PSYB32H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: The Retreat, Philippe Pinel, Moral Treatment
Document Summary
Introduction: definitional and historical considerations, and canada"s mental health system: psychopathology is the field concerned with the nature and development of abnormal behavior, thoughts, and feelings, challenge when studying abnormal psychology is to remain objective. What is abnormal behavior: abnormality is usually determined by the presence of several characteristics at one time. The best definition of abnormal behavior includes such characteristics as statistical infrequency, violation of norms, personal distress, disability or dysfunction, and unexpectedness. What is the norm in one culture may be abnormal in another. Personal suffering: personal suffering, that is, behavior is abnormal if it creates distress and toment in the person experieincing it, some orders however, do not cause distress. I. e: a psychopath can kill with a smile on there face. It is not possible to offer a simple definition of abnormality that captures it in its entirety. The characteristics presented constitute a partial definition, but they do not equally apply to every diagnosis.
