Analysis Of Abnormal Psychology

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Abnormal Behavior The interpretation of abnormal psychology can be subjective to variation on what is strange or considered uncommon to the average individual. According to Sue, Sue, Sue, and Sue (2014, p.2), abnormal psychology is the “scientific study whose objectives are to describe, explain, predict, and modify behaviors that are considered strange or unusual.” I find it intriguing that abnormality is dependent on each individual perspective. My analysis of abnormal psychology is the same as what is described in the text book just not as scientific as the book’s definition was. The way we look at society has changed over the years as a result of fashionable and social trends. Deviance is a word that can also be regarded as unusual or …show more content…
(Sue et al. 2014, p.13), explains that in the early part of psychology not much was known except for what they had within society at that time. We are fortunate to have come such a long way in the scientific approach on how the human mind and body works. In prehistoric times they had very basic technology that was used as a form of survival. As we take in to consideration the changes that occurred at that point in time we find a very basic approach on what they thought caused the particular disorder. In earlier times they had the notion of good and evil and if you were acting abnormal then it was due to none-other than being inhabited or controlled by an evil spirit. In prehistoric times they used surgical methods to release the evil spirit within. According to (Sue et al. 2014, p.13), the surgical method which was used is called “trephining, in which part of the skull was chipped away to provide an opening through which the evil spirit could escape.” Also (Sue et al. 2014, p.13) mentions forms of prayers known as exorcisms which were thought to drive the evil out of individuals. As society moved and changed, ideas were also shifted toward a naturalistic approach. They found that there was more scientific reasoning to believe that the behavior was caused by the central control center also known as the brain explains (Sue et al. 2014, p.13-14). Society then leaned toward one of the hardest times to live in, called the Middle Ages. Christianity was the key for people who believed in God’s will during the Middle Ages. With beliefs in Christianity, came periods where people that suffered from mental illness were tortured and declared as being subjects of Satan and possession. People suffering from mental illness during this time were subjected to horrible treatment such as starving and hot water that was thrown on them to

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