the brain causing behavioral abnormalities and earlier onset of puberty; •Reproductive abnormalities such as lower sperm counts, hormonal changes, enlarged prostate glands, and abnormalities in the number of chromosomes in eggs; •Obesity and with insulin resistance, a condition that commonly precedes the development of diabetes. There is concern that BPA may…
has a history of severe behavioral problems, ADHD, bipolar disorder, borderline mental retardation, and significant past medical history of congenital hydrocephalous associated with myelination defect on MRI. Mother records no new concerns. Mother notes some brief improvements in the patient’s impulsiveness and distractibility after starting Neurontin. However, she feels that it is no longer effective.…
abstract ideas like facial expression, body language, and emotion, posed some of the biggest hurdles for Grandin to overcome in her childhood. Grandin also notes that, like many individuals with austism, her problems internalizing sensory information were a constant struggle. Nearly every autistic individual, Grandin states, is affected by abnormalities in one or more of their somatosensory systems, including vision, sound, smell, and touch. Grandin herself relays stories of her childhood in which she…
Decreased (or increased) appetite Insomnia (or hypersomnia) Psychomotor agitation (or retardation) Fatigue Feelings of worthlessness or guilt Diminished ability to concentrate Recurrent thoughts of death/suicidal ideation MDD: A few notes… Women: 2x as often as men Uncommon in children Within any given year, 5% of US adults have clinically significant depression Lifetime prevalence: 10% Various duration and triggers MDD: Genes & The Environment Moderate degree of heritability…
Lab #8 – Blood Name ___________________ Text Book Reference: Chapter 16 Lab Manual Exercise: 31 Bonus Lab Reports: 31 Goals for this lab: 1. Identify the blood cells on a slide as well as my web site 2. Identify the difference blood abnormalities on slides as well as my web site Part I: Blood 1. What is blood composed of? Formed elements & plasma 2. Name all of the white blood cells. Neutrophils, Eosinophils, Basophils, Monocytes, Lymphocytes 3. What cells produce platelets?…
§4.104 Schedule of ratings—cardiovascular system. Diseases of the Heart Rating Note 1: Evaluate cor pulmonale, which is a form of secondary heart disease, as part of the pulmonary condition that causes it. Note 2: One MET (metabolic equivalent) is the energy cost of standing quietly at rest and represents an oxygen uptake of 3.5 milliliters per kilogram of body weight per minute. When the level of METs at which dyspnea, fatigue, angina, dizziness, or syncope develops is required…
that there are ways to protect ourselves from the hazards” (Gantt, 2012, p 102). Substances that are generally perceived as harmless can possibly result in a hazardous situation or even death if the proper instructions are not followed. One article notes that baking soda is sometimes used as an antacid. However ignoring the recommended dosage has resulted in numerous reports of poisonings to emergency and treatment control centers. In the article it states “Baking soda was commonly found to be misused…
develop their communication skills. Autism and the ‘theory of mind’. The neuropsychology of autism. What is autism? Bailey et al., (1996) describes autism as a developmental disorder characterised by three features: language abnormality, social abnormality and stereotypical and repetitive patterns of behaviour. The first known report of autism was made in an article by Leo Kanner in 1943, in which he described the core of the classification of autism that we still use today. Autism…