PSYCH 303 Lecture Notes - Lecture 1: Comorbidity, Etiology, Dsm-5
23 Mar 2016
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Document Summary
Spectrums seem to do best, especially when based on frequency of symptom paterns. Behavior at the extremes of an underlying (roughly normal) distribuion. Challenges include the use of arbitrary cutofs, one- vs two-tailed abnormaliies (staisically, someone who is prodigiously smart is as abnormal as someone who is prodigiously dumb), and the possibility of ignoring not-uncommon problems (anxiety) Behavior that violates social norms (ani-socialist personality disorder, ussr) Challenges: considers benign behaviors disorders, creates extreme problems of cultural relaivity (what"s normal in one place might be abnormal in another), no objecive biological basis. Breaking moral codes are considered the realm of the mentally ill, the morally deicient/evil. Sub-category of social deviance, based on mutable cultural values. Especially prominent, and puniive, in overtly religious socieies. Challenges: changes with ime (evoluion of morality, for example homosexuality), again cultural relaivity creates a huge problem. Diseases that operate on the level of brain biochemistry afecing the mind. Looks for symptoms, disorders and their underlying causes.
