PSY30010: Week 1, Abnormal Psychology Exam Study Guide Solutions

PSY30010: Week 1, Abnormal Psychology Exam Study Guide Solutions abnormality - ANSWER-There is still no universal agreement about what is meant by abnormality or disorder Indicators of Abnormality - ANSWER-subjective distress, maladaptiveness, statistical deviancy, violation of the standards of society, social discomfort, irrationality and unpredictability, dangerousness Indicator of abnormality: Subjective distress - ANSWER-If people suffer or experience psychological pain, we are inclined to consider this as indicative of abnormality. People with depression clearly report being distressed, as do people with anxiety disorders. Indicator of abnormality: Maladaptiveness. - ANSWER-Maladaptive behaviour interferes with our well-being and with our ability to enjoy our work and our relationships Copyright © KAYLIN 2024/2025 ACADEMIC YEAR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FIRST PUBLISH NOVEMBER, 2024 Copyright © Stuvia International BV Page 2/10 Indicator of abnormality: Statistical Deviancy. - ANSWER-This tells us that in defining abnormality we make value judgments. If something is statistically rare and undesirable (as is severely diminished intellectual functioning), we are more likely to consider it abnormal than something that is statistically rare and highly desirable (such as genius) or something that is undesirable but statistically common (such as rudeness). Indicator of abnormality: Violation of the standards of society. - ANSWER-When people fail to follow the conventional social and moral rules of their cultural group, we may consider their behaviour as abnormal. Indicator of abnormality: Social discomfort. - ANSWER-Not all rules are explicit. And not all rules bother us when they are violated. Nonetheless, when someone violates an implicit or unwritten social rule, those around him or her may experience a sense of discomfort or unease. Indicator of abnormality: Irrationality and unpredictability. - ANSWER-We expect people to behave in certain ways. Although a little unconventionality may add some spice to life, there is a point at which we are likely to consider a given unorthodox behaviour abnormal. Indicator of abnormality: Dangerousness. - ANSWER-It seems quite reasonable to think that someone who is a danger to him- or herself or to another person must be psychologically abnormal. DSM-5 - ANSWER-the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders. nomenclature - ANSWER-A system of naming, especially in the arts or sciences Copyright © KAYLIN 2024/2025 ACADEMIC YEAR. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED FIRST PUBLISH NOVEMBER, 2024 Copyright © Stuvia International BV Page 3/10 DSM-5 definition of mental disorder - ANSWER-a syndrome that is present in an individual and that involves clinically significant disturbance in behavior, emotion regulation, or cognitive functioning advantages of classification - ANSWER-provide naming system and common language. Structure information in a helpful manner. Classification facilitates research. Helps delineates which types of psychological difficulties warrant insurance etc. Disadvantages of classification - ANSWER-- Loss of information regarding individual - Stigma associated with diagnosis - Stereotypes based on diagnosis - Labeling can impact self-concept Epidemiology - ANSWER-the study of the distributio