Sosc3900 Abnormal Psychology Beatrice Lai

INTRODUCTION
1
SOSC3900 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
BEATRICE LAI
TEACHING TEAM
• Instructor
• Beatrice LAI
• Office: Room 2387
• Contact: beatricelai@ust.hk, ext 7817
• Consultation: by email appointment (with confirmation)
• TAs
• Vivien PONG
• Contact: sosc3900ta@ust.hk
• Consultation: by email appointment (with confirmation)
2
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTES
• Join the Zoom class before the actual class time

and test the equipment
• I will normally start the meeting 5 minutes before
the actual time class
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTES
• Once you have joined

the Zoom class, check
the video/audio
connection
• Test your speaker and
microphone in Zoom
4
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
• Report any technical

issues to the me via
group chat
immediately
5
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
• Your microphone is
normally muted when you
enter the class
• Raise hand in
“Participants” to request
for speaking up
6
CLASSROOM ETIQUETTE
• When I send out a polling question, you will see it on

the screen, respond to the question promptly
7
ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY
• Abnormal psychology is the scientific study whose

objectives are to describe, explain, predict, and
modify behaviors that are considered strange or
unusual
• It is concerned with understanding the nature,
causes, and treatment of mental disorders
8
TRUE OR FALSE
• Mentally disturbed people can always be

recognized by their abnormal behavior.
• The mentally disturbed have inherited their
disorders. If one member of a family has an
emotional breakdown, other members will probably
suffer a similar fate.
• People become mentally disturbed because they
are weak willed. To avoid emotional disorder or
cure oneself of them, one need only exercise
willpower.
• Mentally disturbed people are unstable and
potentially dangerous.
9
MISCONCEPTIONS
• People with mental disorder are subject to popular

misconceptions and thus rampant stereotyping and
prejudice
• After studying this course, I hope you will know more
about mental disorders so as to dispel these
misconceptions or myths
10
TOPICS
• What is abnormality?
• Definition of abnormality
• Mental health professionals
Clinical Psychiatric Nurse

Psychologist
Psychiatrist Counsellor
11
TOPICS
• Models of Abnormal Behavior
12
TOPICS
• Assessment and Diagnosis
13
TOPICS
• Anxiety Disorders
14
TOPICS
• Mood Disorders
15
TOPICS
• Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders
16
TOPICS
• Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders
17
TOPICS
• Somatic Disorders and Dissociative Disorders
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ASSESSMENT
Quizzes 30%
Group Project 45%
- Presentation and Q&A (30%)
- Individual Paper (10%)
Film Critique 25%
19
QUIZZES (15% + 15%)
• 2 quizzes
• Multiple-choice questions
• Lecture notes and required readings
• No make-up quiz unless for validated medical
reasons
20
GROUP PROJECT
PROPOSAL (5%) + PRESENTATION (30%)
• Task: to investigate ONE specific psychological
disorder (one disorder per group other than the
ones listed in the teaching schedule on a first-
come-first served basis)
• Describe the diagnostic criteria of the disorder
• Provide a case vignette (a celebrity or someone you know
in person) of the disorder
• Identify the etiology of the disorder for the case chosen
• Suggest treatment for the case vignette
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GROUP PROJECT – INDIVIDUAL PAPER (10%)
• Choose one treatment of the disorder chosen and

evaluate its effectiveness and limitations
22
FILM CRITIQUE (25%)
• Select a film and analyze the film based on your

knowledge about psychological disorders
23
TEXTBOOK
• Sue, D., Sue, D. W., Sue, S., & Sue, D. M. (2016).

Foundations of Abnormal Behavior (11th ed.).
Cengage.
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ACADEMIC INTEGRITY
• University’s policies on academic integrity

• Plagiarism
• copying other person’s without
proper acknowledgement
• Cheating
*** A reduced or failing grade in the course***
25
COURSE COMMUNICATION PLATFORM
• CANVAS
• Announcements
• Lecture materials
• Discussion
• Distribution of scores
26
YOUR FEEDBACK
• Feel free to share your opinions anytime

• At the end of the semester
27
LECTURE 2-3
WHAT IS ABNORMALITY?
SOSC3900 Abnormal Psychology
2
Abnormal Psychology
• Abnormal psychology is the scientific study whose
objectives are to describe, explain, predict, and modify
behaviors that are considered strange or unusual
• It is concerned with understanding the nature, causes,
and treatment of mental disorders
3
What is Abnormal?
• What is your definition of abnormality?
• Do you think these people are abnormal? Why?

4
Case 1
• Judy is a 16-year-old teenager. About 2 years earlier, in Judy’s first
biology class, the teacher showed a movie of frog dissection. This
was a graphic film, with vivid images of blood, tissue, and muscle.
About halfway through, Judy felt light headed and left the room. But
the images did not leave her. She continued to be bothered by them
and occasionally felt queasy. She began to avoid situations in which
she might see blood or injury. She found it difficult to look at raw meat,
or even Band-Aids, because they brought the feared images to mind.
Eventually, anything anyone said that evoked an image of blood or
injury caused Judy to feel lightheaded.
5
Case 2
• Danny, a 9-year-old boy, had a great deal of energy and loved playing most sports,
especially soccer. Academically, his work was adequate, although his teacher reported
that his performance was diminishing and she believed he would do better if he paid
more attention in class. Danny rarely spent more than a few minutes on a task without
some interruption: he would get up out of his seat, riffle through his desk, or constantly
ask questions. His peers were frustrated with him because he was equally impulsive
during their interactions: He never finished a game, and in sports he tried to play all
positions simultaneously. At home, his room was a constant mess because he became
engaged in a game or activity only to drop it and initiate something else. Danny’s
parents reported that they often scolded him for not carrying out some task, although
the reason seemed to be that he forgot what he was doing rather than he deliberately
tried to defy him.
6
Case 3
• Jimmy is a distinguished lawyer. As an intelligent, good-looking single man, he noted
without bragging that he could have sex with any number of beautiful women in the
course of his law practice. However, the only way he could become aroused was to
leave his office, go down to the bus stop, ride around the city until a reasonably
attractive young woman got on, expose himself just before the next stop, and then run
off the bus, often with people chasing after him. To achieve maximum arousal, the bus
could not be full or empty; there had to be just a few people sitting on the bus, and the
woman getting on had to be the right age. Sometimes hours would pass before these
circumstances lined up correctly. On several occasions he had requested a girlfriend to
role-play sitting on a bus in his apartment. Although he exposed himself to her, he
could not achieve sexual arousal and gratification because the activity just wasn’t
exciting.
7
The Elements of Abnormality

Distress / Suffering
Deviance
Elements of
abnormality
include:
Maladaptiveness
Dangerousness
Violation of the Standards of Society
Social Discomfort
Irrationality and Unpredictability

8

Distress
• Experience psychological distress or pain, often in the
form of extreme or prolonged emotional reaction
9

Deviance
• Statistically rare behavior is considered abnormal
10

Deviance
• Some disorders are common and prevalent
• An American study by the National Institute of
Mental Health found that between 8.7% and 18.1%
of Americans suffer from phobias
• It is estimated that 1 in every 5 Hong Kong people
suffer from mood disorder (Hong Kong Mood
Disorder Centre)
11

Maladaptiveness
• Interference of normal activity and performance of social
roles
Phobia of Height Social Phobia

12

Dangerousness
• Someone who is danger to him- or herself or to another
person is psychologically abnormal
Virgina Tech Massacre

13

Violation of the standards of society
• Behaviors that violate social norms which cause
discomfort in a given society are considered abnormal
• The story of homosexuality
14

• Included in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-I; by
American Psychiatric Association) as a disorder
• Removed from the DSM-II in 1973 due to the changing social
norms and the development of a politically active gay community in
the United States
15

• A new diagnosis, ego-dystonic homosexuality, was created for the
DSM-III in 1980. Ego-dystonic homosexuality was indicated by
• a persistent lack of heterosexual arousal, which the patient
experienced as interfering with initiation or maintenance of
wanted heterosexual relationships
• persistent distress from a sustained pattern of unwanted
homosexual arousal
• In 1986, the diagnosis was removed entirely from the DSM
16

Social Discomfort
• The violation of social rules causes other people to
experience a sense of discomfort or unease
17

Irrationality and unpredictability
• Behaviors that are unpredictable and making no sense
are considered abnormal
18
No one element is sufficient to

define or determine abnormality
remember!
Points to
Definition of abnormality changes as

society changes
19
An Accepted Definition by DSM-V

• Abnormality is defined as behavioral, psychological, or
biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their
cultural context and associated with
• current distress, or
• disability (impairment in one or more important areas of
functioning), or with
• a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or
an important loss of freedom
20
The Role of Culture

• Culture refers to the values, beliefs, and practices that are
shared by a specific community or group of people
21
The Role of Culture

• Cultural universality
• The assumption that there exists a fixed set of mental
disorders whose origin, process, and manifestations are
universal across cultures.
• The same diagnosis and treatment are used across
cultures
22
The Role of Culture

• Cultural relativism
• The assumption that cultural values affect the origin,
process, and manifestation of psychological disorders
“……only dysfunctions that are socially disvalued are

disorders” (Wakefield, 1992, p. 384)
23
The Role of Culture

• Cultural factors influence what behavior is considered as abnormal
Scarification
The Role of Culture
• Manifestation of disorders varies across culture
Country Depressive symptoms

US Feeling depressed; losing interest in usual
activities; feeling worthless; thoughts of
suicide
China Fatigue; dizziness; headaches
Nigeria Heaviness or heat in the head; crawling

sensation in the head or legs; burning
sensation in the body; belly is bloated with
water
24
25
The Role of Culture

• Culture-bound syndrome: certain mental disorders are cultural
specific
• Example: Taijin kyofusho in Japan
• A fear of offending, embarrassing or harming others by one’s
body, body parts, or body functions
26
The Role of Culture

• Culture relativism
• Mental health professionals need to:
• Increase their cultural sensitivity
• Acquire knowledge of the worldviews and lifestyles of
a culturally diverse population
• Develop culturally relevant therapy approaches
27
The Role of Culture

• Concluding remarks: Both views have validity
• What is universal in human behavior that is relevant to
understanding psychological disorders?
• What is the relationship between culture and
psychological disorders?
28
Important Terms in Abnormal Psychology

• Epidemiology
• Prevalence
• Point prevalence
• 1-year prevalence
• Lifetime prevalence
• Incidence
• Course
• Chronic course
• Episodic course
• Time-limited course
• Prognosis
• Etiology
• Comorbidity
29
Important Terms
• Epidemiology
• The study of the distribution of
mental disorders in a given
population
• Prevalence and incidence
30
Important Terms
Different types
of prevalence
Typically estimates
expressed as
Number of percentages
active cases in
population
Prevalence during any given
period of time
31
Important Terms
• Prevalence
• Point prevalence: the percentage of people who is
suffering from a disorder at a given point in time
• 1-year prevalence: the percentage of people who suffer

from a disorder over a 1-year period
• Lifetime prevalence: the percentage of people who have

had a particular disorder at any times in their lives
32
Important Terms
• Prevalence
33
Important terms
Incidence
figures are
Number of new typically lower
cases in than prevalence
population over figures
Incidence
given period of
time
34
Important Terms
• Course
• Typical pattern of development and change of a disorder over time
• Chronic course : Mental disorders tend to last a long time
• Episodic course: Mental disorders occur in episodes in that the

individual is likely to recover with a few months only to suffer a
recurrence of the disorder at a later time
• Time-limited course: Mental disorders that will improve without

treatment in a relatively short period
35
Important terms
• Onset
• The pattern of occurrence of a disorder
• Acute onset: Mental disorders that begin suddenly
• Insidious onset: Mental disorders that develop gradually

over an extended period
36
Important terms
• Prognosis
• Predicted development of a disorder over time
• Duration of the disorder
• Chances of complications
• Probable outcomes
• Prospects for recovery
• Recovery period
• Mortality rates
37
Important terms
• Etiology
• The cause(s) of a mental disorders
• Biopsychosocial model
• Comorbidity
• The presence of two or more disorders in the same person
• Comobidity is especially high in people who have severe forms of
mental disorders
38
Mental Health Professionals

• Most mental health professionals are scientist-
practitioners
39

Clinical psychologist and counseling psychologist
• Earn an PhD, EdD or PsyD
• Emphasis on psychosocial approaches
• Counseling psychologists usually treat adjustment and
vocational issues encountered by relatively healthy
individuals
• Clinical psychologists usually concentrate on more severe
psychological disorders
40

Psychiatrist
• First earn an MD degree in medical school, then
specialize in psychiatry during residency training
• Emphasis on biological approach and prescription of
drugs
41

Psychiatric nurse
• Nurse having advanced degree
• Specialize in the care and treatment of patients with
mental disorders
• Usually work in hospital as part of a treatment team
42

Psychiatric social worker
• Master’s degree
• Specializes in assessment, screening, and keeping track
of psychiatric histories
• Deal with other agencies to help patients cope with daily
problems
43
Required reading
• Chapter 1
Models of Abnormal
Behavior
SOSC3900 Abnormal Psychology
1
Overview
O Etiology
O The Multipath Model
O Biological Dimension
O Psychological Dimension
O Psychodynamic Models
O Behavioral Models
O Cognitive Models
O Humanistic Models
O Social Dimension
O Social Relational Models
O Family Systems Models
O Sociocultural Dimension
2
Etiology
O Why do we have to identify the causes of
mental disorders?
O To treat mental disorders
O To prevent mental disorders
O To diagnose and classify mental disorders
better
3
Multipath Model
4
Biological Dimension
Three categories of biological factors

relevant to abnormal behavior
Genetic Neurochemical Brain dysfunction

vulnerabilities imbalance
5
Genetic vulnerabilities
O Genes
O Long molecules of DNA (deoxyribonuclei acid)
that are present at various locations on
chromosomes
6
Human Chromosome Pairs 7
O Genetic Vulnerabilities
O Abnormalities in the structure and number of
the chromosomes can be associated with
major defects or disorders
O E.g. Down syndrome is caused by a trisomy in
chromosome 21
O Mental disorders are polygenic (i.e.
influenced by abnormalities or variations in
multiple genes)
8
O Unlike some physical characteristics such as eye
color, behavior is not determined exclusively by
genetic endowment; it is a product of the
organism’s interaction with the environment
O Genotype
O A person’s genetic makeup or endowment
O Phenotype
O Observable behavioral and physical
characteristics that result from an interaction of
the genotype and the environment
9
O Certain genes can be “turned on” and
“turned off” in response to environmental
influence
O Example: PKU-induced mental retardation
O Children with the genetic vulnerability to PKU
cannot metabolize phenylalanine (an amino
acid)
10
Methods for studying genetic influences
O The family history (pedigree) method
O An investigator observes samples of relatives
of each index case to see whether the
incidence increases in proportion to the
degree of hereditary relationship
O The incidence of the disorder in a normal
population is compared with its incidence
among the relatives of the index cases
11
O Rates of schizophrenia among relatives of
schizophrenic patients
Type of relative Per cent at risk
First-degree relatives
Parents 4.4
Children 12.3
Brother and sisters 8.5
Second-degree relatives
Uncles and aunts 2.0
Nephews and nieces 2.2
Grandchildren 2.8
Third-degree relatives
First cousins 2.9
General population 0.86 12
(look at concordance rate) - percentage
O The twin method having the same trait
O Assess hereditary influence by comparing the
resemblance of identical twins and fraternal
100% same
twins with respect to a trait
50% same
O If sets of identical twins are more like each

other on a trait than fraternal twins (and
other kinds of siblings) are, evidence of a
genetic contribution for that trait
if concordance rate higher in identical twins of
mental problem, identical twins larger role 13
14
O The adoption method people who adopted when small
O Target sample: individuals adopted early in
infancy, raised without having contact with
the biological parents
O Objective: to examine the resemblance
between adopted children and both their
biological and their adoptive parents
15
moderate
very small
generic factor more imp role
(completely 16
env. factor)
Brain Dysfunction
O The brain is responsible for: (major roles of brain)
O receiving information from the outside world
O using the information to decide on a course
of action (e.g. MC in quiz)
O implementing decisions
17
expression of emotion
gathering information for decision making
higher mental function
vision, hearing, alert
three main parts fundamental,

basic function (breathing
sleeping, this damage cannot survive
18
personality changed
gental person
become
foul mouth, impulsive
frontal lobe (red)

damaged
social judgement,
socially appropraite
judgement damaged
Macmillan, M. (2006). Restoring Phineas

Gage: A 150th Retrospective. J. Hist.
Neurosci. 9: 46-66.
19
Biochemical imbalance receiving incoming information
O Chemical imbalances from neuron
underlie mental
disorders
O Neurons (nerve cells)
O Dendrites:
O Receive signals from
other neurons
O Axons:
O Send signals to
other neurons
transporting 20
information to other
21
axon terminal cannot touch each other
22
Biochemical imbalance
too much neuron transmitter
O An excess of dopamine is linked to
schizophrenia too much receptors to receive
(caused by) dopamine)
O Excessive postsynaptic dopamine receptors
O Hypersensitivity of receptors to dopamine
23
O Biology-based treatment techniques:
O Psychopharmacology
O Psychosurgery psychiatrist and neuro surgurist
O Electroconvulsive therapy induce electric shocks

restart the brain
may be dangerous
24
Psychological Dimension
Psychodynamic models
traumatic childhood experience
O Adult disorders arise from
socially unacceptable
childhood traumas or anxieties
O Childhood-based anxieties operate
unconscious desire
unconsciously and are repressed
because they are too threatening to
face
25
all psychological disorder are due to childhood experience
trace back what happened in childhood
Freud’s Psychosexual Theory (can't testified)
from born to puberty

O Development is fundamentally stage-like, with
each stage centered on a particular conflict
between sexual urges and demands of society
O The specific personality a child develops
depends on the degree of success the child has
in moving through the various stages
O Over-indulgence or lack of gratification results in
fixation if cannot resolve conflict
libido
fixation:
O conflicts or concerns that persist beyond the

developmental stage in which they first occur
26
mood disorder
everything is dirty
over:
not enough:
gender identity disorder
27
Which stage is David Beckham fixated at?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
David Beckham
suffers from OCD and it manifests itself through constant
cleanliness and perfection of all that is around him.
Anything out of order is enough to cause a conflict and
must be attended to immediately. Examples of this
complete order is that everything must be in pairs, if
there are three books on a table one must be added, or
one must be removed. anal 28
28
O Psychodynamic therapy understand unconcious
O Psychoanalysis has three main goals
O Uncovering repressed material
O Helping clients achieve insight into desires and
motivations
O Resolving childhood conflicts that affect
current relationships resolve conflict
29
Types of psychoanalysis
O Free association
O Patient says whatever comes to mind for the
purpose of revealing his or her unconscious
goal: relax environment
harder to emerge in consciousness
supportive/non-judgemental
identify key themes/ find urges

and desires
30
O Dream analysis
O Dreams represent
unconscious wishes
that dreamers desired
to see fulfilled
O Defenses and inhibition
of the ego weakens
when people sleep,
allowing unacceptable
motives to surface in
dreams
31
O Manifest content:
aspect of dream
which we experience
consciously during
sleep and may
remember upon
awakening
O Latent content: the
unconscious wishes
and thoughts being
expressed by the
dream symbolically
32
Train traveling through a tunnel 33
O Interpretation of resistance
O Resistance is a process in which the patient
unconsciously attempts to impede the
psychoanalysis by preventing the exposure of
repressed material
34
O Transference
O The unconscious redirection of feelings and
attitudes that the patient had toward
significant others in the past to the analyst
strong affection towards the phyrapist
negative
transferring attitude towards significant others toward
the phyrapist
e.g. strong unacceptable attitude towards others
(forbidden)
35
O Behavioral models observable behaviour, and try to find out why abnormal
O Concerned with the role of learning in

abnormal behavior
O Three models:
O Pavlov’s Classical conditioning
O Skinner’s Operant conditioning
O Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory
36
Classical conditioning
O Stimulus – Response connection
O Type of learning in which a neutral stimulus
comes to bring about a response after it is
paired with a stimulus that naturally brings
about that response
all trigger by stimuli
stimulus trigger behaviour
only stimuli will not trigger

but if associated, may feel upset
including abnormal behaviour are learnt from

experience
37
Pavlov (1927)
38
39
a response that, after conditioning, follows a
previously neutral stimulus
repeated pairing
sequence make take place

in pattern
a once neutral stimulus that has been paired with

40
an unconditioned stimulus to bring about a
response formerly caused only by the
unconditioned stimulus
acquisitional fear/ phobia
Fears 41
originally Little albert have no fear to white rat
rat
gong UCR
“Little Albert” experiment (Watson, 1927)

42
how to help little albert to overcome?
pair up with pleasant stimulus

keep on exposing white rat alone (extinction)
stimulus generalization (generalize fear of white rat to other

s (things that are furry)
degree of similarity
“Little Albert” experiment (Watson, 1927)

43
Operant Conditioning
we are not born with abnormality
abnormal behaviour are reinforced
Operant conditioning
O A type of learning in which a response is
strengthened or weakened, depending on its
favorable or unfavorable consequences
O Behavior becomes more likely if it brings
good consequences (reinforcement)
O Behavior becomes less likely if it brings bad
behaviour is determined by consequences
consequences (punishment) (favourable/negative)
4 different type
44
Operant Conditioning
O Maladaptive behaviors linked to
environmental reinforcers
(alcohol are reinforced)
alcohol are way of escape stress (positive)
45
Discussion
O How can we use operant conditioning to
help an alcoholic to stop abusing alcohol?
tell them the consequences of drunk driving, pay money
46
Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory
Observational learning
O A process in which an individual learns new
responses by observing what others (the
role model) do and what happens to them
for doing it, instead of through direct
experience
47
Bandura, Ross, & Ross (1963)
48
Bandura’s Social Cognitive Theory
Observational Learning
O Assumes that abnormal behavior is learned
in the same way as normal behavior
O Exposure to disturbed models is likely to
produce disturbed behaviors
49
Cognitive Models
O Conscious thought mediates or modifies a
person’s emotional state and/or behavior in
response to a stimulus
O Schemas: Underlying representation of
knowledge and assumptions that guides current
processing of information
50
51
Humanistic Models
O Humanity is basically “good” and trustworthy
O Instead of focusing on mental disorders, the
humanistic approach strives to help people
to achieve self-actualization
O Self-actualization is the inherent tendency to
strive toward realization of one’s full
potential
52
Humanistic Models
O Positive Regards
O warmth, affection, love, and respect
O Conditions of worth
O the conditions that others place upon us
in order to receive their positive regard
53
• Conditional • Unconditional positive
positive regard regard - unconditional
- positive love and acceptance of
regard given an individual by
when another person
providers’
wishes fulfilled
What kind of people

are considered to be
fully functioning?
54
Humanistic Models
O Treatment: Person-Centered Therapy
O The therapist provides an open and accepting
environment with unconditional positive
regard
55
Social Dimension
O Emphasis on the social environment
O Social Relational Models
O When relationships are dysfunctional, individuals
may be more prone to mental disturbances
O Example: children from divorced or never-married
families have more psychological problems than
people from always-married families
56
Social Dimension
O Family systems model
O Behavior of one family member affects entire
family system
O Abnormal behavior is a reflection of unhealthy
family dynamics and poor communication
57
58
Social Dimension
O Treatment approaches
O Therapist must focus on the social
environment, not just the individual
O Conjoint family therapy
O Stresses importance of teaching message-
sending and message-receiving skills to
family members
59
Social Dimension
O Treatment approaches
O Couples therapy
O Aimed at helping couples understand and
clarify their communication, needs, roles, and
expectations
O Group therapy
O Group members are strangers initially but
share some common characteristics
O Focus on interrelationships and dynamics of
interaction among members
60
Sociocultural Dimension
O Emphasizes importance of the following
factors in explaining mental disorders
O Gender and gender roles
O Race and ethnicity
O Sexual orientation
O Religious preference
O Socioeconomic status
O Physical disabilities
61
O Example 1: Gender roles and eating
disorders
O Over 90% of ED are found in women
O Example 2: The lower the socioeconomic

class, the higher the incidence of mental
disorders
62
Multipath Model
63
Concluding Remarks
O There are multiple pathways to and causes
of any single disorder. It is a statistical rarity
to find a disorder due to only one cause
no single is enough: we have to find multipath model
O Explanations of abnormal behavior must
consider biological, psychological, social,
and sociocultural elements
O No one theoretical perspective is adequate
to explain the complexity of mental disorders
64
Required Readings
O Chapter 2
65
ASSESSMENT AND SOSC3900
Abnormal
DIAGNOSIS Psychology
1
OVERVIEW
 Standards of assessment
 Assessment of psychological disorders
 Diagnosis of psychological disorders
2
ASSESSMENT
 Clinical assessment is the measurement and evaluation of

biological, psychological, and social factors in an individual to
develop a summary of the individual’s presenting problem
based on patient
3
STANDARDS OF ASSESSMENT
major standards of assessment
e.g. measure depressive sympton for depression
e.g. it is consistent 4
Reliability
 The degree to which a measurement is consistent and yields
the same results under the same circumstances
Measured weight (in pounds) of a one-pound

metal bar on three different trials
Scale A Scale B Scale C

1 1 1.3 0.9
2 1 1.3 1.1
3 1 1.3 1.05
both reliable inconsistent
not accurate/valid
5
Reliability
 Test-retest reliability
▪ The degree to which a measurement yields the same results when
given to an individual at two different points in time
similar and consistent result, at different time point
but not applicable to unstable variable: e.g. mood
 Inter-rater reliability
▪ The degree of consistency of responses when different raters
administer the same measure two or more raters rating same individuals (observable)
same rubrics consistent results
behavioural obsetvation method: won't same rater
 Split-half reliability
▪ The degree of consistency between the two scores when a test is
divided into two comparable halves split into two equal halfs
look at the score of two halfs
two should be comparible

6
Validity
 The extent to which a test measures what it is intended to
measure
 Ways to test validity
▪ Convergent validity: Correlation with other well-established
scales correlation of one assessment tool with other well-established (e.g. IQ test)
▪ Criterion-related validity: The extent to which a test is

demonstrably related to concrete criteria in the “real” world
▪ Concurrent validity: Whether test scores are related to other
concrete criteria assessed simultaneously (administer criterion)
IQ test and GPA -
▪ Predictive validity: Whether test scores are predictive of

outcomes in the future whether can predict criterion of the future (CGA/income
level)
▪ Content validity: The extent to which a measure is
representative of the phenomenon being measured
look at test items, to see if it is representative (quite objective)
IQ test - see if the items are measure different dimensions of IQ7

“A valid test is always reliable
but a reliable test is not
necessarily valid”
8
Standardization
 Standardization is the process by which a certain set of
standards or norms is determined for a technique to make its
use consistent across dif ferent circumstances
▪ Procedures of administration, scoring, and evaluating data
e.g. inkblot test administrator should have
same setting, sequence, procedures, etc. to all
participants
if no standardize: lower reliability

and validity
Inkblot Test
psychoanlytic 9
T YPES OF ASSESSMENT
Assessment
Clinical Psychological
Observation Testing
Interview
Psychophyisological
Neuroimaging
Assessment
10
OBSERVATION
 Observing an individual’s appearance and overt

behavior either in a controlled setting or in a natural
context in natural environment observerse
▪ Controlled (analogue) observation occur in a

laboratory, +clinic, or other contrived setting
minimize the impact on indulgent factors, - may be too artificial, cannot generalize to
▪ Naturalisticreal-
observation
life
occur in a natural setting
+ can generalize to real-life
11
OBSERVATION
 The goal of observation is to identify the ABCs
what triggers the behaviour

(wanna observe a boy - mum
ask)
which want to measure
find out underlying courses

12
OBSERVATION
Observation methods
 Rating scales
▪ The observer makes judgments that place the person along a
dimension quantify, in number, assign a score
▪ It enables the rater to indicate not only the presence or absence of a
behavior but also its degree can determine degree,
▪ Example: Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) (Overall & Hollister,
1982; Serper et al., 2004)
13
14
OBSERVATION
Observation methods
 Behavioral coding
systems
▪ To rate the frequency of
specific behavioral events
rate frequency of target behaviour
more problem in
afternoon
should recruit
two or more
observer shd be
blind to hypothesis
15
OBSERVATION
Observation methods
patient a sense of control
 Self-observation or self-monitoring
▪ The action by which clients observe and record their own behavior,
thoughts, and feelings can plan the treatment negative changes?
keep track the changes monitor the patient over time
Mon Tues Wed Thurs Fri Sat Sun

Number of cigarettes smoked
Where were you when you
smoked ?
Whom were you with when you
smoked?
What kind of mood you were in
when you smoked?
How did you feel after smoking ?
16
CLINICAL INTERVIEWS
 Face-to-face interaction
▪ Clinician obtains information about client’s situation, personality,
and behavior observe, question and rate
 Two types of interviews

▪ Structured interview determined set of question for all
▪ Formally standardized structure and procedures reliability high
patient may be frustrated
▪ Restricts freedom to explore but increase reliability
▪ Unstructured interview
▪ Questions are tailored for each client and/or influenced by the habits or
theoretical views of the interviewer theoratical perspective
related questions
▪ Unstructured interviews allow for more exploration but decrease reliability
- reliability, +tailor made questions (more
semi-structured interview: sensitive)
some essential questions 17
but can choose which questions to be asked
CLINICAL INTERVIEWS
 Example: Mental Status Examination

▪ To evaluate the client’s cognitive, psychological, behavioral
functioning by means of questions, observations, and tasks posed to
the client
18
PSYCHOLOGICAL TESTING
 Psychological tests are standardized instruments that are

used to assess an individual’s characteristics including
personality, maladaptive behavior, social skills, intellectual
abilities, vocational interests, and cognitive impairment
19
 Projective tests
▪ Psychoanalytically based measure that presents ambiguous stimuli
to clients on the assumption that their responses can reveal their
unconscious conflicts
▪ The responses are considered to be “projections” of one’s
unconsciousness and personality
20
 Rorschach Test
▪ A series of symmetrical inkblots
▪ Test-takers are asked “What might this be?”
21
21
 Rorschach Test
unconscious desire
red: blood/injury
or high five
22
 Thematic Apperception Test
23
24
24
25
25
Projective Tests
 Sentence completion test unconscious desire
▪ I wish
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
▪ My parents are always

____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
▪ I hate
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
26
 House-Tree-Person Test (Buck, 1948)

▪ “I want you to draw as good a house as you can”
house normal size: normal family life

windows: openness to other people
roof: overwhelming
verge of collapse: frightening desire
thick/thin line: ego do not balance with id and superego
27
 Criticisms of projective tests

▪ Lack of standardized procedures
▪ Interpretation depends on the clinician’s frame of
reference
▪ Lack of data on reliability and validity
cannot have scientific study (pseudo-science) (sub-conscious)

no standardize procedure (investigators)
some investigators are trained
some variables cannot be other psychology tests
28
 Objective tests
▪ Questions are carefully phrased and alternative responses are
specified as choice quantify variable
▪ A predetermined score is assigned to each possible answer
▪ Psychological characteristics can be quantified and compared
+ easy to score the person
e.g. iq score
can compare with others
29
Objective tests
 Minnesota Multiphasic Personality
Inventory (MMPI) find people who are at risk of
mental problem
▪ To evaluate the underlying personality
dimensions among clients in psychological
treatment
▪ The most widely used personality tests for
clinical and forensic assessment and in
psychopathology research
▪ Items were selected based on “empirical
keying” find a large group of psychological health people
find abnormal people
find items that can differentiate people
30
 The MMPI
nothing wrong bio, mentally
experience of negative emotion
isolated, lonely
gender disorder
paranoid, e.g. thinking ppl wanna hurt
OCD, anxiety
dillusion, hallucination
always feel high

extraversion vs. intro
might not abnormal 31
 The MMPI
each person have own profile.
all are unique, no same
two lines are normal range
32
NEUROLOGICAL EXAMINATION
 Neurological examination is a sophisticated computer -aided

procedure that allows nonintrusive examination of the brain’s
structure and function computer to look at brain abnormality/disfunctioning
 It can assess cognitive impairments due to brain damage or
abnormal brain functioning
33
Assessment of brain structure

 Computerized axial tomography (CAT) scan or CT scan
▪ The use of x-rays to produce a three-dimensional, cross-sectional
image of the brain structure 3D/ cross section
▪ Useful in identifying brain tumors, brain damage, and other structural
and anatomical abnormalities
disadvantage:
lower differentiation
xray may lead to damage
less expensive
34
better clarity/ differentiation

Assessment of brain structure more expensive
 Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
▪ Patient’s head is placed in a high-strength magnetic field through
which radio-frequency signals are transmitted signal activate brain tissue
▪ Where there are lesions or damage, the signal is lighter or darker
▪ Clear cross-sectional picture of the brain and tissue is produced
35
Assessment of brain functioning

 Electroencephalogram (EEG) brain respond
electrical activity around the scalp
▪ EEG is the recording of electrical activity along the scalp produced by
the firing of neurons within the brain thus measuring brain activity
brain wave
electrode
decrease in frequency
36

 Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
 Measures metabolic activity of brain regions
 Patient is injected with a radioactive substance which
interacts with blood, oxygen, or glucose
 When parts of the brain become active, blood, oxygen, or
glucose rushes to these areas of the brain, creating “hot
spots” creat hot spots
37
 Positron emission tomography (PET) scan
alzheimer's have less hot spot
have deterioration
radio active substance may

have risk
38

 Functional MRI (fMRI)
blood flow
▪ Measures changes in local oxygenation of brain tissues
what going on in person's mind

motivation/ lying
very expensive
39
NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL EXAMINATION
 Measurement of an individual’s cognitive, perceptual, and

motor performance as clues to the extent and location of
brain damage
 Finger Oscillation Test

simple
press a ___ asap
brain have problem: not able to press

continuously,
motor functioning, eye
40
DIAGNOSIS
 Diagnosis is the process through which a clinician arrives at a

classification of the patient’s symptoms by following a clearly
kind of psychological
defined system disorder
▪ Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM -V;
American Psychiatric Association) Hong kong, us, uk 200+ disorder,
information
▪ International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10; World Health
Organization) China
41
DIAGNOSTIC & STATISTICAL MANUAL
(DSM-V)
The categorical approach

▪Classification method based on the
assumption of clear-cut differences among
(each is distinct, different)
disorders, each with a distinct set of
symptoms, causes, course, and outcomes
either have disorder, or you don't have
▪An either-or, all-or-none approach
▪Each disorder has unique symptoms.
further assess symptims: e.g. moderate
42
DIAGNOSTIC & STATISTICAL MANUAL
(DSM-V)
patient must fulfill some criteria
 Diagnostic criteria e.g. 2 criteria
 Subtypes sub types of disorder
 Specifiersphobia: one source of dear
more severe, patient less responsive
 Severity (mild, moderate, severe) general: more severe, more likely have generic
factors (not 100%)
 Typical age of onset childhood/adolescent, more accurate, identify unique experience for
treatment plan. More early, more likely generic factors
 Predisposing factors causes of disorder, lead to disorder: more accurate diagnosis
 Course of the disorder
 Prevalence how common in US
 Sex ratio Woman likely have depression
 Cross-cutting measures PTSD often alcohol
it is useful becoz can see whether patient is responding treatments
43
43
44
DIAGNOSIS
Benefits of classification
▪Communication establishment patient
vs. pro
vs. professionals, professionals
▪Statistical research data use

▪Clarification of insurance issues
▪Development of effective treatment plan e.g. life threating
issues
▪Proper placement in treatment facility
45
DIAGNOSIS
Objections to classification
 Stigmatization and stereotypes labelling people
IQ vs. not IQ, labelled, but actually are
 Differential treatment therefore discrimination same. Labelled IQ have improve
 Self-fulfilling prophency Teachers give IQ students have high
cognitive task
▪ Expectations about people that may affect a person's
behavior toward them in a manner that causes those
expectations to be fulfilled patient told that they have one disorder,
make more symptoms to appear
46
REQUIRED READINGS
 Ch. 3
47
Anxiety Disorders
1
SOSC3900 ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Anxiety Disorders
2
 Anxiety vs. anxiety disorders

worry what possibly happen now andfuture, fearful
 Anxious about uncertainty and fear of dangerous things have
adaptive or survival value, preparing people for coping better
 Help us to stay away from danger quite useful, e.g. quiz
 Activate bodily reactions for “fight or flight” fight= alert, flight=avoid
 But when anxiety or fear is irrational and/or affect our daily

functioning, it is problematic anxiety disorder
e.g. worry sth not shd be worried, irrational
public transportation
Anxiety Disorders
3
e.g. dog, rat
Specific Phobia Irrational fear of specific objects or

(will avoidance) situations with little or no danger
(e.g. going to supermarket)
Agoraphobia Anxiety or panic-like symptoms in
situations where escape might be
difficult
Social Phobias Irrational fear of being scrutinized
or judged by others
Generalized anxiety Chronic anxiety
disorder
Panic disorder Short-lived panic attack
Specific Phobia
4
 Intense, irrational fears of specific objects or

dog
situations (e.g. escalator)
 Intensity of the fears are disproportionate and irrational
 Fears of something even not dangerous
 Fear aroused when hear of “snakes” or see photos of “snakes”
 Go to great lengths to avoid such encounters, obviously
maladaptive avoidance
Subtypes of Specific Phobias
5
Phobia Type Examples

Animal Snakes, spiders, dogs, insects, birds
Natural Environment Storms, heights, water
Blood-Injection-Injury Seeing blood or an injury, receiving an injection, seeing
a person in wheelchair
Situational Public transportation, tunnels, bridges, elevators,
flying, driving, enclosed spaces
Other Choking, vomiting, “space phobia”
Specific Phobia
6
 Video
 What is the person afraid of?
 What happens when the person sees the object of fear?
brain many hot spot
overreactive/sensitive in brain
Agoraphobia
7
 Intense fear of at least two of the following

 Being outside of the home alone
 Traveling in public transportation
 Being in open spaces

they think they are in danger
 Being in stores or theatres

stay in home for 13 years
 Standing in line or being in a crowd
 These situations are feared because escape or help

may not be readily available
they know they are irrational
but they cannot control
Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder
8
Diagnostic Criteria
 Intense fear of being scrutinized or doing something
embarrassing or humiliating in the presence of
others under the spotlight, thinking others criticize them, judging them
 Social interactions talking to others

 Being observed eating or drinking in public one or all
 Performing in front of others

presentation
normal (shy) vs disorder?
normal when not affect daily function/substantial

stress
disorder:cannot normal, F a course

9
 Two subtypes
1. Generalized type
o High levels of anxiety in most social situations
almost all situation
2. Performance Type
 Anxiety is tied to specific social situation
specific e.g. when deliver a speech
but other situation is comfortable, normal

10
11
 “Safety behaviors”
any behavior allow the person that they can feel less anxious
drinking alcohol
sitting alone
 People with social phobias, on average, have lower
employment rates and lower socioeconomic status
real-life situation
 The disorder is chronic and persistent
 In a five-year follow-up study, only 40% of patients recovered
patient will persist, despite receive treatment
strong bond: more comfortable with them
the use of anti-depressent: share common with Anxiety

disorder
12
 In children, social phobia can occur in the form of

selective mutism
 A consistent failure to speak in specific social
situations in which there is an expectation for
speaking despite speaking in other situations
ybable to speak in certain social situation
can speak when they are comfortable secure

(WHY?)
Etiology of Phobia
Etiology of Phobia
14
 Genetic predisposition or vulnerability
 Two to threefold greater risk of having phobia if a first-
degree relative also has the disorder
generic factor - two to three fold
- concordance rate
35% both have
15% both have
Data based on Noyes et al. (1987)

Etiology of Phobia
15
 Biochemical Imbalance
 Functional deficit in gamma-aminobutyric acid
(GABA) which ordinarily plays a role in
inhibiting anxiety in stressful situations
normal will produce GABA to overcome anxiety
abnormal have GABA functional deficit, did not play a role:

cannot overcome anxiety
Etiology of Phobia
16
 Brain Dysfunction
 Exaggerated activation of the fear network (amygdala,
medial prefrontal cortex, and thalamus) in reaction to
phobia-related stimuli dyfunction in fear network
 E.g. People with social phobia is believed to inherit an

oversensitivity of the amygdala to novelty
normal: will activate
abnormal: will oversensitively activate
17
phobia: a chain of intense reaction
before arrive conscious brain (no danger), amygala already triggered trigger intense reaction
emotionally
information
Etiology of Phobia
18
 Psychoanalytic Perspective
 Anxiety stems from repressed impulses from the
id repress to unconsciousness (conflicts)
 Because it is too dangerous to know the

repressed id impulse, the anxiety is displaced
onto some external object or situation
but come to conscious
Etiology of Phobia
19
 Fear Conditioning
CS
Bird
UCS
Danger
negative reinforcement
Avoid Bird
Etiology of Phobia
20
 Observational Learning
 We often rely on others’ reaction to judge whether the
situation is safe or not ambiguious stimuli
 Observing others behaving fearfully to the stimulus would
make us think that it is dangerous, thus triggering fear in us
observe otuers
 Experiment: Children exposed to an anxious-acting parent
reported higher anxiety levels, more anxious thoughts, and a
greater avoidance of the spelling test than children in the
relaxed parent condition observe other feel anxious
imitate emotion and reaction

Etiology of Phobia
21
 Negative information
 Receiving negative information may cause an individual to fear an
object or situation
 Experiment:
 Condition 1: parents receiving negative information about a cuscus
(has long teeth, can jump at your throat, has sharp claws)
 Condition 2: parents receiving positive information about a cuscus
(has nice tiny teeth, eats tasty strawberries, like to play with other
animals) cuscus (parents)
 Condition 3: parents receiving ambiguous information about a

cuscus (has white teeth, can jump, likes to drink all sorts of things)
(decide how we would react with ambiguous
situation)
(Hong Kong parents say dog are bad, make their
children worry)
Etiology of Phobia
22
 Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective
 Threat appraisal, cognitive distortions, and
catastrophic thoughts may cause intense fears to
develop over-estimate they threat
 Examples: “The bird will attack”, “I will die if I

touch the feather”
Etiology of Phobia
23
Social Dimension
 Children raised in social environments with the
characteristics below are more likely to develop
phobia: upbringing experience
 Negative family affect

 Family stress
 Punitive parenting style (either physical or psychological punishment)
 Use of shame
 Victimization by peers
in this situation, more likely, over-estimate threat
or may change brain chemistry (change fear network, cognitively more
reactive)
Etiology of Phobia
24
 Females are more likely to have phobias than
males culture/ gender role)
 Such gender difference is related to gender role expectation

1. Female have more danger to dangerous social environment than male, change brain
chemistry
2. No gender difference: just woman are more likely to seek professional help
Treatment of Phobias
25
Biochemical treatments
 Antianxiety drugs
 Anxiety disorders attributable to functional deficit in GABA
ordinarily playing a role in inhibiting anxiety in stressful
situations increase activity of GABA (not increase GABA)
 Antianxiety drugs increase activity of GABA

 Possible side-effects: dependence, withdrawal symptoms,
paradoxical reactions high and high dose usage
withdrawing symptoms: increase of anxiety, sleep,
26
Biochemical treatments
 Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)
 First choice of drug treatment
 50% showed improvement compared with 30% in placebo
 Side-effects: headaches, nausea, insomnia much less than anti-anxiety drug
 Inhibit reuptake of serotonin (paroxetine)
important to regulate anxiety
block uptake process, find the correct key
more actively-functioned serotonin

27
28
 Exposure Therapy
 Confronting patients with a stimulus that they fear
 Gradual exposure
 Flooding
 Exposure allows the maladaptive response of anxiety or

avoidance to extinguish
29
 Systematic desensitization
 Technique in which gradual exposure to an anxiety-producing
stimulus is paired with relaxation to extinguish the response of
anxiety
30
 Modeling Therapy
 Through observational learning, patients acquire new skills
and ways of handling their fears and anxieties
 “Fearless peer”
31
 Cognitive Restructuring
 Aims at changing irrational and unrealistic thoughts
 To redirect attention away from themselves
 To change self-criticism
 To interpret emotional and physical tension as normal
anxiety
Panic Disorder
32
 Recurrent panic attacks

 A panic attack is an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort
that reaches a peak within minutes, and during which time four (or
more) of the following symptoms occur:
 Palpitations, pounding heart, or accelerated heart rate
 Sweating
 Trembling or shaking
 Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering
 Feelings of choking
 Chest pain or discomfort
 Nausea or abdominal distress
 Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed or faint
 Chills or hot sensations
 Paresthesias
 Derealization or depersonalization
 Fear of losing control or “going crazy”
 Fear of dying
32
Panic Disorder
33
 The panic attack(s) is accompanied by:

 Apprehension over having another attack or worrying about
consequences of having an attack ( e.g. death, heart attack,
incapacitation, going crazy)
 Changes in behavior or activities designed to avoid another
panic attack
Panic Disorder
34
 Three types of panic attacks:

 Situationally bound
 Panic attacks occur before or during exposure to a feared stimulus
 Situationally predisposed
 Panic attacks sometimes, but not always, occur when encountering
the feared stimulus
 Unexpected or uncued
 Panic attacks occur unpredictably and without warning
 All three types may be present in individuals with
panic disorder
Panic Disorder
35
 When panic attacks occur unpredictably and

without warning, people with panic disorder may
become fearful of going places where which escape
is difficult and help would not be available (panic
disorder with agoraphobia)
Etiology of Panic Disorder
36
37
 Genetic predisposition
 Higher concordance rate in monozygotic twins than in
fraternal twins
 Heritability rate of 32%
 Biochemical Imbalance
 Abnormally low levels of GABA
 Fewer serotonin receptors
37
38
 Increased activity in the amygdala
38
39
First attack Many adults who

frequently follows experience single
feelings of distress panic attack do
or highly stressful not develop panic
life circumstance disorder
40
 Interoceptive sensitivity
Hypervigilance
Anxiety Increased bodily
to bodily
increases sensation
sensations
Etiology of Panic Disorders
41
 Cognitive Behavioral Perspective
 Positive feedback loop: To interpret normal physical
sensations in a catastrophic way
42
 Classical conditioning: interoceptive conditioning
Bodily
Sensations
Panic Attack
Death
43
 Classical conditioning: exteroceptive conditioning
Supermarket
Panic Attack
Death
44
 Social and Sociocultural Dimension

A stressful childhood
 Major life events often act as a trigger
 More common among females

Treatment of Panic Disorders
45
❑ Biomedical Treatment
– Tricyclic antidepressants (imipramine)
– SSRIs
– Benzodiazepines (Minor tranquilizers)
 Side-effects: impair cognitive and motor functioning,
reduce alertness, psychological and physical dependence
 Recommended for use in the short term (<2 weeks)
❑ Evidence
– 60% free from panic attacks while on medication
– High relapse rate (20-50%) when medication is
stopped
45
Treatment of Panic Disorders
46
 Panic control treatment

 Patients typically report that panic attacks are
unpredictable and uncontrollable
 Have the patient to create mini panic attacks and then
teach them relaxation skills or simply let the bodily
arousal gradually reduce
 Goal
 to understand that panic attacks can be controlled
 to understand that panic attacks do not have serious
implications (to challenge catastrophic thoughts)
46
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
47
 Persistent high levels of anxiety and excessive worry

over many life circumstances
 Not tied to any specific threat, “free-floating anxiety”
 Develops gradually, beginning in childhood and
adolescence
 The worry produces somatic symptoms:
 Muscle tension, restlessness, sleep difficulties, poor
concentration, and avoidance of situations associated with
worry
48
Etiology of GAD
49
Etiology of GAD
50
 Genetic predisposition
 Family studies
Relatives of probands are 2-3x more likely to have
GAD
 Twin studies
Concordance rate of GAD is higher among MZ than
DZ twins
 Biochemical imbalance
 Abnormalities with GABA receptors
 Overactive fear network
Etiology of GAD
51
 Psychoanalytic perspective
 GAD results from an unconscious conflict between id impulses
and the superego
 Sexual or aggressive impulses that had been either blocked
from expression or punished upon expression lead to free-
floating anxiety
Etiology of GAD
52
 Cognitive perspective
 Lower threshold for uncertainty
 Irrational beliefs about worrying
 E.g. “Worry is an effective way to deal with problems”
 E.g. “Worry prevents negative outcome from occurring”
 Worry about worrying

 Anxiety-evoking schemas
 E.g. “I am incompetent”
Etiology of GAD
53
 Cognitive perspective
 Hypersensitivity to threat
 Selective attention to threat
 Stroop color-naming task
Death Bread
Etiology of GAD
54
 Social and Sociocultural Dimension

 Stressfulevents
 Lack of social support
 Low socioeconomic status

Treatment of GAD
55
Biomedical Treatment
 Benzodiazepines (Minor tranquilizers)
 Tricyclic antidepressants e.g. imipramine,
venlafaxine
 SSRI
 Most effective medication
55
Treatment of GAD
56
 Cognitive-behavioral therapy
 To identify worrisome thought
 To evaluate the beliefs by including evidence for and against

the belief
 Teaches people to think in more adaptive ways by changing
their dysfunctional cognitions about the world and themselves
and replace them with more positive thoughts
56
Treatment of GAD
57
58
Treatment of GAD
59
 Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
 Coping skills
 Designed to reduce arousal e.g. reduce heart rate, muscle tension ,
blood pressure
 Beneficial for mental health e.g. reduce anxiety
Required Readings
60
 Chapter 5

Sosc3900 Abnormal Psychology Beatrice Lai

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INTRODUCTION

• Join the Zoom class before the actual class time

• Once you have joined

• Report any technical

• When I send out a polling question, you will see it on

• Abnormal psychology is the scientific study whose

• Mentally disturbed people can always be

• People with mental disorder are subject to popular

Clinical Psychiatric Nurse

• Models of Abnormal Behavior

• Assessment and Diagnosis

• Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders

• Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders

• Somatic Disorders and Dissociative Disorders

• Choose one treatment of the disorder chosen and

• Select a film and analyze the film based on your

• Sue, D., Sue, D. W., Sue, S., & Sue, D. M. (2016).

• University’s policies on academic integrity

*** A reduced or failing grade in the course***

• Feel free to share your opinions anytime

• Do you think these people are abnormal? Why?

The Elements of Abnormality

Violation of the Standards of Society

Irrationality and Unpredictability

The Elements of Abnormality

The Elements of Abnormality

The Elements of Abnormality

The Elements of Abnormality

Phobia of Height Social Phobia

The Elements of Abnormality

Virgina Tech Massacre

The Elements of Abnormality

The Elements of Abnormality

The Elements of Abnormality

The Elements of Abnormality

The Elements of Abnormality

The Elements of Abnormality

No one element is sufficient to

Definition of abnormality changes as

An Accepted Definition by DSM-V

The Role of Culture

The Role of Culture

The Role of Culture

“……only dysfunctions that are socially disvalued are

The Role of Culture

Country Depressive symptoms

Nigeria Heaviness or heat in the head; crawling

The Role of Culture

The Role of Culture

The Role of Culture

Important Terms in Abnormal Psychology

• 1-year prevalence: the percentage of people who suffer

• Lifetime prevalence: the percentage of people who have

• Chronic course : Mental disorders tend to last a long time

• Episodic course: Mental disorders occur in episodes in that the

• Time-limited course: Mental disorders that will improve without

• Acute onset: Mental disorders that begin suddenly

• Insidious onset: Mental disorders that develop gradually

Mental Health Professionals

Mental Health Professionals

Mental Health Professionals

Mental Health Professionals

* A reduced or failing grade in the course*