Abnormal psychology concepts and clinical applications

Abnormal Psychology 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.

For the statistician and scientist abnormal behavior is understood in terms of reason and logic. In this sense 'abnormal' means "...deviating from a norm, and the dictionary says that a norm is 'a rule or authoritative standard'. It is in this sense that logic and ethics are said to be 'normative' sciences -- they tell us how we ought to think or act. In this sense, the norm is a standard or model of high status, toward which we should strive, but which we can scarcely be expected to attain.

Hollingworth 11)

However, there are many divergent and opposing views of what can be defined as abnormal. The definition of abnormal psychology is part of the fascination of the subject. 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 disorders, personality disorders and dissociative and somatoform 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. All of these can be considered as being within the field of abnormal psychology.

From a purely medical or biological point-of-view, abnormal psychology is defined as a "belief that all, or at least most, abnormal behavior can be traced to medical factors, usually affecting the brain in some way. This model assumes that all psychological disorders are diseases." (What is abnormal?) in this definition and understanding all abnormal behavior is treated according to the same process and principles as a physical illness. Abnormal psychology is then seen as mental illness and is related to the study if genetics, neuroanatomy, chemical imbalance and infection. This is a scientific and objective view of abnormal behavior and is treated as another field of science. Psychologists using this model view the field of abnormal psychology as a purely scientific field and approach the understanding of abnormal behavior with the same logic as a biologist or mathematician. The study of abnormal psychology in this sense "... seeks to observe, compare, classify, and relate the facts of abnormal conduct, thought, and feeling for the primary purpose of understanding them. It approaches these phenomena in much the same way that the mathematician or the botanist studies his subject matter.

(Hollingworth 8)

There are other various standpoints and perspectives on abnormal behavior. A different perspective on the subject which in fact adds to the depth of understanding of abnormal psychology is the theory of cultural relativism. Research in the disciplines of Sociology and Anthropology has added to this debate in that they have shown that there is no absolute normative situation. Societal norms are relative to a particular culture: and what is considered abnormal in one social context could be considered normal in another. Cultural relativism adds another layer of complexity to the psychological definition and understanding of the term 'abnormal' in modern society. This aspect is further problematized as modern societies are often composed of amalgams of different cultural strata and subcultures.

I am particularly interested in abnormal psychology in that it provides a vast and complex field for research.

As discussed above, the issue of what is abnormal is one which offers a host of varied interoperations. Furthermore the boundary lines between various disciplines have narrowed-for example, the research between sociology and psychology. This has meant that new and exciting avenues of research has been created which makes the study of abnormal psychology an exciting and relevant area of research.