Abnormal Psychology
Abnormal Psychology
The Origins of Abnormal Psychology
Abnormal psychology has been attributed to the mental illness and scholars continued postulated a variety of theories that explain psychological abnormalities.
Theories that explain the origin of abnormal psychology fall in one of the following three general themes: Supernatural/mystical, humanitarian and medical/scientific.
Mystical/supernatural explanation refers to abnormal behavior, which results from, possession by spirits. Medical/scientific approach regards natural causes, such as emotional stressors, faulty learning or biological imbalances. On the other hand, the humanitarian approach views abnormal behavior to result from poor living conditions or cruelty.
The varying etiological theories and the advanced knowledge have impacted the current clinical psychology theories and treatment of psychological disorders.
Challenges to Defining and Classifying Normal and Abnormal Behavior
Diagnosing abnormal condition though there are clear criteria used to define abnormality, is not as straightforward as it may be seen. In the classical study conducted by David Rosenhan in 1973 where 8 insane persons across the United States, were able to trick the hospital psychiatric staff of the 12 hospitals. Each of the persons was gainfully employed and reported themselves to the hospital with symptoms of hearing, hollow, empty and thud voices, symptoms which had never been reported before in the psychiatric literature. None of their details were changed except their employment and names, and thus their present behavior and history could not be considered abnormal in any way. Immediately after the admission, they stopped producing the symptoms, and were unnoticed by the staff members. They were released each having received the diagnosis of schizophrenia (there symptoms were not present at that time.The staff did not believe them, whereas the patients, on the other hand, felt being ignored by the staff and considered normal.
Rosenhan’s controversial study (Scribner 2001), had lead to an extreme change in the field of mental health and patients with psychotic symptoms that where diagnosable had difficulty to receiving mental health services. Lauren Slater (2004) went to several clinicians in an attempt to replicate Rosenhan’s study. She was diagnosed with depression and given some medication but denied admission but was treated very kindly by mental health staff.
Behavior has a wide spectrum between accepted and expected behavior to its normal counterpart, therefore, to identify a point at which a normal behavior deviates to abnormal is challenging. Abnormal behavior is often an exaggerated normal having many gray shades between it and the normal compliment (Hansell Damour( 2008). The changing palette and humankind’s cultural texture as it moves with time add further challenge, (Psychological Musings).
Overview Of How Abnormal Psychology Has Evolved Into A Scientific Discipline.
Hippocrates in 460 BCE attributed mental illness to biological state imbalance of four fluids within the human body. His explanations although flawed were a significant step to contemporary medicine way of thinking (Hansell & Damour, 2008). Other Greek physicians were influenced by early biology theory to diagnose according to the medical observations, rather than, anecdote, folklore, or spiritual belief. Direct associations made between biological causes and the psychological symptoms, inspired new thinking (Hansell & Damour, 2008).
Two psychological perspectives emerged in the early twentieth century: psychogenic and somatogenic.
The former claimed it causes were psychological, and the later claimed abnormal behavior to be having psychological origins. Hypnotism study became the treatment of hysteria and influenced Sigmund Freud to introduce his theory on conflicting unconscious directives and their strong influence on thought processes and behavior. Eventually though, he had no scientific basis, he associated hysteria to such
Processes.
Psychosocial, Biological/Medical, And Sociocultural Theoretical Models Related To the Development Of Abnormal Psychology
Biological/ medical
Is concerned with biochemical functioning of the brain and physiology of the body in relation to psychology.. This can include disease, physical injury, neurochemical disturbances, genetic anomalies, and hormone imbalances.
Sociocultural
Explains that cultural and social content define abnormal behavior through the definition of terms can be understood. For instance poverty, unemployment, discrimination may influence
Criminal behavior.
Psychological
Psychological dysfunctions and development may be attributed to factors such as independence, trust, enterprise, industry, individuality, integrity, productivity and intimacy. Before a person progresses to the next stage, the completion of each stage must take place. Therefore, Abnormal psychology becomes an issue here. If the chosen option is the least advantageous, or any of the stages which were not adequately resolved, the other stages cannot be resolved, and mental illness may result. The concerned areas include; financial, work, schooling, social environment, lodging, primary support group, legal system and health care services. The psychosocial model of psychology, therefore, applies to abnormal psychology though Erickson’s path of psychological development and the 4th axis of the DSM—IV.
References
Abnormal Psychology, (2011). New World Encyclopedia. Retrieved from http://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Abnormal
Fort Worth, (2010). Historical Perspective of Abnormal Psychology. Retrieved from
http://www.learner.org/discoveringpsychology/history/history_nonflash.html On December 12, 2012
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