Abnormality

The “4 D’s” in Abnormal Psychology are dysfunctional, distress, deviance, and danger. Dysfunctional is the behavior and feelings that may be deemed dysfunctional when they interfere with the person’s ability to hold a job, be able to form relationships, and function in daily life. Distress refers to the unsettling or unpleasant behavior that an individual displays. Deviant behavior is the violation of cultural norms. Finally, danger refers to an individual displaying harm to themselves or others. Culture Relativity is the view that what may be considered moral in society may be considered unmoral in another. Culture can affect determining whether or not a behavior is abnormal. In this essay we will take a look at different cultures and what behavior is considered abnormal in each. Deviant behavior is behavior that violates a cultures norm. Schizophrenia is a disabling brain disorder which has affected many people throughout the years. Many individuals which have this mental illness often times hear voices that others do not hear. They believe that others are reading their mind, in control of their thoughts, or wanting to cause them harm. In America, those individuals with schizophrenia are looked at as deviant. Hearing voices in your head is not the norm and may cause others around you to begin to feel uncomfortable. In Ghana and India hearing voices that others may not hear is not considered deviant. In many ways these individuals feel special as it is believed they…

According to Fusar-Poli (2009), schizophrenia is delineated by prefrontal activity and elevated striatal dopaminergic functions. There are primary neurological brain abnormalities in individuals with schizophrenia. For example; robust abnormalities elevated in striatal dopamine activity and prefrontal cortical dysfunctions (Fusar-Poli, 2009). Other abnormalities include white matter in the right superior frontal gyrus, left middle frontal gyrus, bilateral parahippocampal gyrus, adjacent to the…

Congenital abnormalities and pathologies are some of the most fascinating diagnostically. Situs inversus, a condition in which the organs of the body are flipped to face the other side, is one of the most enthralling to behold. Typically occurring genetically, it is extremely rare, occurring only in 0.01% of the population (Nall, 2014). This congenital abnormality can be demonstrated on not only diagnostic radiography, but also computed tomography and ultrasound. The prognosis for patients…

One aspect of the reading that I found fascinating was the history of abnormality and development of the viewpoints to where they are today. Abnormality in the ancient times was viewed as a possession of evil spirits. Treatment for abnormality consisted of exorcism or trephination. Trephination is an operation, which involved removing part of the skull. This treatment was used for treating severe abnormal behavior by allowing a hole for the evil spirits to escape from. Later during the time of…

If you go to the circus today, you'll see elephants, clowns and cotton candy - not much of a freak show. Circus acts focusing on physical abnormalities might be a thing of the past, but that doesn't make them any less interesting. Below we present the 10 most bizarre circus performers who used their abnormalities to their advantage.Myrtle Corbin was born a dipygus, which means her pelvis and legs were duplicated.Prince Randian, also known as the snake man, was born without limbs.Here we have…

Models of Abnormality Stacy Adams Ivy Tech Models of Abnormality There are several current models of abnormality. They are the Biological Model, Psychodynamic Model, Behavioral Model, Cognitive Model, Humanistic-Existential Model, and the Sociocultural Model (Comer, 2014). Many therapists use portions of several models, while some strictly use one specific model. The Biological Model looks at the biological processes in order to explain abnormal behavior. They account for abnormal…

Psychological Abnormality Models Teresa Allen Western International University Abnormal Psychology BEH-440-3281 Mollie Surgine December 11, 2017 Psychological Abnormal Models This paper is based on the different psychological models and, how the trends have developed over the course of time regarding therapy and treatments. Until recently clinical scientist over time, tended to agree on a single model of abnormality (Comer, 2016). In addition, today there are several models that are used…

Abnormal Psychology refers to the study of any behavior or mental process that is not normal or abnormal. So what exactly is abnormal and normal? Abnormal behavior, in terms of psychology, has three different definitions. The three definitions of abnormality are; deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately, deviation from ideal mental health. Social ‘norms’ are unwritten rules created and implemented by a certain social group to guide the behavior of those who belong to that…

Parts of the brain most affected There are multiple facial abnormalities that occur with FAS, but brain abnormalities are also a huge aspect of this syndrome.9 Studies have shown that brain volume in patients with FAS is less than people with healthy brains. Another difference is in the parietal and ventral frontal lobes where the gray matter is denser and underdeveloped in babies with FAS. Also, the temporal, inferior parietal lobe, and right frontal lobe were thicker than a normal brain.9…

A heart rhythm disorder is an abnormal variation from the normal heartbeat. Heart rhythm disorders involve abnormalities of one or more of the following: heart rate, regularity of beats, sites where electrical impulses originate, or sequence of activation of heartbeats. Heart rhythm disorder is also referred to as an arrhythmia. The primary function of the heart is to supply blood and nutrients to the body. The regular beating, or contraction, of the heart moves the blood throughout the body.…