to Psychology 309 Abnormal Psychology

1

• Welcome
• to Psychology 309 Abnormal Psychology
• Dr. Susan Gano-Phillips, Professor

2

• Prerequisites/Introductions
• Expectations
• Student expectations of me
• Professor expectations of students
• Syllabus Review
• Classroom Etiquette

3

• Student Expectations of Me
• I will come to class prepared
• I have broad training and practical experience in
  Abnormal Psychology
• I will attempt to assist students with learning
  both in the classroom and outside
• I will work to continually improve upon my
  teaching
• My LOVE of teaching and learning may be
  infectious!

4

• Professor Expectations of Students
• Every student can succeed in this class!
• You will need to work hard, be an efficient
  learner, and gain insight into your own learning
  processes in order to succeed in this class
• Developing skills in analyzing, synthesizing, and
  evaluating information about Abnormal Psychology
  is as important as memorizing definitions and
  details
• Students can and should learn independently, from
  one another, as well as from the professor

5
Whos Who in Mental Health

• Clinical Psychologist
• Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) or Doctor of
  Psychology (PsyD) degree
• trained for psychological assessment, therapy,
  research, teaching
• Psychiatrist
• Medical doctor (MD) with training emphasis on
  mental disorders
• can prescribe psychiatric medications and
  hospitalize patients
• Psychoanalyst
• trained in psychoanalysis, the school of
  psychology developed by Sigmund Freud

6
Whos Who in Mental Health

• Social Worker
• Master of Social Work (MSW) degree with training
  in social policy, sociology, counseling
• Therapist
• Master of Arts (MA) or Master of Science (MS)
  degree with training in counseling children,
  adults, and families

7
Daily Outline
Defining Abnormality Diagnosis Definition and
Purposes DSM-IV classification
system Self-diagnosis tendencies in PSY 309
8
Definitions of Abnormal Behavior

• Deviating from statistical norms (unusual)
• Causing personal distress
• Exhibiting maladaptive qualities
• Violating social norms

9
Defining Abnormal Behavior-1

• Statistical deviance
• behavior differs from the norm by degree
• implies a continuum of human behavior from
  normal to abnormal
• abnormal behavior viewed as a measurable variable

10
Defining Abnormal Behavior-2

• Personal distress
• behavior causes personal anguish
• allows people to determine for themselves whether
  or not their behavior is abnormal

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Defining Abnormal Behavior-3

• Maladaptiveness
• behavior harms the individual or society or
  prevents individuals from fulfilling their
  potential
• judges behavior by its function

12
Defining Abnormal Behavior-4

• Violation of social norms
• behavior goes against the expectations of
  society, is socially disapproved of, is
  unpredictable, and does not conform to the
  majority
• social norms change over time

13
Diagnosis

• Process of determining the nature of a persons
  disorder and deciding that a person fits into a
  particular category
• Serves four main purposes
• provides an organized way to refer to a syndrome
  (improves communication)
• provides a focus for research
• suggests an appropriate treatment
• provides predictive information about a disorder

14
The Diathesis-Stress Model

• Diathesis a genetic predisposition to a specific
  disorder
• Stress a precipitating event or experience
• Diathesis-stress model explains the etiology of
  mental disorder as the result of an interaction
  between a predisposition and a precipitating event

15
Possible Physiological Factors in Mental Illness

• Genetics
• Brain chemistry
• Damaged anatomy
• Illness

• Brain atrophy
• Hormones
• Germs
• Injury to brain
• Tumors

The belief that physiological factors cause
disorders leads to a medical model for treatment
16
Possible Psychological Factors in Mental Illness

• Stress
• Early childhood problems
• Low-self esteem
• Loss
• Ineffective coping skills
• Loss of trust

• Poverty
• Lack of support systems
• Poor peer relationships
• Guilt
• Shame

The belief that psychological factors cause
disorders leads to a therapeutic approach to
treatment
17
Possible Social and Cultural Factors in Mental
Illness

• Economics
• Cultural expectations
• Social stereotypes

18
What Is the Biopsychosocial Perspective?

• Understanding everyday actions and human
  behavior requires attention to various forces
• biological
• psychological
• social

19
The Process of Psychological Assessment

• Gathering data and integrating and interpreting
  information about a patient
• Based on physical observation, psychological
  testing, and family history
• Used to diagnose and treat the individual