PSYCH 1XX3 Final: Psychological disorders module

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYCH 1XX3
• Professor: Joe Kim

Document Summary

Clinicians use the four d"s to broadly define abnormality. What is considered normal/abnormal can vary between people, cultures and time periods, making it difficult to define what makes behaviour truly abnormal. Clinicians use a fixed set of criteria to broadly define abnormality: deviance, distress, These criteria used as guidelines and exhibiting one or more does not label someone as having a psychological disorder. Deviance: having thoughts, emotions and behaviours that fall far outside of the standards of what others are doing. But does not mean that all people who differ from norms of group have a psychological disorder. It would not make sense to label cultural practices of minority populations as psychological disorders, because they may not have anything wrong with them other than being different. Deviance includes both who fall below and above the standard of group: people who very low and high iq labeled as having a disorder. Distress refers to negative feelings related to thoughts and behaviour.