What traumatic event does Zitkala-Sa describe at the school?

The forcible cutting of her long hair

Why was the cutting of her hair so humiliating to Zitkala-Sa?

Among her people, shingled hair was worn by cowards and mourners

What are the four Ds used to define abnormality?

Deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger — behaviour that is unusual, upsetting, interferes with functioning and may be harmful.

Differentiate generalised anxiety disorder and panic disorder.

Generalised anxiety involves prolonged, free-floating worry, whereas panic disorder involves recurrent, sudden attacks of intense terror.

What are the three types of phobia?

Specific phobias, social phobias (social anxiety) and agoraphobia.

What characterises obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Persistent, unwanted obsessive thoughts and repetitive compulsive behaviours performed to reduce anxiety.

Describe the symptoms of schizophrenia.

Positive symptoms such as delusions and hallucinations, disorganised thinking and speech, and negative symptoms such as loss of motivation and social withdrawal.

Distinguish major depressive disorder from bipolar disorder.

Major depressive disorder involves persistent low mood and loss of interest, while bipolar disorder alternates between depression and episodes of mania.

Give two examples of feeding and eating disorders.

Anorexia nervosa (severe restriction of food and fear of gaining weight) and bulimia nervosa (binge eating followed by purging).

What are dissociative disorders?

Disorders involving a disruption of memory, identity or consciousness, such as dissociative amnesia, dissociative identity disorder and depersonalisation.

Psychological Disorders

Q: Name two systems used to classify psychological disorders.

The DSM-5 of the American Psychiatric Association and the ICD-10 of the World Health Organization.

Q: Explain the diathesis-stress model.

A disorder arises when a person with a biological or psychological vulnerability (diathesis) experiences stress that triggers it.

Class 12 Psychology · Psychology · Chapter 4

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CBSE Class 12 · Psychology

140 board marks counted, chapter by chapter

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CBSE Class 12 · Psychology

140 board marks counted, chapter by chapter

Marks booster + cheatsheet: key concepts in 2 lines each
26 board marks each: Ch 1 and Ch 2
22 of 140 board marks: disorders, Ch 4
20 of 140 board marks: therapies, Ch 5
6-mark questions on Freud, RET and Beck
IQ bands and twin correlations from the book

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Summary

This chapter explains how abnormal behaviour is identified, what causes it and the major psychological disorders. Most definitions of abnormality share the four Ds: deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger. Historical views ranged from supernatural to biological to psychological explanations. Disorders are classified by the DSM-5 (American Psychiatric Association) and the ICD-10 of the World Health Organization. Factors underlying abnormal behaviour include biological models (genetics, neurotransmitters such as GABA and dopamine), psychological models (psychodynamic, behavioural, cognitive and humanistic-existential) and the socio-cultural model; the diathesis-stress model holds that disorders develop when a biological or psychological vulnerability (diathesis) meets stress. Major disorders include anxiety disorders (generalised anxiety, panic disorder and phobias such as specific, social and agoraphobia), obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, trauma- and stressor-related disorders (PTSD), somatic symptom and related disorders, dissociative disorders (amnesia, identity, depersonalisation), depressive disorders (major depressive disorder), bipolar and related disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders (delusions, hallucinations, disorganised thinking), neurodevelopmental disorders (ADHD, autism spectrum disorder, intellectual disability), disruptive impulse-control and conduct disorders, feeding and eating disorders (anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa) and substance-related and addictive disorders. Understanding these disorders is the basis for the therapies covered in the next chapter.

Concepts of abnormalityClassification of disordersFactors underlying abnormal behaviourAnxiety disordersObsessive-compulsive disordersTrauma and stressor disordersDissociative and somatic disordersMood disordersSchizophreniaEating and substance-use disorders

Key terms

Abnormality (four Ds)

Behaviour marked by deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger, used to identify psychological disorders.

DSM-5

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition) used to classify psychological disorders.

Diathesis-stress model

The view that a disorder develops when a predisposing vulnerability (diathesis) is combined with stress.

Phobia

An irrational, persistent fear of a specific object or situation; types include specific, social and agoraphobia.

Schizophrenia

A severe disorder marked by delusions, hallucinations, disorganised thinking and negative symptoms.

Mood disorders

Disturbances of mood, including major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder with episodes of mania.

Substance dependence

A maladaptive pattern of substance use leading to tolerance, withdrawal and craving.

Extra questions & answers

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The "four Ds" used to identify abnormality are:

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