Chapter 1 – Abnormal Behavior in Historical Context

I. What Is Psychopathology?

A. Statistical Infrequency (Statistical Deviance)

B. Violation of Norms (Atypicality, “Not Culturally Expected”)

C. Psychological Dysfunction (“Inappropriate” Emotions/Behaviors/Thoughts)

D. Personal Distress

E. Disability or Dysfunction (Functional Impairment)

II. The Science of Psychopathology and Its Treatment

A. A range of mental health fields involved

B. The scientist-practitioner

C. How are problems discussed?

1. Presenting problem

2. Prevalence and incidence of specific problems

3. Course of the problem (e.g., onset, chronicity, prognosis)

4. Etiology and treatment

III. History of Psychopathology and Its Treatment

A. Demonology, witchcraft, and other supernatural explanations

1. Early history/Biblical times, 14^th and 15^th centuries

2. tx = exorcisms, snakepits, witch trials

B. Somatogenesis: Earliest Biological Views

1. Hippocrates (5^th century BCE), later expanded by Galen (2^nd century)

2. Four humors

3. Also coined term “hysteria”

4. One of first to look at physical causes

5. tx = rest, nutrition, etc.

E. Early Contemporary Biological Views (19^th century toward present day)

1. Classification of symptoms into syndromes

2. The role of syphilis

3. Beginning to look at genetics

4. Influence of psychiatrist John Grey

5. tx = medical methods (lobotomy, ECT, penicillin)

F. Asylum Care and Moral Treatment (also 19^th century)

1. Pinel and Pussin’s reforms in France

2. Brought to and implemented in America by people like Benjamin Rush, Dorothea Dix, Jane Addams

G. Early Contemporary Psychological Views (Psychogenesis)

1. Mesmer and Charcot: hysteria, 18^th and 19^th centuries

a. tx = magnetism/hypnosis

2. Breuer and Freud: hysteria and catharsis, beg. of psychoanalysis

a. Late 19^th and early 20^th century

b. Structure of mind: id, ego, superego

c. Psychosexual development: oral, anal, phallic, latency, genital stages

d. Conflict à Neurotic anxiety à Defense mechanisms

i. repression

ii. denial

iii. projection

iv. displacement

v. reaction formation

vi. regression

vii. rationalization

viii. sublimation

e. Tx = “make the unconscious conscious”

i. free association

ii. interpretation of resistance, transference, dreams, behaviors

f. Later developments: ego psychology, object relations, Jungian/Adlerian approaches

H. Humanistic views

1. Mid-20^th century

2. Emphasized role of free will, innate striving

3.  Not very comprehensive description of causes; focus on treatment

4. Tx = help person strive toward self-actualization

i. Rogers: person-centered therapy

ii. unconditional positive regard

iii. reflective listening and empathy

I. Behavioral views

1. Beginning early 20^th century

2.  Based in animal learning models, applied to human situations

3.  Classical conditioning

a. Watson and Rayner:  Applied classical conditioning to cause fear (Little Albert)

b. Mary Cover Jones: Used classical conditioning to reduce fear, via extinction

c. Joe Wolpe: used counter-conditioning in systematic desensitization

4. Operant conditioning 

a. Thorndike’s Law of Effect

b. Skinner:  adapted Law of Effect to develop operant conditioning

5. Modeling (observational learning): Bandura

6.  Mediational Learning

a. Mowrer’s two-factor theory

7. Tx = break maladaptive learned behaviors, replace with new

a. counterconditioning (systematic desensitization, aversive conditioning)

b. rearrange contingencies (reinforcement)

c. modeling

d. exposure and more