PSYB32H3 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Carl Wernicke, Psychiatric And Mental Health Nursing, Ct Scan
PSYB32 - Abnormal Psychology/Intro to Clinical Psychology
Lecture 1 - Introduction: Definitional and Historical Considerations
What is Abnormal Behaviour?
● ...digit span…
● Statistical infrequency
○ everyone’s working memory on average is about 7 in respect to digit span, plus
or minus 2
● Violation of norms
○ A behaviour that defies or goes against social norms; it either threatens or makes
anxious those observing it
○ In the past there are violation of norms that would not be considered as violations
in today's world such as homosexuality and interracial marriage
○ Cultural factors
■ Norms mean lots of different things to different people
● Personal distress/suffering
○ A behaviour that creates personal suffering, distress, or torment in the individual
○ What exactly is abnormal?
■ Is giving birth abnormal?
● Impairment or disability
○ Disability may be defined as an alteration of an individual’s capacity to meet
personal, social, or occupational demands, because of an impairment
○ Disability refers to an activity or tasks the individual cannot accomplish
○ A disability arises out of the interaction between impairment and external
requirements, especially those of a person's’ occupation
○ Disability may be thought of as the gap between what a person can do and what
the person needs or wants to do
○ An “impaired” individual is not necessarily “disabled”
○ An individual who is able to meet life’s demands is not disabled, even if a medical
examination discloses an impairment
○ If an impaired individual is not able to accomplish a specific task or activity
despite accommodation exists that will enable completion of the task, then that
individual is both handicapped and disabled
○ Intrinsic motivation differentiates disability and impairment
■ Intrinsic Motivation - motivation to engage in a behaviour arises from
within the individual because it is naturally satisfying
■ Motivation can overcome disability
● Unexpectedness
○ A surprising or out of proportion response to environmental stressors
○ There may be a physical or psychological or even both reasoning behind this
outcome
● “Because the field is continually evolving, it is not possible to offer a simple definition of
abnormality that captures it in its entirety. The characteristics presented constitute a
partial definition, but they are not equally applicable to every diagnosis”
The Mental Health Professions
● Clinical Psychologist / Neuropsychologist
○ PH.D. or PSY.D.
● Psychiatrist
○ M.D.
○ Prescriptions
● Neurologist
○ M.D.
○ Prescriptions
● Social worker
● Counseling psychologist
● Psychiatric nurse
● Psychotherapist
● Occupational therapist
● Speech language therapist
In The Beginning… (what to do with abnormality)
● Early demonology
○ Demonology
○ Exorcism
○ Trepanning
In The Beginning… (the first measure of abnormality and the ultimate no win situation…)
● Dark ages and demonology
○ Persecution of witches
○ Witchcraft and mental illness
■ People who had schizophrenia were thought to be witches and were put
on a tietertotter type contraption and if they were to sink they were not a
