A person's thinking or behavior is classified as abnormal if it violates the (unwritten) rules about what is expected or acceptable behavior in a particular social group
Considers the degree to which a norm is violated, the importance of that norm, and the value attached by the social group to different sorts of violations
Distinguishes between rude, eccentric, abnormal, or criminal violations
An abnormality that prevents the person from carrying out the range of behaviors that society would expect, such as getting out of bed each day, holding down a job, and conducting successful relationships
An absence of characteristics necessary for ideal mental health, such as resistance to stress, growth and self-actualization, high self-esteem, autonomy, and accurate perception of reality
Hoarding disorder is defined as 'a difficulty parting with items and possessions, which leads to severe anxiety and extreme clutter that affects living or work spaces'
An anxiety disorder characterized by intrusive and uncontrollable thoughts (i.e., obsessions) coupled with a need to perform specific acts repeatedly (i.e., compulsions)
Obsessions dominate one's thinking and are persistent and recurrent thoughts, images, or beliefs entering the mind uninvited and which cannot be removed
The COMT gene regulates dopamine function, and a mutated version of this gene in OCD individuals causes decreased COMT activity and higher dopamine levels
Carey and Gottesman (1981) found a higher concordance rate for obsessive symptoms in identical twins compared to fraternal twins, suggesting genetic factors are moderately important in OCD
A brain region involved in decision-making and the regulation of primitive aspects of behavior, an overactive PFC causes an exaggerated control of primal impulses
May be culturally rather than genetically transmitted as family members may observe and imitate each other's behavior, or be more vulnerable due to stressful environment rather than genetic factors