Abnormal Psychology

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the field of abnormal psychology. The paper contends that there are many divergent and opposing views of what can be defined as abnormal. The paper claims that the definition of abnormal psychology is part of the fascination of the subject and that there is considerable debate with regard to the exact parameters of this field of psychology. There are a wide and often overlapping number of pathologies that are considered under the rubric of abnormal psychology and psychiatry. These include schizophrenia, as well as various anxiety, personality, and dissociative disorders. The range of abnormal psychological disorders has, in recent years, been extended to include abuse and dependence disorders, as well as eating disorders and sexual and gender identity complexes. The paper discusses all of these disorders that are considered as being within the field of abnormal psychology.

From the Paper:

"A general definition of Abnormal psychology is as follows: "Abnormal psychology can broadly be defined as the application of the principles of psychology to the study of mental disorders, including research into the causes and treatment of psychopathologies." (Introduction to Abnormal Psychology) The central and most controversial aspect of abnormal psychology is the issue surrounding the meaning of the term 'abnormal'. In other words, what precisely constitutes an abnormal psychological state? There is no single and conclusive view of what is 'abnormal' and each theoretical approach is determined by underlying assumptions about the meaning of this term."

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