PSY100H1 Chapter Notes - Chapter 1: Deinstitutionalisation, Ipsos, Bipolar Disorder
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PSY100H1 Full Course Notes
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Chapter 1: introduction: definitional and historical considerations, and canada"s. Psychopathology: the field concerned with the nature and development of abnormal behaviour, thoughts, and feelings. To understand abnormal behaviour, we must get rid of preconceived notions that we have about the topic --> remain objective. Abnormality is hard to define --> no one definition --> usually determined by the presence of several characteristics at one time. Abnormal behaviour: includes such characteristics as statistical infrequency, violation of norms, personal distress, disability or dysfunction, and unexpectedness: statistical infrequency. Aspect of abnormal is that it is infrequent in the normal population. Normal curve: (or bell shaped curve) places the majority of people in the middle as far as any particular characteristic is observed; very few people fall at each extreme. Assertion that a person is normal implies that they do not deviate much from the average in a particular trait/ behavioural pattern. Used explicitly in diagnosing mental retardation (ie iq below 70)
