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 Topics :
 Abnormal word means ‘away from the normal’.

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 Abnormal behaviour means deviation from some

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clearly defined norms or standards of society.

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 Common features of abnormal behaviour:
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• Deviance (different, extreme)
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• Distress (unpleasant to the person and to others)

• Dysfunction (interfering in persons daily life activities)
• Dangerous (harmful to the person or to others)
Approaches of abnormal behaviour :

 Deviation from social norms (behaviour deviant from

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social expectations or norms)

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 Maladaptive behaviour (behaviour which does not

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nourish well being of an individual or the group)
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 Psychological disorders should not be linked with
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stigma (feeling of shame) rather it is failure in
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adaptation.
Historical background of abnormal behaviour :
 Supernatural approach operation of supernatural and
magical forces like evil spirit or the devil which is removed
through exorcism.

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 Biological or organic approach believe that individual

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behave strangely because their bodies and brains are not

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working properly.

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 Psychological approach believes that psychological
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problems are caused by inadequacies in the way an
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individual thinks, feels and perceives the world.
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 Organismic approach Hippocrates, Socrates etc. believed

that disturbed behaviour arises from conflicts between
emotion and reason.
✓ Galen believed that imbalance in four humors can I.e
yellow bile, red bile, blood, phlegm can cause disorders.
 Timelines
 Middle age (5th – 15th century)
✓ Demonology & superstitions were used to explain abnormal

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behaviour.
✓ Witch hunts were a common practice.

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✓ St. Augustine wrote about feelings, mental anguish, conflicts

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and moves the focus to western psychodynamic theories.
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 Renaissance period
 ✓ Increased humanism & curiosity about behaviour.
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 ✓ Johann weyer said psychological conflict and disturbed

 interpersonal relationships as causes of disorders.
 Age of reason and enlightenment (17th & 18th century)
✓ Scientific methods were used for understanding abnormal
behaviour.

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 Reform movement

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✓ Reforms of asylums were initiated in both Europe and

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America. Deinstitutionalization began and provided
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community care for recovered mentally ill individuals.
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 After that Interactional or bio – psycho – social
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approach believe that all these three factors I.e biological,

psychological and social influence the expression and
outcomes of disorders.
Factors underlying abnormal behaviors:
 Biological factors : such as faulty genes the affect
normal development and function. Behavior has a

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bio – chemical and physiological bases. Abnormal

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activities by neurotransmitters leads to specific

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psychological disorder like;
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➢ Anxiety disorder ( low activity of GABA gamma
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aminobyric acid)
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➢ Depression (low activity of serotonin)

➢ Schizophrenia (excess activity of dopamine)
 Genetic factors believes that no single gene is
responsible for a particular behavior or disorder.
These factors have been linked to mood disorder,

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Schizophrenia, MR etc. Biology alone is cannot

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account for mental disorder.

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 Psychological model says that psychological and

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interpersonal factors have a significant role to play
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in abnormal behavior. These factors include
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maternal deprivation, severe stress etc. It provides

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a psychological explanation of mental disorder.

This model includes Psychodynamic model,
behavioural model, cognitive model,
Humanistic- existential model.
 Psychodynamic model
➢ Abnormal symptoms in are viewed as the result of
conflicts between the psychological forces which we are
consciously unaware of.

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➢ It is the expression of unconscious mental conflicts

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that can be generally traced to early childhood or infancy.

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 Behavioral model
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➢ Abnormal behavior are learned and psychological
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disorder are the result of learning maladaptive behavior
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of learning.
➢ It concentrates on behavior that are learned and can be
unlearned
➢ Learning can be take place by classical, operant
conditioning and learning.
 Cognitive model
➢ Problems can result from cognitive problems.
People may hold assumptions and attitude

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about themselves that are irrational and

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inaccurate.

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➢ People may also repeatedly think in illogical
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ways and make over generalizations I.e they
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may draw broad, negative conclusions on the

basis of a single insignificant level.
 Humanistic—existential model
➢ Humanists believe that human beings are born
with a natural tendency to be friendly, cooperative &

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constructive and are drawn to self-actualize I.e fulfill

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this potential for goodness and growth.
➢ Existentialists believe that from birth we have

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total freedom to give meaning to our existence or to
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avoid that responsibility. Those who shirk from this
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responsibility would live empty, inauthentic and

dysfunctional lives.
 Socio cultural model
➢ As per this model, abnormal behavior is best
understood in light of social and cultural forces that

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influence an individual.

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➢ Family system is one of such factor. Social

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network in which people operate also affect our
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behavior. It is also influenced by societal labels and
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roles assigned to trouble people. The person
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generally learns to accept, internalize and behave in

disturbed manner.
 Diathesis stress model
➢ Psychological disorder develops when a Diathesis
(biological predisposition to the disorder) is set off by a

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stressful situations. This model has three components.

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a) The first is the Diathesis or the presence of some

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biological aberration which may be inherited.
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b) The second component is that the Diathesis may
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carry a vulnerability I.e he/she is ‘at risk’ or
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‘predisposed’ to develop a disorder.

c) Third is to presence of pathogenic stressors that is
factor/ stressor that may lead to psychopathology.
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Ps
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Topic covered
 Concepts of Abnormality and Psychological Disorders

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 Classification of Psychological Disorders

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 Factors Underlying Abnormal Behaviour
 All Major Psychological Disorders (except conduct

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disorders)
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