Chapter 16 Psychological Disorders What is abnormal behavior

Chapter 16 Psychological Disorders

What is abnormal behavior?

Psychologists typically identify abnormal behavior based on a combination of the following criteria: l Unusualness l Social deviance l Emotional Distress l Maladaptive Behavior l Dangerousness l Faulty perceptions/interpretations of reality

Unusualness l Behavior that is experienced by only a few people may be abnormal, but not in all cases. l Unusualness, by itself, is not enough to be called abnormal.

Social Deviance l All societies establish social norms that define socially acceptable behaviors. l Deviation from these norms is often used as a criterion for labeling behavior as abnormal. l The same behavior might be considered abnormal in some contexts but acceptable in others.

Emotional Distress l States of emotional distress, such as anxiety or depression are considered abnormal when: ¡Inappropriate ¡Excessive ¡Prolonged l (relative to the person’s situation)

Maladaptive Behavior l Behavior is maladaptive when: ¡it causes personal distress ¡is self-defeating ¡is associated with significant health or social problems (alcohol or drug abuse)

Dangerousness l Violent or dangerous behavior ¡needs to be looked at in context

Faulty perceptions or interpretations of reality l Hallucinations: distorted perceptions of reality (seeing or hearing things that are not real) l Delusions: Fixed but unfounded beliefs are also distortions of reality (believing people are plotting against you)

Cultural context must be considered l The cultural context in which behavior occurs must also be evaluated when making judgments about whether behavior is abnormal.