PSYC 3140 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Abnormal Psychology, Moral Treatment, Emil Kraepelin
6 Aug 2013
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Psychological disorder: a psychological dysfunction within an individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected. Psychological dysfunction: breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning. Disorder or behavior must be associated with distress adds an important component and seems clear: the criterion is satisfied if the individual is extremely upset. Psychological disorders are simply extreme expressions of otherwise normal emotions, behaviours, and cognitive processes. The criterion that the response be atypical or not culturally expected is important but also insufficient to determine abnormality. Something is considered abnormal because it occurs infrequently. Your behavior is abnormal if you are violating social norms, even if some people are sympathetic to your point of view. Diagnostic and statistical manual (dsm-iv-tr) contains the current listing of criteria for psychological disorders. It is difficult to define normal and abnormal.
