Week 3

• Abnormal behavior


  Any behaviour that deviates from what is considered normal
• Criteria to identify abnormal behaviour

  • Violation of social norms
  • Statistical rarity
  • Personal distress
  • Maladaptive behaviour
• Psychopathology


  The study of mental illness or mental distress, or the manifestation of behaviours and experiences indicative of mental illness or psychological impairment
• "4 D's" of Abnormality

  • Distress
  • Danger
  • Deviance
  • Dysfunction
• Distress

  1. Behaviour causes anxiety, bad feelings, or other negative feelings for the person or others

  2. Example: Mary is feeling down, doesn't feel like she can even get out of bed, hasn't bathed in four days and won't respond to texts from her friends
• Danger

  1. Behaviours are detrimental to the person or people around them

  2. Example: During his manic phases of bipolar disorder, Juan will often go to the casino and bet his rent money on roulette, not caring that if he loses he won't be able to pay for his apartment
• Deviance

  1. Statistical deviance means the behaviour does not occur often in society. Social deviance means most people find the behaviour "odd". Neither alone is enough for something to be abnormal

  2. Example: Only one out of every hundred people will get an advanced (doctoral) degree, making them statistically deviant. However, we wouldn't call that abnormal. However, one out of every thousand people howl at the moon, and that fact would add to the abnormality
• Dysfunction

  1. When a person has significant impairment in a life area, such as work, home, interpersonal, or social life

  2. In the addictions world, this is often called "hitting rock bottom". A person can deal with a lot of danger and deviance, but once they become dysfunctional, they often see (or others can see) that they need outside help
• Models of Abnormality

  • Deviation from Statistical Norm
  • Deviation from Social Norm
  • Maladaptive behavior
  • Personal Distress
• Deviation from Statistical Norm

  1. Most people fall within the middle range of intelligence, but a few are statistically abnormal

  2. Example: It is statistically abnormal for a person to get a score above 145 on an IQ test or below 35, but the lowest score is considered abnormal
• Deviation from Social Norm


  1. Every culture has standards for acceptable behavior; behaviour that deviates is considered abnormal

  2. Example: Every culture has certain standards for acceptable behavior; behavior that deviates from that standard is considered abnormal behavior
• Maladaptive behavior

  1. How behaviour affects the well-being of the individual or social group

  2. Example: Paranoid individual, attempting suicide person
• Personal Distress


  Considers abnormality in terms of the individual's subjective feelings, personal distress, rather than behaviour
• Adaptation


  Process of a person reaching goals or adapting to the demands of life
• Maladaptive to Society

  Refers to a person’s obstruction or disruption to social group functioning
• Personal Distress considers abnormality in terms of the individual’s subjective feelings, personal distress, rather than his behavior
• A person is considered abnormal if they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life
• Criteria for abnormal behavior

  • Suffering
  • Maladaptiveness (danger to self)
  • Vividness and unconventionality (stands out)
  • Unpredictability and loss of control
  • Irrationality/incomprehensibility
  • Causes observer discomfort
  • Violates moral/social standards
• Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

  The six criteria by which mental health could be measured: Positive view of the self, Capability for growth and development, Autonomy and independence, Accurate perception of reality, Positive friendships and relationships, Environmental mastery (able to meet the varying demands of day-to-day situations)
• Symptoms of abnormal behavior

  • Long periods of discomfort
  • Impaired functioning
  • Bizarre behavior
  • Disruptive behavior
• Mental disorder refers to significant impairment in psychological functioning, also called mental illness or psychiatric disorder
• Mental Retardation (MR) refers to substantial limitations in present functioning, starting before age 18 and characterized by significantly sub-average intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with related limitations in adaptive skill areas
• Categories of Mental Retardation

  • Mild MR – IQ from (50-55) to 70
  • Moderate MR – IQ from (35-40) to (50-55)
  • Severe MR – IQ from (20-25) to (35-40)
  • Profound MR – IQ below (20-25)
  • MR, severity unspecified – diagnosed when there is a strong suspicion of MR but the individual cannot be tested with standardized intelligence tests
• Causes and symptoms of MR include various genetic disorders, maternal infections during pregnancy, substance abuse during pregnancy, psychosocial conditions, maternal exposure to drugs and environmental chemicals
• Prevention of MR

  1. Immunization against diseases

  2. Paediatric care

  3. Screening (critical, undernourished)

  4. Newborn screening

  5. Good prenatal care
• Intelligence Tests to Measure Learning Abilities and Intellectual Functioning

  • Standard - Binet Intelligence Scale
  • Wechsler Intelligence Scales
  • Wechsler Preschool and Primary Scale of Intelligence
  • Kaufman Assessment for Children