Abnormal Psychology

Essay by shampoo0000University, Bachelor'sA, September 2010

download word file, 4 pages 0.0

Abnormal psychology has progressed, changed and experienced controversy over the past 100 years that it has existed in its field of study. There are six core concepts in abnormal psychology that have remained the central field of study. The six core concepts in Abnormal Psychology are: The importance of context in defining and understanding abnormality. The continuum between normal and abnormal behavior. Cultural and historical relativism in defining and classifying abnormality. The advantages and limitations of diagnosis; the principle of multiple causality; and the connection between mind and body. So what is abnormal psychology? Abnormal psychology is a field of study devoted to the causes of mental dysfunction such as mental illnesses, psychopathology, maladjustment, emotional disturbance, and many other abnormalities. Abnormal behavior expressed because of a psychological can dysfunction can have features of deviance, depending on the culture, distress and possible injury to themselves or others. In the twentieth century, two opposing perspectives on the etiology of mental disorders developed somategenic (physical origins) and psychogenic (physical origins).

Both produced significant research and treatment options.

The history of abnormal psychology has come a long way from when it first started. There are many very interesting stories when you look back over time with abnormal psychology. There have been several different theories, ideas, principles, and thoughts about what abnormal psychology is. Many early societies had attributed abnormal behavior to evil spirits. Skulls have been found as long ago as the stone age (half a million years ago) with areas removed by a method of surgery that involved circular holes in the skulls with stones tools. Another method used to remove the evil spirits has been performed by priests and shamans called and exorcism.

During the Greek and Roman period some symptoms of mental disorders were classified into terms such as melancholia, dementia,