Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

Study Alert
Remember the diff erent defi -
nitions of abnormality (devi-
ation from the average, 
deviation from the ideal, a 
sense of personal discom-
fort, inability to function eff ectively, 
and abnormality as a legal concept).
abnormal behavior 
Behavior that 
causes people to experience distress 
and prevents them from functioning 
in their daily lives.
Andrea Yates
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 Module 
46 
Normal Versus Abnormal: Making the Distinction 
505
Perspectives on Abnormality: 
From Superstition to Science
Throughout much of human history, people linked abnormal behavior to supersti-
tion and witchcraft. Individuals who displayed abnormal behavior were accused 
of being possessed by the devil or some sort of demonic god. Authorities felt 
justifi ed in “treating” abnormal behavior by attempting to drive out the source of 
the problem. This typically involved whipping, immersion in hot water, starvation, 
or other forms of torture in which the cure was often worse than the affl iction 
(Berrios, 1996). 
Contemporary approaches take a more enlightened view. Today, six major per-
spectives are used to understand psychological disorders. These perspectives suggest 
not only different causes of abnormal behavior but different treatment approaches as 
well. Furthermore, some perspectives are more applicable to specifi c disorders than 
are others. Figure 1 summarizes the perspectives and the way in which they can be 
applied to the experience of Lily, the person discussed in the chapter prologue. 
MEDICAL PERSPECTIVE 
When people display the symptoms of tuberculosis, medical professionals can generally 
fi nd tubercular bacteria in their body tissue. Similarly, the  medical perspective  suggests 
that when an individual displays symptoms of abnormal behavior, the fundamental 
cause will be found through a physical examination of the individual, which may reveal 
a hormonal imbalance, a chemical defi ciency, or a brain injury. Indeed, when we speak 
of mental “illness,” “symptoms” of abnormal behavior, and mental “hospitals,” we are 
using terminology associated with the medical perspective. 
Because many abnormal behaviors have been linked to biological causes, the 
medical perspective is a reasonable approach, yet serious criticisms have been leveled 
against it. For one thing, no biological cause has been identifi ed for many forms of 
abnormal behavior. In addition, some critics have argued that the use of the term 
illness implies that people who display abnormal behavior have no responsibility for 
their actions (Szasz, 1994, 2006, Laing & Szasz, 2004). 
Study Alert
Use Figure 1 to review the six 
major perspectives on 
abnormality and consider 
how they relate to the 
major perspectives on 
the fi eld of psychology that we 
discussed in Chapter 1.
FIGURE 1 
In considering Lily’s case discussed in the prologue, we can employ each of the 
diff erent perspectives on abnormal behavior. Note, however, that because of the nature of 
her psychological disorder, some of the perspectives are more applicable than others.