Psychological Abnormal Behavior Analysis

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According to Comer (2013, pp. 3), the definition of psychological abnormalities has remained a point of contention amongst individuals in the mental health field. One of the main rationalities behind the differing views of how psychological abnormalities is defined is that the term is subjective in nature. Although a formal definition of the word has not been resolved, previous attempt to characterize abnormal behaviors all maintain four primary components, deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger. Deviance is characterized as actions that diverge from societal and cultural norms. Members of each society establish and define normative behavior within their sects, when an individual deviates from these norms, indicators of abnormality …show more content…

70). This model is infamous for the Pavlov experiment in which he utilizes a bell to signify feeding time to a dog. By making a connection between food and bell, he was able to illicit a response. In traditional therapies, the behavioral model is employed in order to reduce symptomology in clients. The cognitive model asserts that in order to understand behavior, we have to understand the though processes which drive the behavior (Comer, 2013, pp. 72). Abnormal behavior is thought to be caused by illogical thinking on the part of the person. For instance, individuals with depression are thought to engage in a continuous pattern of negative inner dialogue. In order to stop the perpetual cycle, cognitive behavioral therapy is employed. This method of therapy born from the cognitive model assists individuals in identifying and altering the negative …show more content…

82). The environment in which a person is raised greatly impacts development. According to this framework, abnormalities occur as the result of established societal roles. For example, a children learn to communicate from their parents. If the child observes a dysfunctional communication style, they may demonstrate similar methods of communication when speaking with others. The biopsychosocial theory is a combination of all major theoretical models of abnormality (Comer, 2013, pp. 93). This is the thought process that the cause of psychological abnormality is not one factor, but several contributing factors. Specifically, proponents of this model believe in the diathesis-stress model. This means that an individual has to be genetically pre-disposed to a condition and a event must occur to trigger the abnormality. Personally, my viewpoints align closer with the biopsychosocial perspective than any of he other theoretical models. I believe that mental disorders are a combination of a multitude of underlying genetic, environmental and social factors contributing to the development of abnormalities. For instance, an individual diagnosed with a substance abuse disorder can often identify individuals in their family with the disorder, friends and neighbors with the disorder (Choate,

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