1. Abnormal Behavior in Historical Context
Abnormal Psychology
Chapter 1

2. What is Psychopathology?
A field concerned with the nature and development of abnormal behavior, thoughts, and feelings

3. Psychological Disorders
“A psychological dysfunction within an individual associated with distress and impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected”

4. (Proposed) Components of Abnormal Behavior
Statistical infrequency
Violation of norms
Personal distress
Psychological dysfunction
Unexpectedness
Atypical/not culturally expected

5. Statistical Infrequency
One aspect of abnormal behavior- it is infrequent
The majority of individuals fall in the middle, with few falling at either extreme
Limitations to this approach?

6. Statistical Infrequency

7. Violation of Norms Behavior that violates social rules- Deviance
Examples of deviance/rule violations?
Limitations to this approach?

8. Personal Distress
Personal suffering- the individual is tormented by their symptoms
Examples of distress in the context of a psychological disorder?
Limitations to this approach?

9. Psychological Dysfunction
An impairment affecting some aspect of the individual’s life
cognitive functioning, behavioral functioning, emotional functioning, work, personal relationships
Limitations to this approach? Dysfunction exists on a continuum, with few clear boundaries

10. Unexpectedness An unexpected response to an environmental stressor
Is the response out of proportion to the situation?
Limitations to this approach? How do we construct what is an expected vs. an unexpected response?

11. Atypical and Not Culturally Expected
Deviates from the average
Behavior that is deviant and unexpected in the context of a particular culture
Limitations to this approach?

12. Historical Perspectives: Focus on the Supernatural
Supernatural explanations- good vs. evil; displeasure of the gods, possession by the devil
Demonology- early Egyptians, Greeks, Chinese; the devil takes control of the mind
Exorcism and drilling into the skull

13. Focus on the Supernatural
14th Century- belief in demons and witches; this view was endorsed by the Catholic Church
15th Century- evil was blamed for abnormal behavior- Salem witch trials

14. Focus on the Supernatural
Confinement, beating, and torture of those exhibiting abnormal behavior
Cold water dunking; hanging people over snake pits, etc.

15. Historical Perspectives: Asylums
Began in the 15th/16th Century; confinement of the mentally ill
Deplorable conditions; cruel medical treatments
London- St. Mary of Bethlehem; a tourist attraction

16. Historical Perspectives: The Moral Turn
Philippe Pinel ( )- “struck the chains from the insane”; freeing patients from dungeons
Differential treatment based on social class
Patients improved dramatically with humane treatment

17. Historical Perspectives: The Moral Turn
William Tuke ( ): created an institution that was a retreat in the countryside
Moral Treatment Movement: attendants developed supportive relationships with patients

18. Historical Perspectives: The Moral Turn
Dorothea Dix ( ): a school teacher who crusaded for institutional reform and humane care
Lead to the construction of large state hospitals- discrimination toward immigrants
The Moral paradigm was replaced by notions of brain pathology- biological perspectives

19. Historical Perspectives: Somatogenesis
Somatogenesis- belief that there is something wrong with the soma (physical body) which causes abnormal behavior
Hippocrates ( B.C.)- recognizing abnormal behavior as rooted in illness

20. Historical Perspectives: Somatogenesis
Hippocrates: hypothesized that mental illness resulted from an imbalance in bodily fluids- “humors”
Parallel to modern day chemical imbalances
Treatment; rest, sleep, changing the environment

21. Historical Perspectives: Somatogenesis
Resurgence of the biological perspective in the 19th Century
Research on syphilis: an STD which causes delusions
Renewed interest in biological perspectives- lead to brain surgery and ECT

22. Historical Perspective
Consequences of the biological tradition:
Emil Kraeplin ( )
Modern psychiatry; focus on diagnosis and classification; based on behavioral symptoms

23. Historical Perspectives: Competing Paradigms
Schools of Thought: 20th Century
Psychoanalysis
Behaviorism
Humanism

24. Psychoanalysis Sigmund Freud Emphasis on the unconscious mind
Psychoanalysis- to reach catharsis
Psychosexual stages

25. Psychoanalysis Structure of the mind: largely unconscious
Id: governed by the pleasure principle
Ego: governed by the reality principle
Superego: “internalized parent”

26. Psychoanalysis
Defense Mechanisms: unconscious reactions to prevent us from overwhelming anxiety
Denial, displacement, projection, rationalization, reaction formation, repression, sublimation

27. Behaviorism Classical conditioning Operant conditioning
B.F. Skinner & John Watson

28. Behaviorism Behavior Therapy Joseph Wolpe- systematic desensitization
Present day- anxiety reduction strategies

29. Humanism Reflections on the positive, optimistic side of human nature
Self actualization: reaching our highest potential
Carl Rogers- unconditional positive regard

30. Toward a Holistic Perspective
Each tradition has shortcomings
No one influence occurs in isolation:
Biological, behavioral, cognitive, social, and social influences interact in complex ways
Understanding psychopathology through integrative models