Understanding Abnormal Psychology

Understanding Abnormal Psychology Theories Print Understanding Abnormal Psychology By Kendra Cherry facebook twitter Kendra Cherry, MS, is an author, educational consultant, and speaker focused on helping students learn about psychology. Learn about our editorial policy Kendra Cherry Updated on October 03, 2019 Laguna Design / Science Photo Library / Getty Images More in Theories Behavioral Psychology Cognitive Psychology Developmental Psychology Personality Psychology Social Psychology Biological Psychology Psychosocial Psychology In This Article Table of Contents Expand Overview Perspectives Psychological Disorders Abnormalities View All Back To Top Abnormal psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with psychopathology and abnormal behavior, often in a clinical context. The term covers a broad range of disorders, from depression to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to personality disorders. Counselors, clinical psychologists, and psychotherapists often work directly in this field. Overview In order to understand abnormal psychology, its essential to first understand what we mean by the term abnormal. On the surface, the meaning seems obvious; abnormal indicates something thats outside of the norm. Many human behaviors can follow what is known as the normal curve. Looking at this bell-shaped curve, the majority of individuals are clustered around the highest point of the curve, which is known as the average. People who fall very far at either end of the normal curve might be considered abnormal. Its important to note that the distinctions between normal and abnormal are not synonymous with good or bad. Consider a characteristic such as intelligence. A person who falls at the very upper end of the curve would fit under our definition of abnormal; this person would also be considered a genius. Obviously, this is an instance where falling outside of the norms is actually a good thing. When you think about abnormal psychology, rather than focus on the distinction between what is normal and what is abnormal, focus instead on the level of distress or disruption that a troubling behavior might cause. If a behavior is causing problems in a persons life or is disruptive to other people, then this would be an abnormal behavior that may require some type of mental health intervention. Perspectives There are a number of different perspectives used in abnormal psychology. While some psychologists or psychiatrists may focus on a single viewpoint, many mental health professionals use elements from multiple areas in order to better understand and treat psychological disorders. These perspectives include: The psychoanalytic approach:  This perspective has its roots in the theories of Sigmund Freud.?? The psychoanalytic approach suggests that many abnormal behaviors stem from unconscious thoughts, desires,  and memories. While these feelings are outside of awareness, they are still believed to influence conscious actions. Therapists who take this approach believe that by analyzing memories, behaviors, thoughts, and even dreams, people can uncover and deal with some of the feelings that have been leading to maladaptive behaviors and distress.The behavioral approach:  This approach to abnormal psychology focuses on observable behaviors.?? In behavioral therapy, the focus is on reinforcing positive behaviors and not reinforcing maladaptive behaviors. The behavioral approach targets only the behavior itself, not the underlying causes. When dealing with abnormal behavior, a behavioral therapist might utilize strategies such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning to help eliminat e unwanted behaviors and teach new behaviors.The medical approach:  This approach to abnormal psychology focuses on the biological causes of mental illness, emphasizing understanding the underlying cause of disorders, which might include genetic inheritance, related physical illnesses, infections, and chemical imbalances. Medical treatments are often pharmacological in nature, although medication is often used in conjunction with some type of psychotherapy.The cognitive approach:  The cognitive approach to abnormal psychology focuses on how internal thoughts, perceptions,  and reasoning contribute to psychological disorders. Cognitive treatments typically focus on helping the individual change his or her thoughts or reactions. Cognitive therapy might also be used in conjunction with behavioral methods in a technique known as cognitive behavioral therapy  (CBT). Types of Psychological Disorders Psychological disorders are defined as patterns of behavioral or psychological symptoms that impact multiple areas of life. These mental disorders create distress for the person experiencing symptoms. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and is used by mental health professionals for a variety of purposes. The manual contains a listing of psychiatric disorders, diagnostic codes, information on the prevalence of each disorder, and diagnostic criteria. Some of the categories of psychological disorders include: Substance use disordersMood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorderAnxiety disorders, such as social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorderNeurodevelopmental disorders, such as an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorderNeurocognitive disorders like deliriumPersonality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder How Understanding Abnormalities Can Improve Lives Abnormal psychology may focus on atypical behavior, but its focus is not to ensure that all people fit into a narrow definition of normal. In most cases, it is centered on identifying and treating problems that may be causing distress or impairment in some aspect of an individuals life. By better understanding what is abnormal, researchers and therapists can come up with new ways to help people live healthier and more fulfilling lives.

Autism Is A Pervasive Developmental Disorder - 1796 Words

Autism is a pervasive developmental disorder that is characterized by a person’s difficulty to communicate. This is due to neurological or biological dysfunction, and is usually diagnosed during early childhood. Autism Spectrum Disorder is more prevalent in boys than in girls. These children can present symptoms of limited or no speech development; they only use direct communication for immediate needs such as water, bathroom or sleep. Until today, there is no cure for ASD, but there are many types of treatment and interventions, such as Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy and Behavior Therapy. Researchers today have conducted new studies to revise how ASD can be diagnosed and treated. As I said before, the disorder is commonly†¦show more content†¦ASD has become the second most common childhood developmental disorder that affects brain functioning, social-interaction difficulties, communication challenges and a compromise in repetitive behaviors (Autism Speaks, 2013; Neely et al., 2012). Symptoms of autism spectrum disorder vary in children, some show mild symptoms and some show more severe symptoms. These symptoms include communication deficits such as not being able to understand verbal and nonverbal communication such as interpreting gestures and facial expressions. One example can be a smile because it can have a small meaning for a child diagnosed with autism (Autism Speaks, 2013). Children without autism tend to start speaking earlier than children with autism. In comparison to children with the same age, the autistic has less language and communication skil ls (Autism Speaks). The â€Å"Autism Spectrum Disorder† is a term referring to five disorders described under the category of persuasive developmental disorders (PPDs). The first one is the autistic disorder, which is a disorder when the child has a delay in speaking, doesn’t interact with other children and has repetitive behaviors and interests. Autistic disorder should be diagnosed at young age and is also more prevalent in boys, but girls having it display greater severity of symptoms. The Rett’s disorder only occurs in females. This disorder is characterized by normal development up to 5 months of age and followed by an observable decrease in

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Unsolved Mysteries †Physics Free Essays

Unsolved Mysteries – Beyond the standard model The Standard Model is nowhere near perfect. It may explain the six quarks, leptons, and four forces, but it is not complete. There are still questions about antimatter, dark matter, and the inability for the Standard Model to predict particle mass. We will write a custom essay sample on Unsolved Mysteries – Physics or any similar topic only for you Order Now There is no guarantee that quarks and leptons are actually fundamental. Lastly, scientists still don’t understand gravity’s role. Unsolved Mysteries – The standard model as a theory The Standard Model is not wrong. However, it needs to be added to as it is an incomplete theory. https://donemyessay.com/physics/ If the Standard Model can be expanded to understand mass, gravity, and other important pieces of information. Unsolved Mysteries – Three Generations There are three different sets of quark and lepton pairs, and these sets are called generations. Scientists do not know why there are only three generations, or why they exist in the first place. For example, up/down are first generation quarks, and the electron and its neutrino are the first generation leptons. Unsolved Mysteries – What about masses? The Standard Model also has another major flaw, as it cannot explain why a article has a certain mass. Scientists believe it is linked to something called the Higgs field, and are looking for a Higgs boson. However, these theories are still unconfirmed. Unsolved Mysteries – Grand Unified Theory Scientists have a major goal of creating a theory which will combine all of the fundamental forces into one, which would allow them to understand the universe. It would also give scientists more answers and make study possibly easier. James Maxwell was successful at unifying electricity and magnetism. Unsolved Mysteries – Forces and the Grand Unified Theory There is a belief currently swinging around that forces may merge at high energies. This means that all interactions we observe are all different aspects of the same, unified interaction. This does not make complete sense to scientists, which makes everything confusing. The Grand Unifying Theory also implies that there is a force-carrier particle to cause protons to decay. Unsolved Mysteries – Supersymmetry Another interesting idea is the existence of â€Å"squarks†. These supersymmetric shadow particles need to exist, apparently, for gravity to make sense and be able to e combined with other fundamental theories. Scientists do not know if they actually exist yet. Unsolved Mysteries – String theory The fact that we live in three dimensions means that quantum mechanics, relativity, and gravity do not actually go together too well. There is a belief that particles are strings and membranes which are also involved with very small dimensions. All of this is confusing. Unsolved Mysteries – Extra Dimensions The idea of extra dimensions comes from the fact that, as humans, we cannot see everything. To a smaller creature, these extra dimensions may be more visible. A preterred example is a tlea and a human on a tightrope. although the human can only go one way, the flea has more options. This technically creates another dimension that only the flea can use. Unsolved Mysteries – Dark matter Lastly, there is also the idea that the Earth is not made up of the same material as a majority of the universe. There is invisible dark matter which is involved with gravitational effects. There is also evidence that it is not made up of protons, neutrons, or electrons, but perhaps one of the supersymmetric particles, or something that has yet to be discovered. How to cite Unsolved Mysteries – Physics, Papers

Diego Velazquez Example For Students

Diego Velazquez Biography Biography Diego Rodriguez de Silva y Velà ¡zquez  (1599–1660) Spanish painter of Portuguese descent, born in Seville. At the age of 14 he began to study under Francisco Pacheco, an indifferent artist whose daughter he married. At first working closely from life, he painted genre scenes, such as kitchen interiors, with figures and objects in realistic detail. The strong contrasts of light and shade recall the chiaroscuro of Caravaggio, then becoming popular in Spain. In 1622 and 1623 Velà ¡zquez visited Madrid where he painted his first portrait of Philip IV, which led to his appointment as court painter and to other more or less honorific appointments as his reputation grew. Rubens visited Madrid in 1628 and his influence enabled Velà ¡zquez to go on a two-year visit to Italy (1629–31), which resulted in a softening of the harshness of his early style: colour began to show in the shadows, light and space became his preoccupations, whilst the range of subjects was enlarged. He resumed his position as royal painter on his return. In his royal portraits he avoids flattery but the infantes and infantas have freshness and charm despite their elaborate and formal clothes. Velà ¡zquez was an assiduous courtier, eager for royal favours but his treatment of his masters is unsparing. In his only surviving battle piece, the Surrender of Breda (1634–35), the chivalrous compassion depicted in the attitude of the victors to the defeated gives a humanity to the picture almost unknown in paintings of this kind. Where he is less inhibited by his subject, e.g. in his pictures of court jesters and buffoons (notably the moving Calabazas, 1637, in the Prado), he is at his most effective in combining realism with interpretation of character. The loose brush work of the views of the Medici Gardens, two of his rare landscapes, indicate a stylistic development to which his second visit to Italy (1648–51) may have contributed. To this last period belong the masterpieces The Toilet of Venus (The Rokeby Venus, painted in Italy, his only nude, now in the National Gallery, London), the outstanding portraits of his mulatto slave Juan de Pareja (1649, New York), Pope Innocent X (1650, the subject said ‘troppo vero’), Maids of Honour (Las Meninas, 1656, in the Prado, Madrid), voted in 1985 as ‘the world’s greatest painting’ by an international panel of experts and The Tapestry Weavers (Las Hilanderas). Velà ¡zquez was a rapid but not very prolific painter: of 125 canvasses confidently attributed only 98 survive. He founded no school of painting and his genius was unknown outside Spain until the 19th century. Among painters deeply influenced by Velà ¡zquez were Manet, Picasso, Dalà ­ and Bacon.

Peasents in Northern Renaissan Essay Example

Peasents in Northern Renaissan Essay Peasants in the Northern Renaissance In the North peasants are often ridiculed and a source of humor for that wealthy nobles.But after awhile there started to emerge another class, merchants and such.So families that were once peasants have been elevated.But often to the nobles they are still no better.Artists during this time were obviously fascinated with their social status.A few including: Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Lucas Cranach, and Diego Velazquez. In Cranachs The Fountain of Youth you have the old and sick flocking to the fountain. It does not matter if youre noble or a peasant.Cranach was obviously aware of the tensions present at this time and you have to wonder if the family he pained this for realized that he had put nobles and peasants swimming in the same pool.You also see the old and sick going into the pool and emerging young and healthy, which can also be take as going from poor to rich. Bruegels Peasant Wedding shows the reception of a wedding.He often painted pea sant scenes, perhaps because at some point his family was very poor and he wanted to bring show these people in their real forms.Yet still with this sympathetic eye you can tell he is making fun of these people. The bride has a paper crown hanging above her head on the wall and she has a stupid yet content look on her face.Everyone around her only seems to be concerned with the food in front of them.They are carrying the food around on makeshift platters, a wooden door.The one upper class thing noticeable in the painting is a peacock feather but its lying on the floor, forgotten. Velazquezs Water Carrier of Seville shows a common man doing what was considered a noble deed. The water carrier looks very intelligent and if given court clothing could easily fit in at court.The young boy is obviously reverent of his position and perhaps hopes to become a water carr

Adolph Hitler essays

Adolph Hitler essays Hitler was born on April 20, 1889, at 6:30 P.M in the small Austrian village of Braunau, just across the border from German Bavaria. A World War I hero Hitler eventually became the leader of the Nazi party. He was responsible for the biggest mass murder the world has known. Commonly called the Holocaust, the Nazis gained control of power in Germany and quickly wanted to create a single master race. Therefore Jews as well as many others including the disabled were rounded up and killed. As many as 6 million died at the hands of Hitlers men. Hitler was born into a middle class family and achieved much military success during WWI, but he was not happy and that brings me to his wish. As Hitler sits at the dinner table surrounded by friends and family, it is April 20, 1931 and Adolph has decided to apply for Art School. His wish is to make it as an artist. He has been making money-painting postcards by hand and hopes to attend art school in Austria where he can make more money. In reality Hitler sends his application to the Architecture department on accident and they dont know what to do with it so they send him a response that basically says that he didnt get in and he should try again next year. Well instead of becoming an artist he gets into politics and soon it leads to destruction of the world in WWII. So for his 42nd birthday he wishes for his acceptance into the art school and this time he gets in. He is widely renowned for his work in the school and quickly gains acceptance. He graduates with honors and earns an honest living and lives a simple life. Hitler is very satisfied with his life and Germany remains under control by the Kaiser. If his wish comes true, it would mean some remarkable changes in the history of the world. The U.S., instead of entering a war that had been raging and boosting themselves as a world power would continue to suf ...