Abnormal psychology studies psychological disorders, unusual behavior patterns, and deviations from typical mental health functioning. It aims to identify causes, risk factors, and treatments for these disorders, improving understanding of human psychology and improving mental health and quality of...
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Abnormal Psychology
Farhan Rasool
February 19, 2023
, 1
Abnormal Psychology
Since there are various branches of psychology listed out there, the branch that deals with
abnormalities and uncommon behavior is Abnormal Psychology. The branch itself says about
what it deals with, more broadly, abnormal psychology is one of the bifurcations of psychology
that particularly alludes to a behavior which is deviated from normal, or unacceptable in society,
for instance, not abiding by the social norms, maladaptive behaviors, personal distress, etc.
To understand abnormal psychology, first, we must look at the functional definition of
abnormal behavior. According to the American Psychological Association’s dictionary,
“behavior that is atypical or statistically uncommon within a particular culture or that is
maladaptive or detrimental to an individual or to those around that individual. Such behavior is
often regarded as evidence of a mental or emotional disturbance, ranging from minor adjustment
problems to severe mental disorder” (APA Dictionary of Psychology, n.d.). Also, there is a
general rule to follow when defining or labeling a behavior as abnormal. Psychologists often
allocate such behaviors by using the 4 Ds: Deviance, Distress, Dysfunction, and Danger.
Now, we would discuss the 4 Ds in a little more detail to get a wider view of abnormal
behavior.
Deviance
Since the word abnormal refers to “away from the normal.” So, a behavior that is
considered abnormal in a general population or society is said to have deviated from the normal.
Examples of deviant behavior include excessive consumption of drugs, adult content, and eating
disorders. The thing is, the list goes on, even deviant behaviors are classified into further
categories such as deviant behavior at home, school, playground, and workplace.
, 2
Distress
Distress is often bewildered with stress, but the catch here is that stress is a normal
reaction to environmental or internal dysfunction while distress is a form of prolonged stress, or
when the stress is too severe to handle. We consider distress among the 4Ds because distress
shows abnormality when it gets out of hand.
Dysfunction
When an individual’s functionality starts to hamper their normal well-being, then it is
said to be a dysfunction. Dysfunction talks about unconventional thinking, behavior, and
emotions, which eventually impact an individual’s psychological, social, as well as cognition
abilities that they use in their daily life to deal with different situations and scenarios. Examples
of dysfunction include mental disorders such as anxiety disorders, mood disorders, depressive
disorders, psychotic disorders, neurosis disorders, personality disorders, and eating disorders.
Danger
As we often think and perceive that abnormal people are dangerous to live with. To some
extent, this is true, but the case is not the same always. The danger is among the 4Ds because it’s
obvious to have an inference that the person whose behavior is not socially acceptable is
dangerous and may be a threat to society. But we must understand that danger, solely, is not a
characteristic of being abnormal. There are several people out there who are mentally fit but
committing crimes and are even more dangerous than an abnormal person. For instance, a person
who loves to keep dangerous animals and reptiles at their home, someone who loves to drive
fast, or maybe a person who is into keeping different types of arms and ammunition to showcase
their hobby, none of them could be considered as an abnormal person until and unless they show
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