Abstract
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."

Tags:mental, disorders, psychopathologies

Abstract
This paper provides an historical account of how mental illness has only been recognized as a scientific discipline for the last 100 years. The paper also helps to identify some of the origins of the field of abnormal psychology, how particular illnesses and behaviors are defined as abnormal, and analyzes some of the many models that directly relate to the field of abnormal psychology.

Outline:
Origins of Abnormal Psychology
Defining and Classifying Abnormal and Normal Behavior
Models Related to Abnormal Psychology
Psychosocial Model
Biological/Medical Model
Sociocultural Model
Conclusion

From the Paper
''Before the invention of modern day medicine and treatment, the majority of illnesses were blamed on outside sources such as demonic possession, angering the gods, or magic.Various treatments were used in attempt to get the evil entity out of a person, sometimes even killing that person in the process. Exorcisms were commonly performed to draw spirits out of a person, but there were also many lobotomies performed on these seemingly possessed persons. Early on in history, Hippocrates was already on the way to thinking that abnormal illnesses had a great deal to do with the pathology of the brain, and had already pointed out that injuries to the head could cause brain disorders. Hippocrates was also one of the earliest people to put a great deal of weight on the theory that a person's heredity and disposition could have an impact on him or her (Binkert, n.d)."

Tags:treatment, mentally-ill, medicine

Abstract
This paper provides a brief overview of the origins of abnormal psychology, its development as a scientific field and the theoretical framework relating to its development. The paper discusses the sociocultural and psychosocial perspectives of abnormal psychology and the areas that each type of theorist would consider when examining a person.

Table of Contents:
Origins of Abnormal Psychology
Theoretical Framework

From the Paper
"The sociocultural and psychosocial perspectives examine social, family and cultural environments in regards how they affect an emotional health. Sociocultural theorists take into consideration such social dynamics as unemployment, poverty, stress, correctional system and culture-bound syndromes when examining a criminal behavior, for example. In addition, they believe that behaviors and attitudes are shaped by learning and modeling after the social and cultural models, ideals and pressures (Hansell, J., & Damour, L., 2005). Anorexia nervosa, for instance, is predominantly found among white young women of an upper-middle class in the western societies, where ideals and models of beauty portray thinness. Conversely, some African societies, like Nigeria, admire plumpness in the woman's body and attribute it to the wealth and happiness. An underweight Nigerian girl would probably suffer from the feelings of inadequacy in her culture, but placed in a western society, may found herself proudly strutting on the fashion podium. Thus, sociocultural perspective emphasizes a broader spectrum of mental health issues, i.e. improving a well-being of society as a whole, instead of narrowing it to the individual differences. From the therapeutic standpoint, such perspective would be cumbersome to apply to the individual treatment, however it helps to understand where a person comes from, before diagnosing him or her as mentally sick."

Tags:society, emotions, sociocultural, psychosocial

Abstract
The paper examines the origins of abnormal psychology and its evolution into a scientific discipline. The paper also addresses the psychosocial, biological/medical and sociocultural theoretical models and discusses their applications in abnormal psychology.

Outline:
History
Becoming a Scientific Discipline
Models
Conclusion

From the Paper
"Since the treatment of abnormal behaviors was wholly based on the cultural perception of the abnormal, ancient societies viewed torture as an option. As previously mentioned, the drilling of a hole into a person's skull, or trepanation, was thought to allow the demon or spirits to escape the individual, thus correcting the abnormal behavior, according to Comer (2003). During the inquisition, individuals displaying deviant or abnormal behavior were subject to being burned, pressed, hung and murdered. In the early part of the 20th century, asylums still existed, however the work of Sigmund Freud and others led to the development of psychotherapy to help treat those with 'abnormal' behaviors. Modern science and physicians began to understand that 'abnormal' behaviors were based on cultural relativism and were not always significant of a mental illness or a disease (Long, 2009). During the 1700's and 1800's, people started investigating the idea that abnormal behavior could be caused by serious personal problems and even physical conditions. Comer introduces the German psychiatrist, Emil Kraepelin, and then Sigmund Freud, the famous Austrian doctor, as the developers of theoretical models for abnormal behavior. Their work and the research of others led to the development of psychotherapy to help treat those with 'abnormal' behavior."

Tags:behavior, disciplines

Abstract
Beginning with primitivism and concluding with the technological and specialized classification and diagnostic tools of 21st century psychology, this review examines the recursive cycles of humanitarian approaches to psychology. The fleeting appearances of a morality and value system in psychology indicate a change in modern techniques is over-due. This paper concludes with a summary of structural and functional approaches to psychology and emphasizes the lack of interconnected theories that might illuminate treatments of abnormal psychology.

Abstract
This paper outlines some of the different ways that the field of abnormal psychology can be applied, in particular family therapy. The paper provides some information regarding the various styles of family therapy and also includes a brief history of psychiatric nursing.

From the Paper
''The history of psychiatric nursing is about the fight, diversity and development that nurses have made over the years. The future of psychiatric nursing can undoubtedly be concluded with the history of appreciation. The development in psychiatry toward biological, physiological, biochemical and hereditary, clarification of psychiatric experience is often called medicine of psychiatry. The memoirs of medicine, is the driving force not exclusively recent, such labors have been implemented by physicians in past centuries (Scull, 1981). Psychiatric nurses are progressively becoming more occupied with abnormal psychology at outreach centers, shelters and soup kitchens, where individuals are encouraged to consent to treatment. The history of psychiatric nursing in America is presently in excess of a century old; however during this short time, a vital work responsibility has advanced, profession has developed, and significant influence has been implemented on nursing as a whole. Nurses have built-up responsibilities as leaders of group therapist from the 1960's (Armstrong & Rouslin, 1963). Today, nurses function alongside of professionals, such as psychiatric social workers, therapist psychologists and psychiatrists to spend time, organize and treat individuals who are in need of psychosomatic treatment (Varcarolis, 1994). Licensed specialists who offer treatment services in his or her region need to be board certified for the safety and legal responsibility of his or her clients. Such lacking in this area is damaging. Whenever a specialist is unlicensed, the area of expertise becomes problematical and destructive, without ethical explanation. Any professional who is practicing medicine is accountable by state laws.''

Tags:personality, specialist, ethical

Abstract
The paper looks at how Sue, Sue, and Sue (2002) discuss abnormal behavior and some of the different ways in which it is manifested. The paper explains that abnormal behavior is that behavior considered strange or unusual, however, much behavior that is considered abnormal is so considered for cultural reasons, since much behavior is culturally formed and judged by whether the members of a community meet the norms set by that community.

From the Paper
"Sue, Sue, and Sue (2002) discuss abnormal behavior and some of the different ways in which it is manifested. Abnormal behavior is that behavior considered strange or unusual. Much behavior that is considered abnormal is so considered for cultural reasons, since much behavior is culturally formed and judged by whether the members of a community meet the norms set by that community. Deviance is an expression of a degree of stigmatization of a sub-population by the majority population. The sub-population is separated on the basis of some difference, a difference that is emphasized by the majority population in identifying the deviant population."

Tags:abnormal, deviance, dysfunction

Abstract
This paper explains that abnormal psychology is generally concerned with undesirable behaviors, which, since the early 1900s, have been classified and updated yearly in the DSM-IV that is used by professionals to help identify mental illnesses. The author explains that attention-deficit disorder and disruptive behavior (ADHD), which runs in the family, was once thought to be only a childhood disorder but research shows that it continues into adulthood. The paper relates that the treatment for schizophrenia demands medication, such as Risperdal, Zyprexa, and Clozaril, along with psychotherapy; however, sometimes hospitalization is necessary during an active phase of the illness.

From the Paper
"Unfortunately with behavioral disorders, relapses are triggered by stressful events and the majority of people in this world go through many stressful events in their lifetime. As for people with schizophrenia, they will never return to a fully normal and healthy life. The disorders symptoms can be controlled with medications and therapy. One problem they are left with is permanent side effects from the medications they have to take over their life times, which can be undesirable in social and occupational settings. Treatments are constantly changing and hopefully someday the outlook for all disorders will be bright. But we need to understand what the outcome can be so we can pass on to our patients what they can achieve."

Tags:dsm-iv, unstable, positive-reinforcement, medication, hospitalization

Abstract
This paper argues that gender and culture play a significant role in the defining of abnormal behavior. Socially-defined gender roles and characteristics frequently place unreal expectations and pressures on individuals, women in particular. It looks at how the desire on the part of Western women to conform to male ideals of womanhood can cause them to view their own bodies and personalities in a negative context.

From the Paper
"Such discoveries lead naturally into discussions of cross-cultural as well as intra-cultural differences as they relate to attitudes toward the role of women, and toward what is considered "abnormal" vs. normal. The fact that different societies possess different ideas of masculine and feminine norms speaks eloquently to the notion that these are not biologically-determined characteristics. "Cultures set a range of opportunities for development; they define the limits of what is desirable, "normal," individual variation, and what is "abnormal" in that culture (although there is some cultural consensus that some forms of deviance and psychopathology are abnormal)." (Reese & Franzen, 1997, pp. 4-5) Recent studies of non-Western peoples have resulted in the discovery that many linkages between emotional and mental states on the one hand, and psychoses or neuroses on the other, are quite different from those connections observed in the West. Even in so seemingly simple a case as the expression of anger (and thus whatever problems its inappropriate expression might entail), there are significant differences from culture to culture: Whereas Eskimos seldom display anger, others employ elaborate and complex means of expressing anger. Likewise, other cultures encourage (i.e., Iranians) or discourage (i.e., Navajos) displays of extreme sadness and sorrow. (Manson, Bechtold, Novins & Beals, 1997, p. 139) By the same token, "Within-group differences also are evident along these lines, most notably in terms of social class and gender, especially for dysphoria and excessive worry. This appears to be true among mainstream Americans as well as such ethnic minorities as Indians and Natives." (Manson, Bechtold, Novins & Beals, 1997, p. 139)"

Tags:women, men, social, definition, body

Abstract
This paper discusses abnormal psychology with reference to the character of Jerry Fletcher in the movie "Conspiracy Theory". The character of Jerry was in constant fear of "them" without knowing who those people are. This paranoid perspective makes him behave strangely.

Tags:abnormal, psychology