Abnormal Behavior

• Abnormal Psychology


  • Concerned with understanding the nature, causes, and treatment of mental disorders
• The issues of abnormal psychology capture our interest, demand our attention, and trigger our concern. They compel us to ask questions
• 3 Approaches in Psychodiagnosis

  1. Normality vs. Abnormality

  2. Normality as an ideal

  3. Normality as a Developmental process
• 3 Approaches in Psychodiagnosis

  • Normality vs. Abnormality
  • Normality as an ideal
  • Normality as a Developmental process
• Normality vs. Abnormality


  1. STATISTICAL APPROACH - Defining normality based on statistical norms

  2. FUNCTIONAL APPROACH - Normality associated with adaptive, effective functioning

  3. CULTURAL RELATIVITY - Cultural factors heavily influence our understanding of normal and abnormal behavior
• STATISTICAL APPROACH

  • In a classroom of 30 students, 28 consistently complete assignments on time and actively participate in discussions. Two students consistently fail to submit assignments and show withdrawal from social interactions
• FUNCTIONAL APPROACH


  • An individual experiences intense anxiety when faced with social situations, leading to avoidance of gatherings and relationships. This anxiety significantly impairs their ability to maintain friendships and engage in everyday activities
• CULTURAL RELATIVITY


  • In some cultures, hallucinations and hearing voices are culturally accepted phenomena associated with spiritual experiences. In contrast, in a culture where such experiences are considered abnormal, an individual reporting these symptoms may be labeled as mentally ill
• Normality as an ideal

  1. Social and Cultural Influence - Norms regarding normality are shaped by cultural, social, and historical contexts

  2. Flexibility and Adaptability - Acknowledging the dynamic nature of normality
• Normality as an ideal

  • A society values extroverted, outgoing personalities and places high importance on constant social interaction. An individual who prefers solitude and quiet activities may be perceived as abnormal within this cultural framework
  • In a fast-paced, ever-changing work environment, an employee who struggles to adapt to new technologies and work processes may be considered abnormal. However, this employee has decades of experience and expertise in the company's traditional methods
• Normality as a Developmental process


  1. Developmental Milestones - Accounting for developmental milestones when assessing normality

  2. Life Transitions and Challenges - Individuals encounter various life transitions and challenges, responses to stressors or life events may temporarily deviate from the norm but could still be within a range of adaptive coping mechanisms
• Normality as a Developmental process

  • A toddler, despite having the physical ability to walk, continues to crawl and shows resistance to walking
• Events may temporarily deviate from the norm but could still be within a range of adaptive coping mechanisms
• Normality as a developmental process
• Developmental Milestones

  A toddler, despite having the physical ability to walk, continues to crawl and shows resistance to walking. Peers of the same age have successfully transitioned to walking
• Life Transitions and Challenges

  A middle-aged individual, after the loss of a long-term job, experiences a period of low mood, reduced energy, and social withdrawal. These symptoms emerge as a response to the life transition of unemployment
• Approaches in Psychodiagnosis

  1. Normality vs. Abnormality

  2. Normality as an ideal

  3. Normality as a developmental process
• Indicators of Abnormality

  1. Subjective distress

  2. Maladaptiveness

  3. Statistical Deviancy

  4. Violation of the Standards of Society

  5. Social discomfort

  6. Irrationality and unpredictability

  7. Dangerousness
• Decisions about abnormal behavior always involve social judgments and are based on the values and expectations of society at large
• Culture plays a role in determining what is and is not abnormal
• Diagnosis and Classification of Abnormal Behavior

  1. Reasons for assessing psychological constructs: Classification of abilities, attributes, and traits for diagnosis of psychological disorders

  2. Description or explanation of one’s functioning of characteristics

  3. Prediction of tendencies or future behaviors
• Classifying Behaviors and Characteristics

  1. BENEFITS: Promotion of communication among professionals, Translation of research into practice, Documenting for the need of services e.g. special education or submitting reimbursement services

  2. DISADVANTAGES: No clear way to determine when a behavior should be considered pathological, High degree of overlap between various forms of psychopathology, Stigma may be attached
• There is a high degree of overlap between various forms of psychopathology, such as anxiety and depression symptoms, and treatments that work across different disorders (known as transdiagnostic approaches) making categorization difficult
• A stigma may be associated with the label derived from classification. The labels “autism” or “attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder“ (ADHD), for example, can cause people to treat children more negatively compared to their unlabeled peers (Frick et al., 2010)
• Categorical/Clinical Diagnostic Approach

  1. Starts by defining groups of disorders, usually by committees of mental health experts

  2. Clinical experience, inferences from the existing empirical literature, and the various orientations of committee members all contribute to the categories that are finally selected for inclusion

  3. After defining the overarching diagnostic groups, symptoms are then outlined that are needed to qualify for meeting the criteria for each diagnostic group or category
• The most commonly used categorical classification system in the United States is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5; American Psychiatric Association [APA] 2013)
• Another categorical system also used in the United States and around the world is the International Classification of Diseases, currently in its 10th revision with clinical modifications to fit mental health terms used in the United States (ICD-10-CM; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2014)
• ICD-10-CM is the official system used in health care settings within the United States and the required mental health categories used for insurance reimbursement
• The DSM-5 and ICD-11 are two of the most respected medical manuals in the world of classifying diseases and disorders
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders

  • Intellectual Disabilities
  • Communication Disorders
  • Autism Spectrum Disorder
  • Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Specific Learning Disorders
• Schizophrenia Spectrum and Other Psychotic Disorders

  • Schizophrenia
  • Schizoaffective Disorder
  • Delusional Disorder
• Bipolar and Related Disorders

  • Bipolar I Disorder
  • Bipolar II Disorder
  • Cyclothymic Disorder
• Depressive Disorders

  • Major Depressive Disorder
  • Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
• Anxiety Disorders

  • Panic Disorder
  • Social Anxiety Disorder
  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder
  • Specific Phobia
  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
• Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders


  • Body Dysmorphic Disorder
  • Hoarding Disorder
  • Trichotillomania (Hair-Pulling Disorder)
  • Excoriation (Skin-Picking) Disorder
• Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

  • Reactive Attachment Disorder
  • Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder
  • Acute Stress Disorder
  • Adjustment Disorders
• Dissociative Disorders


  • Dissociative Identity Disorder
  • Dissociative Amnesia
  • Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder
• Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

  • Somatic Symptom Disorder
  • Illness Anxiety Disorder
  • Conversion Disorder
• Feeding and Eating Disorders

  • Anorexia Nervosa
  • Bulimia Nervosa
  • Binge-Eating Disorder
  • Avoidant/Restrictive Food Intake Disorder
• Sleep-Wake Disorders

  • Insomnia Disorder
  • Hypersomnolence Disorder
  • Narcolepsy