Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

Study Alert
It is important to understand 
the advantages and weak-
nesses of the 
DSM
classifi cation system.
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R E C A P / E V A L U A T E / R E T H I N K 
R E C A P 
How can we distinguish normal from abnormal behavior?
• Defi nitions of abnormality include deviation from the 
average, deviation from the ideal, a sense of personal 
discomfort, the inability to function effectively, and legal 
conceptions. (p. 503)
• Although no single defi nition is adequate, abnormal 
behavior can be considered to be behavior that causes 
people to experience distress and prevents them from 
functioning in their daily lives. Most psychologists 
believe that abnormal and normal behavior should be 
considered in terms of a continuum. (p. 504)
What are the major perspectives on psychological disorders 
used by mental health professionals? 
• The medical perspective views abnormality as a 
symptom of an underlying disease. (p. 505)
• Psychoanalytic perspectives suggest that abnormal 
behavior stems from childhood confl icts in the 
unconscious. (p. 506)
• Behavioral approaches view abnormal behavior not as a 
symptom of an underlying problem but as the problem 
itself. (p. 506)
• The cognitive approach suggests that abnormal behavior 
is the result of faulty cognitions (thoughts and beliefs). In 
this view, abnormal behavior can be remedied by 
changing one’s fl awed thoughts and beliefs. (p. 506)
• Humanistic approaches emphasize the responsibility 
people have for their own behavior even when such 
behavior is seen as abnormal. (p. 507)
• Sociocultural approaches view abnormal behavior in 
terms of diffi culties arising from family and other social 
relationships. (p. 507)
What are the major categories of psychological disorders?
• The most widely used system for classifying psychological 
disorders is DSM-IV-TR—Diagnostic and Statistical 
Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition, Text Revision . 
(p. 508)