PSYB32H3 Study Guide - Final Guide: Microorganism, Conversion Disorder, Posttraumatic Stress Disorder
Document Summary
Psychopathology the field concerned with the nature and development of abnormal behaviours, thoughts, and feelings. Abnormal behaviour includes characteristics such as statistical infrequency, violation of norms, personal distress, disability or dysfunction, and unexpectedness. Normal curve bell-shaped curve, places majority of people in the middle and few at either extreme. Athletic ability statistical infrequency, but not a part of abnormal psychology: only certain infrequent behaviours (deep depression, hallucinations) fall into this domain. Does behaviour violate social norms or threatens to make anxious those observing it: anti-social behaviour of a psychopath, obsessive-compulsive person s complex rituals. Make abnormality a relative concept: too broad criminals and prostitutes violate norms but aren t studied, too narrow highly anxious person (studied a lot), but doesn t violate any norms. Personal suffering behaviour is abnormal if it creates great distress and torment in the person experiencing it: counter example psychopath (no guilt, etc. )
