Transcript Abnormal Psychology - Warren Wilson College

Introduction to
Psychopathology
Goals for today:
• Scientist-practitioner model (3 parts to
the study of disorders)
• Historical and current conceptions of
psychopathology
Scientist-Practitioner Model
Description
Study of
Psychological
Disorders
Causation
Treatment/Outcome
Description
Study of
Psychological
Disorders
Causation
Treatment/Outcome
• Symptoms
• Sex ratio
• Prevalence
– how many people in a population as a whole have a
disorder?
• Incidence
– how many new cases of a disorder occur within a
given time?
Description
Study of
Psychological
Disorders
Causation
Treatment/Outcome
• Course
– Typical pattern of development
• Prognosis
– Predicted development/outcome
Scientist-Practitioner Model
Description
Study of
Psychological
Disorders
Causation
Treatment/Outcome
Description
Study of
Psychological
Disorders
Causation
Treatment/Outcome
• Etiology
– the study of why a disorder begins
• Multiple Causation
– biology, psychology,
learning history, culture,
and social factors
Scientist-Practitioner Model
Description
Study of
Psychological
Disorders
Causation
Treatment/Outcome
Description
Study of
Psychological
Disorders
Causation
Treatment/Outcome
• What are the costs and benefits of
treatments?
• Which treatments work best (for which
disorders, which people, etc.?)
The Fisher King
Small Group Exercise on
Perspectives in Causation
How has abnormal behavior been
conceptualized over the course of
history?
Historical Perspectives on Abnormality
Biological Theories
Similar to physical disease, mental illness =
breakdown of some systems of body (e.g., syphillis).
Supernatural Theories
Divine intervention, curses, demonic
possession, and personal sin.
Psychological Theories
Mental disorders as the result of learning, trauma, or
other psychosocial causes.
Historical Perspectives on Abnormality
Biological Theories
“Madness tape, #3 -- recent history of biological
theories and therapies