PSYCH257 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Physical Dependence, Personal Distress, Psychopathology
23 May 2018
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CHAPTER 1 & 2 LECTURE: Understanding Abnormal Behaviour
[Monday May 5, 2018]
What is a Psychological Disorder?
Abnormal behaviour/psychological disorder = interchangeable terms (abnormal → statistically, deviant)
Psychological disorder in three parts:
There are three main elements that make up a psychological disorder: (e.g. bird phobia)
1. DYSFUNCTION → refers to a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioural functioning
○ Problems are often considered to exist on a continuum or as a dimension rather than categories
2. DISTRESS or Impairment → feeling extremely upset about a problem
○ Impairment: some type of interference with functioning
○ AT LEAST one of the two MUST apply
3. DEVIANCE → atypical or not culturally expected; deviates from the normal
○ Different from socio-cultural norms (e.g. losing weight or fasting for a month is religious for Muslims;
Ramadan); what is considered harmful in one culture may not be so in another
What is Abnormal?
SCENARIOS:
● Uncle example (questions to ask → how long to drink, rule out alcohol [is he forgetting names upon drinking, or
are there any other factors], family history of drinking, interpersonal stressors)
● Grandmother example (questions to ask → sensation, aging, brain damage, physically impaired, meets the three
criteria)
● Woman example → (questions to ask → losing weight b/c of distress, course of behaviour [before or after death],
affecting other people around her, looking at the culture)
● Tattoo example → normal; child has large imagination (questions to ask → dominating his life or quick thought)
● Marijuana example (questions to ask → medical or stress, impairment in other domains, is the relationship
healthy, nature of her use [physiological dependence])
Toward a Definition of Abnormal Behaviour
● Statistical concept (not a judgement, statistically uncommon)
● Psychological dysfunction (break down in cognitive, emotional, or behavioural functioning)**
● Personal distress (is person experiencing negative emotions [upset, anxious, sad, low])
● Atypical or not culturally expected (deviant from the norm culture)
● Tool to use for diagnosis = Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-5)
The Science of Psychopathology
● Psychopathology = scientific study of psychological disorders
● The scientific-practitioner model = need to be well informed about scientifically sound and effective treatment
(used by clinical psychologists, psychiatrist)
● Use of clinical description
○ Prevalence (how many people have it)
○ Incidence (time frame of how long people have it; e.g. now in the last 12 months)
○ Onset (when symptoms began)
○ Course (pattern for disorder [chronic, episodic, time-limited; short or long])
● Causation (factors causing disorders/etiology), treatment (how to help the person), outcomes (success or relapse)
CURRENT PARADIGMS AND AN INTEGRATIVE APPROACH:
The Scientific Method and an Integrative Approach
Paradigm → conceptual framework where practitioner works (different methods of treating problem)
Multiply determined → more than one cause that factors in psychopathology (thus reciprocal relationships in
biopsychosocial and experiential factors)
Document Summary
Chapter 1 & 2 lecture: understanding abnormal behaviour. Abnormal behaviour/psychological disorder = interchangeable terms (abnormal statistically, deviant) There are three main elements that make up a psychological disorder: (e. g. bird phobia: dysfunction refers to a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioural functioning, distress or impairment feeling extremely upset about a problem. Problems are often considered to exist on a continuum or as a dimension rather than categories. Impairment: some type of interference with functioning. At least one of the two must apply: deviance atypical or not culturally expected; deviates from the normal. Different from socio-cultural norms (e. g. losing weight or fasting for a month is religious for muslims; Ramadan); what is considered harmful in one culture may not be so in another. Uncle example (questions to ask how long to drink, rule out alcohol [is he forgetting names upon drinking, or are there any other factors], family history of drinking, interpersonal stressors)
