Perspectives on Abnormality Practice Essay:
Psychological Abnormality is defined as:
– a deviation from the average
Statistically-based approach
– a deviation from the ideal
Majority standard
– a sense of personal disconformity’s
–
the inability to function effectively
– a legal concept
There are multiple psychological perspectives on psychological abnormality. These perspectives are as follows:
Medical
Psychoanalytic
Behavioral
Cognitive
Humanistic
Sociocultural
For this essay you must evaluate three of the six psychological perspectives on abnormality as well as to examine how these psychological perspectives may be applied to understanding the abnormality.
Part 1: Choose three out of the six perspectives listed and give a brief description of how this perspective would explain behaviors or thought processes. (total of 3 points for descriptions; 1 point each perspective description).
Part 2: After reading the following description of a psychological disorder, evaluate how the three perspectives you selected would be applied to the described disorder. (total of 3 points for each application of each perspective; 1 point per perspective application).
Description of abnormality:
Amy Schiller is 25 years old, and for the past several months has been suffering from feelings of anxiousness, is unable to relax, experiencing sleep disturbances and has persistent fears of failure. Amy consistently takes sick days from work, does not feel a sense of satisfaction that she once gained from work, friends, and family.