Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology

The following paper includes such topics of normal and abnormal psychology. Discussed with these topics are definitions of each as well as the similarities and differences between them both. Included here also is a discussion and explanation of two mental disorders and two mental illnesses all taken from the psychology perspective. As the reader will see, normal and abnormal psychology as well as the mental disorders and illnesses are common issues that could happen to any person or affect any family at any time. In addition to learning about the disorders and illnesses the reader will also learn about possible therapies for treating these mental disorders and illnesses. Mental disorders and mental illnesses objectively studied

Erikson believed that people develop in psychosocial stages. He emphasized developmental change throughout the human life span. In Erikson's theory, eight stages of development result as we go through the life span. Each stage consists of a crisis that must be faced. According to Erikson, this crisis is not a catastrophe but a turning point. The more an individual resolves the crises successfully, the healthier development will be.

After reading Chapter 2 of Ronald J. Comer’s book, Fundamentals of Abnormal Psychology, I now understand key principles of 4 models that that contribute to understanding abnormalities. The first model is the biological model, which can be linked to Roman and Greek times as I read in chapter 1. It mainly states that the cause of psychological abnormalities is that of physical illness. In addition, the abnormalities are introduced because of malfunctioning parts in the brain. This includes the possible malfunction of neurons that are found in the cerebrum and the possible malfunction of these neurons and the transmissions between them. Other factors may include genes, evolution and viral infections

The biological perspective also can be called Biopsychological Perspective, is a large scientific perspective that undertake that human behaviour and thought processes have a biological fundamental points. Investigations with biological perspective into biochemistry of behaviour link with genetics and heritability, neurotransmitters and hormones, and the psychophysics of sensation and perception. Parts of biological perspective may include; Physiological psychology, neuroscience, pyschoneuroimunology and psychopharmacology. The biological perspective relies on scientific methods because of this, its scope of information is limited to variable that can be manipulated.

Patterns of psychological abnormality are typically deviant (different, extreme, unusual, perhaps even bizarre), distressing (unpleasant and upsetting to the person), dysfunctional (interfering with the person’s ability to conduct daily activities in a constructive way), and possibly dangerous.

Abnormality can be portrayed as a misbehavior, disorder, depression, and dysfunction. With the different types of abnormality models can very well describe what the individual is going through and help that individual overcome the abnormality. With the correct treatment or therapy, the abnormality can be cured for the moment or, it can be correctly cured for the rest of their lives. In treatment or therapy there does not necessarily need to be medicine to treat the patient for many reasons because, with the medicine it can have harmful effects on the person’s body. My abnormality model uses three different types of models to help cure patients of it abnormality function such as biological, psychodynamic, and human existential. With these

According to Alloy, Jaconson, and Acocella (1999), the biomedical model compares abnormal behavior to any other disease and therefore has specific causes and specific set of symptoms. Therefore the medical model also implies that the abnormal behaviour is biogenic, that is, it results from a malfunction within the body especially the brain. This suggests that psychological symptoms are due to structural abnormalities in the brain’s neurotransmitter systems, or faulty genes.

Abnormal and clinical psychology are two branches in the field of psychological studies. In simple words, abnormal psychology can be defined as the study of people who engage in unusual behavior and emotional thoughts. These actions and thoughts are considered abnormal compared to those of other members of society, and they significantly interfere with their functioning in life. Clinical psychology goes hand in hand with abnormal psychology because it is the study that deals with the assessment and treatment of those abnormal actions. Learning about these branches of psychology can help us understand and predict behaviors of people who that are affected by these disorders. It is also essential to advance our knowledge to help assess the people who suffer these illnesses to lead a life of better quality. In this paper, a case study that entails a brief vignette of a 35 year old paralegal named Greg will be analyzed. According to concepts of abnormal and clinical psychology, Greg will be diagnosed with the psychological disorder of obsessive-compulsive disorder (more formally known as OCD) that might have originated in the anal stage of the psychoanalytic theory, for which cognitive behavioral therapy will be used as a possible treatment.

The six models of psychological abnormality detailed in this chapter each present a different set of assumptions and explanations for abnormal functioning. These models all interrupt a person’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors and examine them as being caused or initiated by various and ranging factors. Although each model has its strengths, none can claim a full explanation of abnormal functioning and therefore, no one model can be deemed best or more correct than another. The model of psychological abnormality that appeals to me the most is the psychodynamic model, founded by Sigmund Freud at the turn on the twentieth century. Freud and his colleagues developed a revolutionary model for explaining psychological abnormality that would

Francies sounded extremely upset and with a loud voice started talking regarding yesterday appointment. The writer tried hard to listen and follows what she said, as she was telling her many things at once and she could hear Francies’ daughter talking in the background.

Just like Sigmund Freud, Erikson believed in the significance of early childhood. However, he believed that an individual’s personality development occurs over the individual’s entire course of life. In the early 1960s, Erik Erikson proposed a theory that provided a description of eight different stages of human development (Scheck, 2014). According to him, in each phase, individuals face new challenges and the outcome of the stage depends on how individuals handle the encountered challenges (Scheck, 2014). The stages are named based on the possible outcomes.

The topic and layout of this paper follow the text from Ronald Comer, fundamentals of abnormal psychology (Seventh edition). Specifically covering phobias, specific phobias, and agoraphobia. Further, exploring the causes and treatments of phobias (Comer, 2014). The topic of phobias in the authors opinion is a way for a greater understanding of their surroundings. That allows for a greater understanding of children and their fear through phobias.

Erik Erikson is known for his psychoanalytic theory of psychosocial development comprising eight stages from infancy to adulthood. Psychologist Erik Erikson, is a major contributor to developmental psychology, who proposed a comprehensive theory of the ways that individuals develop their identity, a sense of who they are, and society's influence on that development. Erikson stated that people go through crisis at each stage of their lives. The stages each had a developmental task to be mastered. As an individual resolved these various crises an individual would have a better harmony with their social environment that they live in. If an individual could not successfully resolve a crisis, they would be” out of step”, and the individual would have a greater difficulty in their dealing with a crisis in the future. Erikson did however recognize that an individual can develop through a stage negatively and still go on with their life. Erikson stated that each of the psychological stages have a basic conflict and important event leading to growth. The theory was developed from his hundreds of clinical observations in children.

Abnormal behavior was once viewed as an embarrassment to society. Those who suffered from a mental illness or displayed abnormal behavior were locked away and never spoken of. Today abnormal behavior is viewed much differently. With the study of psychology and the help of the medical field, abnormal behavior has become better understood. This essay will discuss the major theories for the cause of abnormal behavior, how abnormal behavior is diagnosed and what type of behavioral issues are related to abnormal behavior.

Erikson’s theory followed Freud´s and it was based on many of Freud´s ideas. He had studied at Anna Freud, Freud’s daughter in Vienna. Erikson´s and Freud´s theories have similarities. Both theories admit the importance of the unconscious on development. They also both separates development into stages of a person´s life and handle similar age spans for these developmental stages. However, there are also differences that exist between names of the stages and the developmental subjects that are assumed during each stage. Part of the reason for that is that each psychologist has his own exclusive view of what causes a person’s development.