PSYC 3390 Chapter 1: PSYC 3390 - Chapter 1

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3390
• Professor: Heather Mc Lean

Document Summary

Psychological disorder: psychological dysfunction within an individual that is associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typically or culturally expected. Phobia: psychological disorder characterized by marked and persistent fear of an object or situation. (keep in mind, jody"s story). Psychological dysfunction refers to a breakdown in cognitive, emotional or behavioral functioning. These problems are often considered to exist on a continuum or dimension than as categories that are either present or absent. Personal distress or impairment by itself, its criterion is not enough. Impairment is useful but it is not satisfactory. However, it illustrates that most disorders are simply extreme expressions of otherwise normal. Atypical or not culturally expected something is considered abnormal because it occurs infrequently, deviates from the average. Greater the deviation, the more abnormal it is. Another view is that your behavior is abnormal if you are violating social norms even if some people are sympathetic of your view.