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Abnormal Behavior
In ThIs ChapTer
Summary: What is the first thing that comes to mind when you think about
psychology? Before you took a psychology course, it was probably mental health,
especially abnormal behavior. Actually, 90 percent of what psychologists study is
about normal behavior. People in good mental health have flexible beliefs; per-
ceptions linked to an external stimulus; logical, coherent, goal directed thoughts;
a full range of emotions; and engage readily in normal verbal communication
and motor acts. As president of the American Psychological Association, Martin
Seligman promoted the positive psychology movement, an emphasis on the study
of human strengths, fulfillment, and optimal living to help us improve our lives.
Although this movement is gaining in strength and popularity, mental health pro-
fessionals are still needed to help people suffering from psychological problems.
This chapter looks at definitions, causes, and types of psychological disorders.Key Ideas
✪ Defining abnormal behavior
✪ Causes of abnormal behavior
✪ Anxiety disorders
✪ Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
✪ Trauma and stressor-related disorders
✪ Somatic symptom and related disorders
✪ Dissociative disorders
✪ Depressive disorders
✪ Bipolar and related disorders
✪ Schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders
✪ Personality disorders
✪ Neurodevelopmental disorders
✪ Organic/Neurocognitive disordersKEY IDEAChapTer
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