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Abnormal Psychology
UNIT
Structure:

1.1
1.2
Understanding Abnormal Behaviour
Meaning and Definition of Abnormal Psychology
1
1.3 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5)
1.4 Growth and Development
1.4.1 Difference Between Growth and Development
1.4.2 Principles of Development
1.5 Understanding Personality
1.5.1 Meaning and Nature of Personality
1.5.2 Big Five Factors of Personality
1.6 Understanding Attention
1.6.1 Definition of Attention
1.6.2 Types of Attention
1.6.3 Terms Related to Attention
Summary
Keywords
Self-Assessment Questions
Answers to Check your Progress
Suggested Reading

Abnormal Psychology 1
 Notes
Objectives
After going through this unit, you will be able to:
• Know the skills and characteristics of a counsellor
• Explain counselling as a profession
• Know how the counselling setup should be
• Identify the personal challenges of a counsellor

1.1 UNDERSTANDING ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR

To understand what abnormal behaviour is, we have to first understand
what normal behaviour is. This really is in the eye of the beholder and most
psychologists have found it easier to explain what is wrong with people than
what is right. How to do so?
Psychology worked with the disease model for over 60 years, from about
the late 1800s to the middle part of the 19th century. The focus was simple –
curing mental disorders – and included such pioneers as Freud, Adler, Klein,
Jung, and Erickson. These names are synonymous with the psychoanalytical
school of thought. In the 1930s, Behaviourism, under B.F. Skinner, presented
a new view of human behaviour. Simply, human behaviour could be modified
if the correct combination of reinforcements and punishments were used.
This viewpoint espoused the dominant worldview still present at the time –
Mechanism – and that the world could be seen as a great machine and explained
through the principles of physics and chemistry. In it, human beings were
smaller machines in the larger machine of the universe.
Moving into the mid to late 1900s, psychologists developed a more
scientific investigation of mental illness which allowed us to examine the roles
of both Nature and Nurture and to develop drug and psychological treatments
to make miserable people less miserable.
One attempt to address the limitations of both psychoanalysis and
behaviourism came from 3rd force psychology – Humanistic Psychology –
under such figures as Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers starting in the 1960s.
As Maslow said, “The science of psychology has been far more successful on
the negative than on the positive side; it has revealed to us much about man’s
shortcomings, his illnesses, his sins, but little about his potentialities, his virtues,
his achievable aspirations, or his full psychological height. It is as if psychology
had voluntarily restricted itself to only half its rightful jurisdiction, and that
the darker, meaner half (Maslow, 1954, p. 354).” Humanistic psychology
instead addressed the full range of human functioning and focused on personal
fulfilment, valuing feelings over intellect, pleasure-seeking, a belief in human
perfectibility, emphasis on the present, self-disclosure, self-actualization,
positive regard, clientcentred therapy and the hierarchy of needs.

2 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

1.2 MEANING AND DEFINITION OF ABNORMAL Notes
PSYCHOLOGY
In the previous section, we discussed that what we might consider
normal behaviour is difficult to define. Equally difficult is understanding what
is abnormal. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th
edition (DSM-5), states that though “no definition can capture all aspects of all
disorders in the range contained in the DSM-5” certain aspects are required.
These include:
● Dysfunction
● Distress
● Deviance
Dysfunction – Includes “clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s
cognition, emotion regulation, or behaviour that reflects a dysfunction in the
psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental
functioning”. Abnormal behaviour, therefore, has the capacity to make our
well-being difficult to obtain and can be assessed by looking at an individual’s
current performance and comparing it to what is expected in general or how
the person has performed in the past. As such, a good employee who suddenly
demonstrates poor performance may be experiencing an environmental demand
leading to stress. Once the demand resolves itself, the person’s performance
should return to normal according to this principle.
Distress – When the person experiences a disabling condition “in social,
occupational, or other important activities”. Distress can take the form of
psychological or physical pain or both concurrently. Alone though, distress is
not sufficient enough to describe behaviour as abnormal. Why is that? The loss
of a loved one would cause even the most “normally” functioning individual
pain. An athlete who experiences career-ending injury would display distress
as well. Suffering is part of life and cannot be avoided. And some people who
display abnormal behaviour are generally positive while doing so.
Deviance – A closer examination of the word ‘abnormal’ shows that it
indicates a move away from what is normal, or the mean (i.e. what would be
considered average and in this case in relation to behaviour), and so is behaviour
that occurs infrequently (sort of an outlier in our data). Our culture, or the totality
of socially transmitted behaviours, customs, values, technology, attitudes,
beliefs, art, and other products that are particular to a group, determines what
is normal and so a person is said to be deviant when he or she fails to follow
the stated and unstated rules of society, called social norms. What is considered
‘normal’ by society can change over time due to shifts in accepted values and
expectations. For instance, homosexuality was considered taboo in the U.S. just
a few decades ago but today it is generally accepted.
Our discussion so far has addressed what is normal and abnormal
behaviour. We saw that the study of normal behaviour falls under the providence
of positive psychology. Similarly, the scientific study of abnormal behaviour—

Abnormal Psychology 3
 Notes with the intent to be able to reliably predict, explain, diagnose, identify the
causes of, and treat maladaptive behaviour—is what we refer to as abnormal
psychology. Abnormal behaviour can become pathological in nature and so
leads to the scientific study of psychological disorders, or psychopathology.
This brings the question of what is the accepted definition of a psychological or
mental disorder?
From our previous discussion, we can frame the following definition –
Mental Disorders are characterised by psychological dysfunction which causes
physical and/or psychological distress or impaired functioning and is not an
expected behaviour according to societal or cultural standards.

Check your Progress 1

State True or False:

1. Dysfunction includes clinically significant disturbance in an
individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behaviour that reflects
a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental
processes underlying mental functioning.
2. Distress means when the person experiences a disabling condition “in
social, occupational, or other important activities”.

1.3 DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF

MENTAL DISORDERS (DSM–5)
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM–5)
is the product of more than 10 years of effort by hundreds of international
experts in all aspects of mental health. Their dedication and hard work have
yield a volume that defines and classifies mental disorders in order to improve
diagnoses, treatment, and research.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM; latest
edition: DSM-5, publ. 2013) is a publication by the American Psychiatric
Association (APA) for the classification of mental disorders using a common
language and standard criteria. It is used mainly in the United States by
clinicians, researchers, psychiatric drug regulation agencies, health insurance
companies, pharmaceutical companies, the legal system, and policymakers.
Revisions since its first publication in 1952 have incrementally added to the
total number of mental disorders, while removing those no longer considered
to be mental disorders. Recent editions of the DSM have received praise for
standardizing psychiatric diagnosis grounded in empirical evidence. However,
it has also generated controversy and criticism, including ongoing questions
concerning the reliability and validity of many diagnoses, the use of arbitrary
dividing lines between mental illness and ‘normality’, possible cultural bias and
the medicalization of human distress.

4 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

1.4 GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT Notes
Every living being is constantly going through some kind of change. Life
starts with conception in the mother’s womb which is the means of growth
and development of a new life. The process of growth and development brings
about changes in the organism. The term ‘development’ refers to certain
changes that occur in human beings from conception to death. It means the
progressive series of changes that occur in an orderly predictable pattern as a
result of maturation and experience. Development integrates many structures
and functions. A human being is never static. Constant changes in physical and
psychological characteristics are the basic features of human development.
1.4.1 Difference between Growth and Development
Growth and Development are similar words but different from each other
though it is not possible to separate them totally. Let us see the differences
between these terms, which are used as synonyms.
● Growth is quantitative. Development is quantitative as well as qualitative.
● Growth is for a limited period. Development takes place till death.
● Growth comprises of height, weight, size and shape of body organs
like the brain, etc. while Development comprises of physical changes,
cognitive social and emotional changes.
● Growth tells about one aspect of personality but in limited scope.
Development deals with all aspect of personality and has a vast scope.
1.4.2 Principles of Development
Various principles of development are given by psychologists. It is
obvious that these principles are universal and equally applicable to all types of
individuals. Development of those who are very bright to those who are very
dull also follows the same logical order as per the same principles.
1. Principle of contiguity: It is a continuous non-ending process from
conception to death. The changes take place (though minor) throughout
one’s life.
2. Principle of lack of uniformity: The rate of development in different
areas during different periods is not the same. It varies from stage to stage.
3. Principle of individual differences: Rate and outcome of development
are different in case of each and every individual.
4. Principle of uniformity: Though development is different for everyone, it
follows a particular pattern in all dimensions which is uniform and universal
for everybody from the same species. It is true in case of intellectual,
social, cognitive and language as well as any other development.
5. Principle of general to specific: General development takes place first
and then specific development follows. A child waves the complete arm
first and then grasping and other fine movements are done. From mass to
specific is the general direction of development.

Abnormal Psychology 5
 Notes 6. Principle of interrelations: Various aspects of development are
interrelated. If a child is healthy, physical, mental, emotional development
may be appropriate.
7. Principle of interaction: Development is resulting from interaction
between heredity and environment. Each and every aspect of development
is an outcome of this interaction.
8. Principle of cephalocaudal and proximodistal tendencies: That means
development proceeds from head to foot, and from near to distant parts of
the body.
9. Principle of predictability: Development is predictable. We can predict
development of an individual with substantial accuracy. We can start
intervention program to enhance an individual’s development if there is
any problem.

Check your Progress 2

State True or False.

1. Development is quantitative as well as qualitative.
2. Growth comprises of height, weight, size and shape of body organs
like brain, etc. while development comprises of the physical changes,
cognitive social and emotional changes.
3. Principle of contiguity means a continuous non-ending process from
conception to death.
4. Various aspects of development are not interrelated.
5. We cannot predict development of an individual with substantial
accuracy.

1.5 UNDERSTANDING PERSONALITY

Once there were two friends, and both of them failed in their midterm
exams. One got frustrated, went to her room, locked the door and bawled her
eyes out, whereas, the second went with her friends to alleviate her spirits and
then after coming home started to figure out where she went wrong. Why did
the two girls react differently to the same situation? This proves that there is
something in people which makes them react to situations and which differs
from person to person. This something is called Personality.
All people, including you and me, have a personality and every person
has a unique personality. We see so many people around us. The basic human
structure, human nature, is the same for all. We all have human thoughts and
human feelings. But sill no two individuals are truly alike. Even identical twins
are unique in this respect. Somewhere between these two, our common humanity
lies our unique individual personality. Personality is about our different ways of
6 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology
being human. How we are all variations on the same themes? How the human Notes
nature we all share manifests in different styles of thinking, feeling and acting?
In order to know the concept of personality, it is imperative to learn the meaning
and the nature of the personality.
1.5.1 Meaning and Nature of Personality
The word Personality in daily life is used by us very casually. When we
say that someone has an impressive personality it means that such a person may
have a good physique, good looks and pleasing nature. We typically use terms
like ‘handsome’, humorous’, ‘focused’ etc. However, personality does not mean
only these. According to psychologists, each person has his own personality.
Psychologists are concerned primarily with individual differences.
Personality is a dynamic and organised set of characteristics possessed by a
person who uniquely influences his or her cognitions, emotions, motivations
and behaviour in various situations. The term personality has been derived from
the Latin word ‘persona’ which means ‘mask’. In old days, Greek actors and
actresses used to put on masks appropriate to the character they enacted. Since
then, personality is used to refer not only to one character but also to all other
aspects of that individual’s behaviour. Personality also refers to the pattern of
thoughts, feelings, social adjustments and behaviours consistently exhibited
over time that strongly influences one’s expectations, self-perceptions, values
and attitudes. It also predicts human reactions to other people, problems and
stress. There is still no universal agreement on the definition of ‘personality’
in psychology. Different psychologists have given different definitions. Let us
learn some of the definitions:
1. N.L. Munn: Personality may be defined as the most characteristic
integration of an individual’s structure, modes of behaviour, interests,
attitudes, capacities, abilities and aptitudes.
2. G.W. Allport: Personality is the dynamic organisation within an individual
of those psychophysical systems that determine his unique adjustment to
his environment.
3. Young: The more or less organised body of ideas, attitudes, traits, values
and responses, which an individual has built into roles and statuses for
dealing with others and himself is personality.
4. Larsen and Buss: Personality is the set of psychological traits and
mechanisms within the individual that are organised and relatively
enduring and that influence his or her interactions with and adaptation to
the intrapsychic, physical and social environment.
In brief, it can be said:
1. Personality is not related to bodily structure alone. It includes both
structure and dynamics.
2. Personality is an indivisible unit.
3. Every personality is unique

Abnormal Psychology 7
 Notes 4. Personality refers to the constant qualities of the individual.
5. Personality is influenced by social interaction. It is defined in terms of
behaviour.

Check your Progress 3

Fill in the blanks.

1. Personality is a _________ and __________ set of characteristics
possessed by a person.
2. _______________ also refers to the pattern of thoughts, feelings,
social adjustments and behaviours consistently exhibited over time
that strongly influences one’s expectations, self-perceptions, values
and attitudes.
3. _______________ is not related to bodily structure alone and includes
both structure and dynamics.
4. Personality is _______________ unit.
5. _______________ is influenced by social interaction and it is defined
in terms of behaviour.

Activity 1

● Think of someone you know well, e.g. a friend or a family member.

Consider the many characteristics that make this person unique. List
the five adjectives you think best capture this person’s personality. For
example, if you were to describe this person to someone, what five
adjectives would you use? Now, ask your target person to list the five
adjectives he or she thinks best describes him or her. Compare your
lists.

1.5.2 Big Five Factors of Personality

In contemporary psychology, the Big Five factors of personality are five broad
domains that define human personality. Contemporary psychology is a broad
field within psychology that utilizes modern techniques in research and studies;
it is influenced by old perspectives in psychology. The Big Five traits are
Openness, Conscientiousness, Extroversion, Agreeableness and Neuroticism or
OCEAN.

8 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

 Notes

1.6 UNDERSTANDING ATTENTION

Our sensory organs play an imperative role in obtaining knowledge
and information from the outside world. We are always attracted towards
the things that we are interested in. Any material that is to be learned is
to be attended and perceived for making it meaningful. In day-to-day life
situations, we can easily understand that some things attract our attention
more than others. These factors that attract our attention are very useful for

Abnormal Psychology 9
 Notes applications like in advertising, teaching, road signals and other public safety
concerns and many more aspects of human life. Attention and Perception
are the two most important things in cognitive processes. Perception is
essential for making things meaningful. It is a must to code and organise it for
better understanding and better memorising of the material learned. A lot of
theoretical and empirical research has been done regarding perception. Basic
principles of perception and inherent perceptual characteristics are of special
interest to educational psychologists. In that, Gestalt principles have enjoyed
a lot of popularity. This unit covers all these issues related to human attention
and perception.
1.6.1 Definition of Attention
Attention is not a faculty of the mind. It is a process where the individual
concentrates all senses on a particular subject matter or object. Let us consider
a scientific definition of attention. Attention is defined as follows.
‘Attention is a concentration of consciousness upon one subject
rather than upon another.’(Dumville, 1938)
● ‘Attention can be defined as a process which compels the individual
to select some particular stimulus according to his interest and
attitude out of the multiplicity of stimuli present in the environment”.
(Sharma, 1967)
By and large, attention is defined as, ‘Focusing and concentration of
mental effort that results in conscious awareness of certain aspects of external
sensory stimuli.’
1.6.2 Types of Attention
We can easily understand if a person is paying attention to what we
are saying on the basis of posture, eye contact and general facial expression.
Attention helps bringing about mental alertness and preparedness for using other
cognitive functions. It is useful for concentration, detailed understanding of the
object or study subject. It is essential for improving performance on learning,
memory, transfer, thinking, reasoning and all other higher-order processes. To
understand the role of attention in our day-to-day life, attention is divided into
two basic types.
1. Voluntary Attention – When conscious efforts are made to pursue a
particular activity, it is voluntary attention. We have to devote a lot of
attention for solving a difficult mathematical problem. Especially at the
time of examination, we have to be more careful to sustain our attention
and concentrate on studies.
2. Involuntary Attention – When we attend to something without any
specific intention or conscious efforts, it is involuntary attention.
Sometimes stimuli like loud noise also attract our attention. Instincts
and emotions also play an important role in deciding course of
attention.

10 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

 Notes
Check your Progress 4

Multiple Choice Single Response.

1. The two types of attentions are:
i. Voluntary Attention and Involuntary Attention
ii. Good and bad
iii. Positive and negative
iv. None of the above

Activity 1

● Try and recite a new poem loudly and after every line count backward
from hundred. Record to find out, how your performance is affected.

1.6.3 Terms related to Attention

In our day-to-day life, we constantly pay attention to some or the other
objects, consciously or unconsciously. The span of attention, distraction of
attention, and division of attention on any object depends on all the internal
and external factors discussed above. Let us comprehend various terms used to
elaborate the concept of attention.
a. Span of attention - The concept of span of attention is related to the
ability of any individual. The range of items that can be recognised is 7+
or -2. If we club things together, span of attention may increase in terms
of number of objects but not in terms of number of groups perceived.
b. Division of attention - Lot of research has been done on what happens
when two tasks are done simultaneously. It is actually shifting of attention
from one stimulus to the other. Division of attention leads to lower level
of performance on one or both the tasks. If one task is demanding and the
other is less demanding, more attention is given to difficult task. This may
be explained in terms of central and peripheral attention.
c. Distraction of attention – The word distraction is a matter of concern
to everybody, especially to teachers and students. Some unwanted
stimuli may interfere with attention. The source of distraction may be
external like noise, sudden change in light, uncomfortable seat, etc. It
may be internal distraction like lack of motivation, ill health, boredom,
any emotional problems and similar other things. It is true that we have
to put in extra efforts to overcome external distraction. However, if the
distraction is internal it is very difficult to overcome that. If the learner
is really motivated, no external distracter can cause any problem in his
efficiency to learn.

Abnormal Psychology 11
 Notes
Activity 3

1. Discuss various ways in which we can reduce the impact of distracters

while counselling.
2. Find the factors that attract attention in television advertisements.

Summary
● Moving into the mid to late 1900s, psychologists developed a more
scientific investigation of mental illness which allowed us to examine the
roles of both nature and nurture and to develop drug and psychological
treatments to make miserable people less miserable.
● The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition
(DSM-5 for short), states that though “no definition can capture all aspects
of all disorders in the range contained in the DSM-5” certain aspects are
required.
● Every living being is constantly going through some kind of changes. Life
starts with conception in mother’s womb which is the means of growth
and development of the new life.

Keywords
● Dysfunction: Dysfunction includes clinically significant disturbance in
an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behaviour that reflects a
dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes
underlying mental functioning.
● Distress: Distress means when the person experiences a disabling
condition “in social, occupational, or other important activities”.
● Deviance: Deviance means any behavior that differs significantly from
what is considered appropriate or typical for a social group.
● Personality: Personality is the unique way individuals think, feel and
act. It is different from character and temperament. It may be defined
as a complex blend of a constantly evolving and changing pattern of a
person’s unique behaviour, emerged as a result of his interaction with his
environment.
● Attention: Attention is not a faculty of mind. It is a process where the
individual concentrates all senses on a particular subject matter or object.

12 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

 Notes
Self-Assessment Questions
1. Explain Dysfunction, Distress, and Deviance.
2. Elaborate on the differences between Growth and Development.
3. Discuss Big Five Factors of Personality.
4. Explain the types of Attention.

Answers to check your Progress

Check your Progress 1
State True or False.
1. True
2. True
3. False

Check your Progress 2

State True or False.
1. True
2. True
3. True
4. False
5. False

Check your Progress 3

Fill in the blanks.
1. Personality is a dynamic and organised set of characteristics possessed by
a person.
2. Personality also refers to the pattern of thoughts, feelings, social
adjustments and behaviours consistently exhibited over time that strongly
influences one’s expectations, self-perceptions, values and attitudes.
3. Personality is not related to bodily structure alone and includes both
structure and dynamics.
4. Personality is an indivisible unit.
5. Personality is influenced by social interaction and it is defined in terms of
behaviour.

Abnormal Psychology 13
 Notes Check your Progress 4
Multiple Choice Single Response.
1. The two types of attention are
i. Voluntary Attention and Involuntary Attention

References
● https://www.psychiatry.org/psychiatrists/practice/dsm/

Attributes
● Abnormal Psychology 1st Edition Alexis Bridley and Lee W. Daffin Jr.
Washington State University Washington State University Pullman, WA

Authors
● Alexis Bridley and Lee W. Daffin Jr.
● LICENSE Abnormal Psychology by Washington State University is
licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-
ShareAlike 4.0 International License, except where otherwise noted.

14 Introduction to Abnormal Psychology