Theories of Abnormal Behavior - Essay Example

Abnormal Psychology Theories of Abnormal Behavior and Number 17 June 2007 Theories ofAbnormal Behavior The definition of abnormal behavior has gone through significant changes and depends on the historical, medical and social factors. From statistical perspective, abnormal behavior is the behavior which deviates from the majority. From social perspective, people marked behaving abnormally, are unable to reach goals and interfere with social functioning. Personal distress leads to abnormal behavior even thought the person might not be aware of having mental health problems. The most serious abnormal behavior falls under the category of medical disorder and is treated as the physical diseases. All of the above definitions are correct and contribute to the deeper understanding of the abnormal psychology. In simple words, abnormal behavior in the one which leads to the inhumane treatment of others. Abnormal psychology uncovers the causes of abnormal behavior as well as provides the treatment options. Historical Background From the ancient times, people noticed that some individuals act in the way which is different from the common or accepted in their community setting. At the age of strong spiritual values, the abnormal behavior was considered to be the result of the demonic possession. During the Enlightenment, the shift was made to the scientific view of abnormal behavior as the mental illness. The asylums and hospitals for mentally ill citizens were built in London and Paris (Kring, Davidson, Neale, & Johnson, 2006). However, the mental disorders were not treated and it took many years to develop the assumption that mental illness might have biological and physical causes. In 1800s, the famous psychiatrist Richard von Krafft Ebing proposed that there is the link between syphilis and general paresis (dementia). It was the first significant step towards proving the hypothesis that mental disorders can be the result of physical diseases. Fifty years later, Emil Kraepelin introduced the first classification system of mental illness which is still used today by the American Psychiatric Association. The cornerstone of abnormal psychology development was marked by the teachings of Freud, the father of psychoanalysis. It was assumed that the mental disorder might also be learnt (maladaptive behavior). Later, the so-called diathesis-stress model was developed with the aim to analyze abnormal behavior as the result of the biological predisposition to illness and environmental triggers (Kring, Davidson, Neale, & Johnson, 2006). Finally, the humanistic and cultural perspectives were taken into consideration. Such factors as homosexuality, teenagers' behavior and current philosophies have shaped the new definition of the abnormal behavior. American community values individualism and personality. For this reason, classification of abnormal behavior has become more vague than it was a hundred years ago. Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology Biological Perspective Biological perspective on abnormal behavior is the medical view. It is based on the assumption that genetics and physical problems cause abnormal behavior and it requires treatment with medication. In particular, antidepressants and even lobotomy are still used to help individuals suffering from abnormal behavior (Oltmanns & Emery, 2006). Biological perspective is based on the writings of Richard von Krafft Ebing. Psychodynamic Perspective Psychodynamic perspective applies Freud's psychoanalysis to understanding abnormal behavior. It is focused on emotions and thought which lead to the abnormal behavior. The goal of this perspective is to investigate the role of unconscious motivators in development as well as treatment of the abnormal behavior. Behavioral Perspective Behavioral Perspective is the traditional theory of abnormal behavior. It was introduced and further studies by Pavlov and Skinner who assumed that abnormal behavior might be the response to the environment, social changes for example (Oltmanns & Emery, 2006). It is also based on the hypothesis that the reactions of people, teenagers in particular, can be programmed. As the result, the abnormal behavior can be controlled using behavioral theoretical assumptions. Cognitive Perspective Cognitive perspective is based on the opposite to behavioral perspective assumptions. According to cognitive theories, abnormal behavior depends on how people acquire and understand information. Example: if the person was fired, he might see the opportunity to find the better employment in this situation; while another individual might fall into deep depression. Humanistic Perspective Humanistic perspective on abnormal behavior is rooted in philosophical views. It emphasizes the individual's search for the meaning of life and self-actualizing. Community perspective deals with the influence on culture on abnormal behavior. For example, the inability to cope with the lifestyle changes or social stress might lead to the development of abnormal behavior. V Axis Diagnosis V Axis Diagnosis is the classification of mental disorders used by mental health specialists in the United States. It is the list of the mental disorders, including the signs and symptoms of each. Axis I describes the clinical disorders which need clinical treatment. Axis II is devoted to personality disorders and mental diseases. Axis III is focused on general medical conditions. Axis IV analyses psychosocial and environmental concerns. Axis V is about the global assessment (Comer, 2007). This classification is the reflection of the major psychological theories related to abnormal behavior. Axis I Mental disorders requiring clinical treatment are listed under the Axis I category. These include anxiety, eating, mood, sleeping, impulse control, and substance-related disorders. Such behaviors as noncompliance with treatment, antisocial behavior, academic problems and phase of life problems are also part of the Axis I category. Axis II Axis II includes personality disorders which require additional intervention and there are several treatment options. Each individual has unique personality with the enduring pattern of thinking and behaving. Personality is determined both by genetics and social setting (biological and behavioral theories). Patients with personality disorders experience difficulties in living normal life and being the member of larger community setting. They feel discomfort and distress and are unable to conduct daily activities of living. The mental retardation, as the severe form of personality disorder, affects all aspects of human functioning. Axis III General Medical conditions are categorized as Axis III. These are the conditions useful for understanding the mental disorders. The medical condition is related to the development of symptoms of mental disorder. The aim of putting medical conditions into the separate category is to improve the evaluation of the disorder. Axis IV Axis IV includes psychosocial and environmental factors of abnormal behavior. It is already proved that environmental problems have the negative influence on the behavior of some individuals. Positive stressors (job promotion) might also lead to the negative result (increased workload and sleeping disorder). Occupation, economic, housing, education, social environment, and interaction with legal system problems are also included (Comer, 2007). Axis V Axis V is devoted to the global assessment of functioning scale which is the 100-point scale measuring the level of social, psychological and occupation functioning of each individual. For example, if the person scored 92 points, it means that he is able to function in many activities and is capable of handling numerous life problems; the score of 55 indicates that the person has moderate problems with functioning in society (for example, conflicts with co-workers, very few friends, panic attacks); if the person scored 18, he is considered to be in danger of hurting the self (suicide, violent excitement). Types of Abnormal Behavior In addition to the above classification of the abnormal behavior factors, there is another categorization aimed at defining the behavior as normal or abnormal. The four criteria are used: deviation from statistical norms, deviation from social norms, maladaptive behavior, and personal distress. Deviation from the statistical norm means that the person with abnormal behavior does not fall within the middle of the range of the normal behavior. For example, the person who is very intelligent would also be marked as abnormal because he falls outside the range of average intelligence level. Deviation from social norms is the characteristics of behavior when the person acts in the way which does not correspond to the standard or is not accepted in the society (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2006). Subsequently, the abnormal behavior in one society can be the marked as normal in another society. Maladaptive behavior is another form of abnormal behavior used to characterize the actions of individual which affect his own well-being as well as the life of the social group. For example, the person who attempt suicide or alcoholic do harm not only to themselves but also to the surrounding people. Personal distress refers to abnormal behavior in terms of subjective feelings and personal depression rather than behavior. Individuals diagnosed with mental disorders feel themselves miserable depressed. Maladaptive behavior as the form of abnormal behavior can be divided into four categories: impaired functioning, disruptive behavior, long period of distress, and bizarre behavior (Butcher, Mineka, & Hooley, 2006). Impaired functioning is difficult to notice and sometimes people are not aware about having abnormal behavior even though the symptoms are obvious. In particular, impaired functioning can be expressed when the intelligent student fails all of the tests or when the skillful employee constantly changes the place of employment without any reason. Bizarre behavior refers to the actions which seem strange. For example, piercing might seem bizarre to the older generation, but the motives of young people are understandable (desire to different) and do not fall under abnormal behavior in clinical terms. Bizarre behavior cannot be logically or rationally explained and is often based on hallucinations or delusions. Disruptive behavior is also abnormal and is mostly impulsive and uncontrollable. It affects the life of the individual as well as the lives of the people who surround him/her. The feeling of distress or discomfort is normal to be experienced and most of the people are capable of overcoming difficult periods of time without outside clinical help. Nevertheless, the long periods of discomfort might lead to the psychological disorders in some cases and spread to every aspect of human life. These are the main causes (motivators) of abnormal behavior and in many cases people with abnormal behavior are not able to change their condition without clinical treatment. Abnormal Behavior Disorders As it was already noted, in some cases it is very difficult to notice that the person behaves abnormally because the symptoms are not vividly expressed, while in other cases, behavior can be marked as abnormal by society even though from clinical perspective, the individual behaves normally. To understand the psychology of abnormal behavior better, it is necessary to take the closer look at the specific abnormal behavioral disorders. Anxiety Disorders and Phobias The person, who is constantly nervous, overreacts to insignificant stress, has troubles with decision-making and suffers from panic attacks, is usually diagnosed as having anxiety disorder. Some clinicians believe that anxiety disorder is learned anxiety. For example, if the student was very nervous during the exam and did manage to overcome his worries, there is the chance that during the next exam the anxiety will appear again. Thus, the failure to learn to avoid worries or to control them might lead to the development of the anxiety disorder. Phobia is the severe form of anxiety disorder and it is the fear of specific situation (Barlow, & Durand, 2004). The person might fear to remain alone at home, be afraid of spiders, or even people. Phobia results in the abnormal behavior (especially social phobias when people experience extreme fear of social situations, eating in public for example). Obsessive and Post-Traumatic Disorders Patients with obsessions are not capable of dealing with the unwelcome impulses and thoughts. They are anxious to carry out come actions to reduce the inner strain. Notably, individuals with obsessions are often aware about behaving abnormally and irrationally, however, they are unable to resist it. The most common compulsive disorders are washing and checking. For example, the person might perceive himself always dirty even though he has just came out of the shower. As the result, he will fear to contact with others, to touch anything and to walk outside because of the anxiety not to get dirty. Post-traumatic disorders are the result of the specific events which overwhelmed the patient and made him unable to cope with the situation (Barlow, & Durand, 2004). Nightmares or the constant feeling of guilt are two examples of post-traumatic disorder. It is worth to note that most of the abnormal behaviors are learnt or caused by the specific situations/events. Depressive Disorders Depression is the serious psychological disorder. Bipolar disorder (manic-depression) occurs when people extremely change their mood without any external factor. For example, the person can be laughing and in ten seconds, he starts screaming without any obvious reason for such mood change. Other symptoms include speaking rapidly, expressing unrealistic ideas, being overexcited, not sleeping enough, and sitting still for a long period of time. The person with depressive disorder is not experiencing job, has not interest to participate in any activities and is always in the bad mood. Depressive disorder can be accompanied with the weight change, sleep disturbance, slowed movements, difficulty in expressing ideas, and thought about suicide. In conclusion, abnormal behavior can take different forms: some of them are easy noticeable, while others can persist for many years without vivid expression. Abnormal psychology has long history as the science and many psychologists contributed their ideas about the abnormal behavior disorders causes, symptoms, and treatment. Individuals with abnormal behavior may be aware about their mental disorders, however, they are not able to cope with themselves. Phobias, social exclusion, and constantly depressive mood are harmful not only for patient, but also for the people who surround him. There is no clear definition of abnormal behavior, but in simple words, it means behaving in the way which is different, unaccepted in society, and is harmful for the person and society. Word Count: 2251 References Barlow, D., & Durand, M. (2004). Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach (4th ed.). Wadsworth Publishing. Butcher, J., Mineka, S., & Hooley, J. (2006). Abnormal Psychology (13th ed.). Allyn & Bacon Publishing. Comer, R. (2007). Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology Student Workbook. Worth Publishers. Kring, A., Davidson, G., Neale, J., & Johnson, S. (2006). Abnormal Psychology (10th ed.). Wiley Press. Oltmanns, T., & Emery, R. (2006). Abnormal Psychology (5th ed.). Prentice Hall Press. Read More