Abnormal Psychology

Do you think you're abnormal? Moreover is it positive or negative to become or stay abnormal

Abnormal essentially implies outside the normal - that today mean individuals who have a behaviour that most other individuals do not.

It will all hang on how abnormal psychology addresses or analyses the facts though, and just how society places values on attributes. There was a time in Britain when to be left handed wasn't just abnormal - you could have been burnt at the stake for being a witch!

Having a significantly low IQ is abnormal. So is having a considerably high IQ but it is usually just the former that is thought of as abnormal because children with high IQs are considered as having desirable attributes - highly gifted springs to mind even if they display unusual behaviour

Approximately a quarter of older people suffer from depression; does that render depression abnormal? It's definitely not rare, but it will probably be unusual behaviour and it could be a problem.

Abnormal psychology only tends to come to the fore if the attributes of a person's behaviour or thinking become problematic. When someone's behaviour makes people feel threatened. Not that the threat is required to be real, it is a perception.

Social standards seem to have more effect on abnormality, than someone being different does. if it's not socially acceptable then it is perceived as abnormal. As mentioned earlier abnormality doesn't stand the test of time. Being a homosexual was thought of as a psychological indeed psychiatric disorder once whilst it isn't today and drink drivers, once an accepted normal behaviour is now not seen in that light. Ditto smokers.

Abnormal psychology comes to the fore when individuals behave in a manner that disrupts their day-to-day functional ability

Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) noted the following indicators of abnormality

• Maladaptiveness - being a danger to oneself

• Vividness & unconventionality - an individual who stands out significantly from the crowd

• Unpredictably & loss of control - someone who may explode with rage or tears

• Irrationality/incomprehensibility - the inability to think in a traditional way or to make themselves understood by the mainstream

• Causes observer discomfort - those whose behaviour disconcerts those around them

• Violates moral/social standards - individuals that go against generally accepted standards

Strangely enough even these traits are open to question

If the behaviour ensures they are happy who's to suggest it is not acceptable when it does no physical harm?

And aren't boxer, smokers, drinkers all self harmers?

Abnormal psychology is not easily defined

It looks to be less about "abnormal "but more about " less than the ideal"

So what is the ideal?

Well again ideas vary but generally speaking it's individuals who have a positive view of themselves and others, who have the capability to grow and develop. They have the ability to function independently of others and can also think for themselves. They understand what is real and what isn't - worrying considering the number of individuals who think the characters in Eastenders are real! Furthermore they can function on a daily basis and find it not too difficult to form good relationships and maintain them.

Oh and if you pile on social class into that little box of tricks you will notice that when it comes to abnormality the working class suffer more than their higher class counterparts.

An Abnormal Psychology Course will help you understand this fascinating subject

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