PSYC 300 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: E.G. Crazy, Personal Distress, Demonology
Document Summary
Study of the nature & development of abnormal behaviors, thoughts & feelings. Definition of psychopathology: clinically significant difficulties in thinking, feeling, or behaving, usually associated with significant personal distress or disability, not just unusual or inappropriate behavior. Diagnosing abnormality: there isn"t one agreed upon procedure of diagnosis, prevailing values, norms & cultures affect diagnosis, e. g. being gay used to be considered abnormal. Statistical approach: behavior is out of the norm, con: doesn"t distinguish between desirable & undesirable behavior, e. g. high iq & music geniuses abnormal but not undesirable. Subjective discomfort: behavior is bothersome to you or loved ones. History of psychopathology: power beyond behavioral control used to be considered supernatural, e. g. eclipse, fire, diseases. Demonology: belief that mental illness is caused by supernatural powers, before the age of scientific inquiry, treatment, trephination: drilling a hole in the skull, exorcism: ritualistic casting out of evil spirits, e. g. noisemaking, flogging, starvation.
