Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology
Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology
Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology
Danielle Shank
PSY/410
February 17, 2014
Sevet Johnson
Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology
Darkness has a more logical antecedent, which is absence of light. It is sometimes more important to classify some terms in a more logical antecedent. However, there are some terms that are more culturally predicated, such as abnormal. This term needs an explanation that is more observable and concise terminology instead of just stating the opposite term (i.e. normal). There are five criteria at can characterize abnormality: 1) help seeking; 2) irrationality/dangerousness; 3) deviance; 4) emotional distress and; 5) significant impairment (Damour & Hansell, 2008). Criteria one, two, and three are more indicators or correlates instead of being directly linked markers for the term abnormality, because of their circumstantial nature. However, four and five are more functional for scientific reason and preferred over the other three as diagnostic tools of psychopathology.
English: Wundt research group, ca. 1880. Author un...
Statue of Sigmund Freud in London, with the Tavist...
Journal of Abnormal PsychologySignificant impairment and emotional distress may not be a major part of psychopathology, it does occur with psychopathology at times. All the criteria together make a definition that works from a clinical point but is not useable in every situation. There must be an in depth understanding of psychopathology origin and how abnormal psychology was developed in order to comprehend modern-day abnormal psychology.
Origins
Abnormal Psychology has been around for more than 100 years as a scientific discipline. However, in explaining abnormal behavior the understanding goes past Biblical history (Damour & Hansell, 2008). The animistic/spiritual approach is the earliest understanding of mental illnesses; this was a belief that the spirit world could affect the observable world. With this belief came trepidation, this is a practice to where holes where made in a person's skull so that the evil spirit would leave...