Expl. of abnormal behaviour

• Behaviourist

  Abnormalities arise from learnt associations and reinforcements of behaviour. Systematic desensitisation successfully treats the abnormality by breaking learnt associations.
• Social learning

  Has has little application to abnormality but has been used to explain aggression through the observation of dysfunctional role models and violence in the media. Has had implications for things such as film age classifications.
• Cognitive

  Abnormality - caused by faulty thinking processes. CBT is based around the idea of cognitive restructuring. Aims to identify faulty thinking and uses disputing to help the individual change their thought processes. This is effective and has been used for many abnormal behaviours.
• Biological

  Abnormality - faulty genes, levels of neurotransmitters and faulty brain functioning. Has successfully developed drug therapy to regulate chemicals in the brain.
• Psychodynamic

  Freud saw disorders as emerging from unconscious conflicts and childhood trauma. Psychoanalysis has been used to uncover these unconscious conflicts but is not appropriate for everyone.
• Humanistic

  Abnormal behaviour - the result of an incongruence between the self and ideal self. Rogers' counselling focused on closing the gap between self and ideal self to stimulate personal growth.