Abnormal Psychology /Psychopathology Final Exam Fully Solved 2024.

What are the 4 KEY characteristics of determining whether a thought/behaviour is abnormal? And why is it used? - Answer Statistically infrequent, violate social norms, cause distress, cause impairment are four ways to determine as there is NO UNIVERSALLY ACCEPTED definition of what is 'abnormal'. T/F: There are limitations in the four characteristics of abnormal behaviour/thought determination - Answer True. T/F: Any deviation from the norm is abnormal but not all statistically infrequent mental characteristics are considered 'abnormal' - Answer True. You would not treat Mozart, a 'gifted' musician, to make them normal. T/F: Thoughts or behaviours that once was considered a 'violation of a social norm' can change over time and differs between cultures. - Answer True. I.e., homosexuality was classified as a mental disorder until 1973; auditory hallucinations are normal in some cultures. T/F: Abnormal thoughts/behaviour DO NOT cause distress to the individual, or they are NOT usually accepted with distress. - Answer False. Determining whether a thought or behaviour is abnormal follows this characteristic where it causes distress. The only exception where it is normal to be distressed is in some situations like trauma or bereavement. T/F: some psychopathologies are not associated with distress - Answer True. E.g., psychopathy, mania. T/F: The characteristic of 'impairment' in determining whether a thought or behaviour is abnormal is limited due to the fact that some mental disorders do not necessarily mean the person is not functional. - Answer True. I.e., asperger's disorder (autism spectrum) What evidence are there to point out that abnormal thoughts and behaviours co-occur together? - Answer Obsessions and compulsions; hallucinations and delusions; negative mood/flat affect and sleep difficulties.