Unit 4: Abnormal and Applied Psychology

1.1 Abnormal behavior & its types

Abnormal behavior:
"Clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotional regulation,
or behavior."
Abnormal behavior is any behavior that deviates from what is considered normal.
Abnormal behaviors are "actions that are unexpected and often evaluated negatively because
they differ from typical or usual behavior".
It is a rare or irregular manner in which a person acts. It consists of frequently displayed
unacceptable behavior by a person.

Elements of Abnormality

Distress: unpleasant feelings or emotions that impact your level of functioning.

Dysfunction: Feelings and behaviors are dysfunction when they interfere with persons ability
to function in daily life, to hold a job or form relationships.
Deviant: Violation of social & cultural norms by an individual.
Dangerous: Behavior and feelings that are potentially harmful to an individual around them,
become abnormal.

Historical Perspective:
Ancient Societies: Mental illness caused by demonic possession.
Hippocrates: Mentioned three distinct categories of mental illness
1: Mania 2: Melancholia 3: Phrenitis
Plato: Abnormal behavior is the result of brain and body dysfunction.

Abnormality Criteria:
There are four major criteria for identifying abnormal behavior in individuals, according to the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-V), which is the
most important text used by mental health professionals in the United States today. These four
criteria are:
▪ Violation of social norms
▪ Statistical rarity
▪ Personal distress
▪ Maladaptive behaviors
Violation of social norms

Every human group lives by a set of norms-rules that tell us what is wrong and what is right to
do and when, where and with whom. Similarly, each society has its certain norms and rules of
life. So those who violate these norms, can consider abnormal.

Criticism:

There are many reasons why a person might perform such behaviors. They might be suffering
from a mental illness, but they may also be responding rationally to unusual circumstances.
They might be acting in an abnormal way as part of a performance or because of cultural
ignorance if they are a traveler. Violation of social norms alone is not sufficient to diagnose
abnormal behavior.

Statistical rarity

Statistical approaches to abnormality define as "abnormal" those who c. deviate from typical or
average patterns of behavior.

Those who fall within the golden means (those who do what most other do) are normal, while
those whose behavior differs from that of the majority are abnormal.

Personal distress
It causes a person to be upset, anxious, or distraught. This type of abnormal behavior depends
on how a person feels and how they report their emotional state of mind.

This is an individual’s self-report of significant and prolonged personal distress. An example is

when you experience the death of a close family member. There’s a very good chance that you
will experience personal distress. This is not abnormal, however, if their personal distress lasts
for an extended period of time or is particularly intense, that may be considered abnormal.

Maladaptive behaviors

Maladaptive behaviors are actions that prevent people from adapting, adjusting, or
participating in different aspects of life. Such actions are intended to help relieve or avoid
stress, but they are often disruptive and may contribute to increased distress, discomfort, and
anxiety over time.
This is when an individual responds to stress in a way that is detrimental to their life. Examples
include a person who drinks themself to sleep every night or a person that relies on drug use to
the point where it disrupts their daily life.
Identical behavior problems – One person normal other abnormal.
Harmful behaviors for people and other society- responsible person is fully contented e.g
Rapist, murderer, delusional.

Few Common Types of Abnormal Psychological Behavior

Few abnormal behaviors that are frequently studied in abnormal psychology are listed below:

Anxiety Disorders

These include conditions such as generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, and post-traumatic
stress disorder (PTSD). People with anxiety disorders experience excessive and persistent fear,
worry, or anxiety in response to specific triggers or situations.

Anxiety disorders are a common mental health disease that affects millions of people. Around
25% of individuals at any given time have an anxiety disorder that has to be treated, while up
to another 25% of people have less serious worries like a fear of spiders and snakes.

Mood Disorders

A mood disorder is a mental health condition that mainly affects your emotional state. People
with mood disorders often experience long periods of extreme emotional highs and lows. There
are a few different types of mood disorders, but two of the most common types are depression
and bipolar disorder.

The chance of developing heart disease, diabetes, and other illnesses can be raised by mood
disorders. Medication, psychotherapy, or a combination of the two are all forms of treatment.
Many patients with mood disorders have a normal and productive life with therapy.

Eating Disorders

These include conditions such as anorexia nervosa (is an eating disorder characterized by an
abnormally low body weight, an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted perception of
weight), bulimia nervosa (is a serious, potentially life-threatening eating disorder. People with
bulimia may secretly binge — eating large amounts of food with a loss of control over the
eating — and then purge, trying to get rid of the extra calories in an unhealthy way). People
with eating disorders have abnormal patterns of eating and may be preoccupied with food and
body weight.

It typically results from a combination of several factors, situations, emotions, or stresses.

Unknowingly, a person may use food to cope with unpleasant experiences and emotions.
Personality Disorders

These disorders involve a persistent pattern of behavior, thoughts, and feelings that deviate
significantly from what is considered normal in a given culture, such as Borderline Personality
disorder or Narcissistic Personality disorder.

The symptoms of personality disorders are often visible in late adolescence or early adulthood,
however occasionally they appear sooner during childhood. The lifespan of traits and
symptoms varies greatly; many go away over time.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A condition that can occur after a person has experienced or witnessed a traumatic event,
characterized by symptoms such as flashbacks, nightmares, and avoidance of reminders of the
event.

PTSD take place when an incident causes you to feel excessive stress. Your nervous system is
“stuck,” unable to return to its regular state of balance even after the threat has passed, and you
are unable to move on from the incident.

Impulse Control Disorders

Impulse Control disorders, such as Intermittent explosive disorder, in which individuals have
difficulty controlling their aggressive behavior or angry outbursts.

Impulse control disorders are conditions where people have impulses that are difficult or
impossible to resist. These may include taking things that do not belong to them (kleptomania)
or an urge to set fires (pyromania).

It is believed that many factors, such as biological, physical, or environmental factors, can play
a role in person going through impulse control disorders.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

It is characterized by recurring and persistent thoughts, impulses, or images (obsessions) that

an individual cannot stop, leading to repetitive behaviors or mental acts, that the person feels
driven to perform in response to an obsession or according to rules that must be applied rigidly.

Theories of Abnormal Behavior:

1: Biological Theories:
Genetic Factors: These theories suggest that certain genetic factors may contribute to the
development of mental disorders.
For example, Family studies revealed that 10% of first-degree relatives of index cases with
schizophrenia can be diagnosed as having this disorder.
Twin Studies: Many types of psychopathology is higher in MZ twins.
Neurochemical Imbalances: Imbalances in neurotransmitters, such as serotonin and
dopamine, are often linked to various psychological disorders.

2: Psychodynamic Theories:
The psychodynamic approach state that interval drives for pleasure (ID) is in constant conflict
with the rational mind Ego) and the moral mind (Super ego). When these forces are
unbalanced, they can manifest themselves as a variety of mental disorder.
Psychoanalytic Theory: Sigmund Freud's theory posits that unconscious conflicts and
unresolved issues from childhood contribute to abnormal behavior.
Defense Mechanisms: Freudian defense mechanisms, like repression and projection, are
believed to be psychological strategies that individuals use to cope with anxiety and stress.

3: Behavioral Theories:
Learning Theories: Abnormal behavior is seen as learned through conditioning, either through
classical conditioning (association of stimuli) or operant conditioning (reward and
punishment).
Observational Learning: Bandura's social learning theory suggests that abnormal behavior
can be acquired by observing and imitating others.

4: Cognitive Theories:
Cognitive Distortions: Cognitive theories propose that distorted thought patterns, such as
irrational beliefs and negative self-perceptions, contribute to abnormal behavior.
Cognitive theorist believed that people with unipolar depression persistently view events and
situations in life in negative ways.
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT): This therapeutic approach focuses on identifying and
changing maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors.

5: Humanistic Theories:
Self-Actualization: Humanistic theories, like Maslow's hierarchy of needs, emphasize the role
of self-actualization and personal growth in mental health.
Client-Centered Therapy: Carl Rogers' approach emphasizes creating a supportive and non-
judgmental therapeutic environment to facilitate self-exploration.
6: Sociocultural Theories:
Social and Cultural Factors: These theories highlight the impact of societal and cultural
influences on the development of abnormal behavior. Factors such as family dynamics,
socioeconomic status, and cultural norms are considered.
It focuses on how an individual’s environment and family can impact their mental health.

7: Biopsychosocial Model:
This theory helps us to determined why an individual might suffer from a disorder.
Holistic Approach: This model integrates biological, psychological, and social factors,
recognizing that a combination of these elements contributes to the understanding of abnormal
behavior.
It suggests that health and illness should be understood holistically.

Treatments (Physical + Counselling)

Psychotherapy. Psychotherapy, also called talk therapy, involves talking about your
condition and related issues with a mental health professional. During psychotherapy, you
learn about your condition and your moods, feelings, thoughts and behavior.

• Theoretical orientation: A therapist’s belief system about the cause

and nature of psychological distress and the appropriate treatment,
which influences the therapist’s choice of techniques and treatment
goals.
• Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy. It
may help you to change unhelpful or unhealthy ways of thinking,
feeling and behaving. CBT uses practical self-help strategies. These are
designed to immediately improve your quality of life. CBT can be an
effective way to treat depression and anxiety.
• Dream interpretation: A psychodynamic therapy technique that
analyzes the meaning of symbols from dreams to help access the
unconscious. Dream analysis is an intervention that is used as part of an
intervention for some mental illnesses and other issues, such as post-
traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or people with frequent and chronic
nightmares.
• Free association: A psychodynamic therapy technique in which the
patient is instructed to “think out loud” to help access the unconscious.
• Transference: A term from psychodynamic therapy to describe
when feelings directed at one person become redirected to another
person, often the therapist.
Even though CBT concentrates mainly on the client's relationships
outside the therapeutic situation, the therapist can still use the
transference to observe how the client relates in the microcosm of the
consulting room. He can then make inferences about the client's
problems out in the world
• Self-actualization: A term from humanistic therapy that refers to an
individual’s ability to live up to his or her full human potential.
• Client-centered therapy: The most popular humanistic therapy,
which views patients as “clients” and focuses on authenticity and
healthy self-concept; created by Carl Rogers.
• Unconditional positive regard: A client-centered technique in
which the therapist communicates positive feelings and acceptance to
the client, regardless of what the client says or does.
• Active listening: A client-centered technique in which the therapist
verbally and non-verbally communicates interest in what the client is
saying in order to encourage openness.
• Gestalt therapy: A humanistic therapy that maintains that
psychological distress occurs when patients focus on what could be,
rather than on the present moment; developed by Fritz Perls.
• Learned helplessness: A phenomenon described by behaviorists in
which an individual, frustrated by failed attempts to escape an adverse
situation, gives up all efforts to escape it.
• Applied behavioral analysis (ABA): A behavioral therapy
technique used to identify factors in the environment that are
reinforcing or punishing certain behaviors.
• Token economies: A technique used in behavioral therapy to
reinforce positive behaviors with tokens, which can be exchanged for
other rewards.
• Talking therapy – usually a type of therapy that helps you face your
fears and obsessive thoughts without "putting them right" with
compulsions.
• Systematic desensitization: A behavioral therapy used to treat
phobias by gradually associating feared stimuli with relaxing stimuli;
created by Joseph Wolpe.
• First, an anxiety hierarchy must be developed. This hierarchy is a
rank ordering of the anxiety-provoking situation beginning with the
least fearful stimulus and ranging to the actual item or situation most
feared by the client.
• Second, the client is then trained in relaxation techniques.
• Finally, the stimuli identified in the hierarchy are then progressively
paired with the relaxation techniques that the client has learned.

• Aversion therapy: A behavioral therapy used to decrease the

frequency of a habitual behavior by pairing it with an aversive stimulus.

• Flooding therapy is an intensive type of exposure therapy in which

you must face your fear at a maximum level of intensity for an extended
amount of time.

Chapter End