1. Need to define whether or not it is abnormal
2. Need to define the behavior based upon the context which it's in
3. Abnormal behavior is strongly influenced by demographic (gender, race, etc.)

• Precipitating: the immediate trigger or precipitant of an event/illness
• Predisposing: underlying processes that create conditions making it possible for a precipitating cause to trigger an event (long term causes)

1. Importance of context
2. Cultural and historical relativism
3. Valididy, reliability and limitations
4. Interplay of multiple causes
5. Connection between mind and body
6. Continuum before normal and abnormal behavior

The theory that no illness is triggered by just one, single cause.

The opposite of reductionism.

1. Reliability and validity problems: criteria is only observable/descriptive, which can vary based upon clinician
2. Theoretical Bias: The DSM is favorable to the biological perspective
3. Cultural Bias: what is normal can change from culture to culture

• Help seeking (not useful alone)
• Irrationality/dangerousness
• Deviance
• Emotional Distress
• Significant Impairment

Emotional Distress and Sig. Impairment

• Psych. Disorder: psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning that is not a typical of culturally expected response (D/E/S of HIDES)
• A.B: actions that are unexpected and often evaluated negative because they differ from typical or usual behavior (D of HIDES)

• Importance of context
• Continuum between normal and abnormal behavior
• Role of cultural and historical relativism
• Advantages/Disadvantages of Diagnosis: good communication/bad stigma
• Principle of multiple causality
• Connection between mind and body

Animistic View

How was it fixed?

Back in the day, people who had a mental disturbance were considered possessed.

Trephination or exorcism

Humours are liquids in out body, and an imbalance of one causes mental illness.

• Blood: too much caused moodiness
• Phlegm
• Black Bile: too much caused depression
• Yellow Bile: too much caused anxiety and aggression

Reforms improved conditions and the philosophy of moral treatment became the norm.

In the early 20th, there was overcrowding. Finally in the 60's there was the deinstitutionalization movement and the homeless population grew.

1. The Topographic (Iceberg) Model
2. The Structural Model

• Conscious
• Preconscious: have access, you can go get the information, all "okay" thoughts
• Unconscious: thoughts we cannot handle (fears, violence, sex, etc.)

• Id: the "pleasure principle," present at birth and disconnected from the outside world; focused on inner desires
• Superego: like guilt, formed during childhood, it senses right and wrong
• Ego: job is to balance Id and Superego; the "reality principle"

1. Repression: blocking a distressful memory from conscious
2. Rationalization: justying failures with a socially acceptable reason
3. Displacement: diverting unacceptable feelings to a better target
4. Denial: ignoring thoughts and behaviors
5. Regression: reverting to less mature behavior
6. Sublimation: culturally appropriate behavior that expresses the unaccpetable need

Works on mastering emotional conflicts.

1. Insight: free association; talking cure; hypnosis; dream analysis
2. A therapeutic relationship: resistance (not wanting to talk) and transference (transferring emotions onto therapist)

Carl Rodgers and Abraham Maslow

It's the pursuit of self-actualization: morality, creativity, spontaneity, problem-solving, lack of prejudice, acceptance of facts

Get here through unconditional positive regard, empathy and active listening.

Paring two stimuli together and getting a certain response.

A neutral stimulus gets paired with an unconditioned stimulus. The response from the UCS, after enough time, gets paired with the neutral stimulus, making a conditioned response and stimulus.

Pavlov and his dogs. Salivating and bells.

1. Extinction: presentation of conditioned stimulus over and over again without anything else, and it goes away.
2. Exposure: slowly exposing to stimuli for which they developed fear until it disappears
3. Systematic Desensitization: exposure with relaxation techniques
4. Aversion therapy: pairing stimulus with something good/neutral

Operant Conditioning! Who!

What is Thorndike's Law of Effect?

TLE: actions that lead to satisfying effects are likely to be repeated

Skinner! Reinforcement will get a person to continue behavior.

Positive R: rewards increase behavior

Neg R: removing aversive stimulus when action is performed (seat belt beeper)

Pos. P: administering adversive stimulus

Neg. P: removing desirable stimulus

Children learn through watching how adults/parents act in social situations. Vicarious conditioning: observation/imitation.

Bandura's Bobo Doll study.

Cognitive Perspective

Who is Aaron Beck?

Abnormal behavior is caused by faulty beliefs and thoughts.

He had the theory of cognitive distortions. These are magnification, overgeneralization (one bad event continues) and selective abstraction (focus on negatives).

Cognitive Restructuring

• Ellis' Rational-Emotive Therapy: taking irrational beliefs and disputing them/explaining they're irrational
• Self-Instructional Therapy: teaching patient to react in more positive ways

1. Axis 1: person's psychiatric symptoms and disorders (acute episodic)
2. Axis 2: person's characteristics that affect functioning; personality disorders (long-term)
3. Axis 3: Medical conditions
4. Axis 4: Current/recent stressors
5. Axis 5: overall level of functioning

Dystonic: client feels there is a problem

Syntonic: client feels nothing is wrong