2. Fact or Myth ?
How much do you know about the field of
psychopathology? Read the following statements and
specify whether each is true or false.
1. Creative people are usually psychologically disturbed.
2. Psychologically disturbed persons are dangerous.
3. Inkblot tests are bogus.
4. Freud’s theory was all about sex.
5. Behaviorists have no interest in thoughts or feelings.
6. Criminals are born “bad.”
7. People who make a big deal out a traumatic experience
are just looking for an easy way out.
3. Fact or Myth ? (continued)
8. Asthma is caused by emotional problems.
9. Most of the people who sexually abuse children are
gay men.
10. Suicidal individuals keep their intentions to
themselves.
11. People with schizophrenia have multiple personalities.
12. Kids become hyperactive from eating too much sugar.
13. Most older people are “senile.”
14. It’s easy to spot a drug addict.
15. People with eating disorders are uninterested in food.
4. What Is Abnormal?
Read the following statements and put a check
mark next to the behaviors you regard as
abnormal.
1. Kissing another person of the same sex.
2. Slapping one’s child.
3. Driving a nail through one’s hand.
4. Refusing to eat for several days.
5. Barking like a dog and crawling on the floor on
one’s hands and knees.
6. Building a shrine to one’s dead spouse in the
corner of one’s living room and leaving food and
gifts for him/her at the alter.
5. What Is Abnormal? (Continued)
7. Finding a “lucky” seat in an exam.
8. Being unable to sleep, eat, study, or talk to anyone
for days after a lover says “it’s over.”
9. Breaking into a cold sweat at the thought of being
trapped in an elevator.
10. Hyperventilating after hearing upsetting news.
11. Having to engage in a thorough hand-washing
after coming home from a ride on the bus.
12. Believing the government has agents who are
listening in on telephone conversations.
13. Drinking a six pack in order to be sociable with
friends.
6. Myths & Misconceptions About
Abnormal Behavior
There is no single definition of abnormality.
There is no single definition of normality.
Those who are mentally ill are assumed to be lazy,
crazy, dumb, weak in character, a danger to self or
others.
7. Whether A Particular Behavior Is Viewed
As Normal Depends On Context
Need to consider:
Time
Place
Tradition
Culture
Purpose of the behavior
Gender & gender roles
Age
8. Criteria for Defining Abnormality
Various Criteria
Cultural Relativism
Unusualness
Subjective Distress or Discomfort
Mental Illness
Maladaptive or dysfunctional
Evaluating the Criteria for Abnormality:
Advantages & disadvantages, strengths &
weaknesses
Inclusion & exclusion
Practicality & usefulness
9. Characteristics of Maladaptive or
Dysfunctional Behavior
Risk of or damage to self or others
Subjective distress
Impairment in functioning
Loss of touch with reality
Lack of controllability
10. Clinical Terminology
Presenting problem – the identified reason for coming to
treatment.
Prevalence – the # of people in a population who have a
disorder.
Incidence – the # of new cases of a disorder occurring during a
specific period of time, e.g. a year.
Course – the pattern of the disorder in time: chronic, episodic,
time-limited; related to prognosis.
Onset – acute or insidious.
Etiology – causal factors; include psychological, social, and
biological dimensions.
Treatment – psychotherapy, psychopharmacology, ECT, etc.
Outcome – the effect of treatment
