Abnormality College Essays Samples For Students

This paper explores abnormality as a disorder and highlights the medical and psychological explanations for the causes of abnormality. It begins by defining abnormality and evaluates the causes of abnormality. Considered herein are the medical (biological) causes and Psychological causes.

Definition

Abnormality is basically defined as the deviation from the normal. Four criteria are considered when defining abnormality. They include distress, impairment, risk to self or others, and socially and culturally unacceptable behavior. Distress is very common in life and is normally characterized by emotional or physical pain. When the level of pain is so great, the individual may find it ...

Evaluate how cultural and sub cultural differences impact on the definitions of abnormality.

Psychology can be defined as the study of the minds. This study is partly done by studying the behavior of different creatures (Cardwell, 2008). Mainly, it deals with human behavior thus it is a social science. It traces its origin back to the existence of man and is one of the oldest sciences to interest man. Generally, psychology deals with all factors affecting the human minds from biological and to physical and social aspects (Cardwell, 2008).

Behavior on the other side can be said to be the mannerisms or actions done by a creature or organism to a point that the action ...

Biological and cognitive abnormalities are some of the medical models of abnormality. These abnormalities are caused by different experiences and factor through which an individual may be exposed to, thus affecting the mental ability or the functionality of the body and the mind in general. Biological model entails the mental illness of an individual and the general diagnosing of the mind in relation to the physical illness. Biological abnormality therefore argues that since abnormal behavior is a mental disorder, it is therefore genetic and it has to be diagnosed just like a physical illness before it is being treated. The genes ...

The Name of the Class

Psychological Abnormality
The concept of mental abnormalities in behavior has always been a debate among psychologists and psychiatrists. Practical application of this concept in psychology and psychiatry comes down to personal experience gained in professional work. It is the main criterion for evaluating diagnostic data of personal properties as the mentally ill and mentally healthy people. Despite the fact that the performance of various personal properties by test standards may be lower than the test norms of certain personal qualities. Psychiatrists most rely on personal experience, based on which they determine psychological diagnoses of individuals to assess their mental ...

DEFINATION OF ABNORMALITY

Abnormality has been given different definitions overtime by psychologist; it has been defined as deviation from social norms whereby an individual who does something differently from the way the society does been classified as abnormal, another definition is where a behavior which is found to be statistically frequent been classified as normal while the one found to be statistically rare classified as abnormal (Benet, 2003). Failure to function adequately and deviation from ideal mental health has also been given as a definition of abnormality.

Statistical frequency has been used as one way of defining abnormality, this is where behavior which occurs ...

The understanding of abnormality is derivative. It depends on the definition of normality. Its definition has over the past evolved from associating it with spiritual events, to erroneous behaviors and finally abnormality currently understood as a disorder.

Biological model

This medical model makes the critical assumption that behavioral and psychological abnormalities have biological causes. Mental disorders result from biochemical imbalance. The state of the brain influences human behavior and experience.
One of the biological factors that cause abnormality is genetics. The genes we inherit from the parents’ link as the blueprint for the brain and body. Thus, a minute abnormality in the ...

This essay will look at the second substantive area which is the psychopathology, focusing on depression. Depression is defined as the most common psychological disorders, characterised by disturbances of mood (Willson & Bailey, 2008). Symptoms of depression include (1) difficulty concentrating, remembering details, and making decisions, (2) feelings of guilt, worthlessness, and/or helplessness, (3) feeling of hopelessness and/or pessimism, (4) insomnia, (5) irritability, (6) loss of interest in activities, (7) overeating or appetite loss, (8) persistent aches or pains, (9) persistent sad, anxious, or empty feelings and (10) thoughts of suicide (WebMD, 2016). Reliability of depression diagnoses is consistent among ...

ACTIVIES: Abnormal Psychology. Please complete all activities and include these with your final submission.

In order that you can answer the essay on this area you will need to structure your introduction. First of all you could look up the definitions of abnormality and normality in the dictionary. Write these here:

Normality

Normality is the state that is characterized with normal behaviours that in turn opposed the factors such as deviance or unusual conditions. The normal behaviour is consistent when aligned with other behavioural practices of that individual .

Reference:

American Psychiatric Association, 2013. Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5®). ...

Introduction

Down syndrome also referred to as trisomy 21 is a genetic abnormality that is associated with a chromosomal condition characterized by the availability of a third chromosome 21 copy either in part or fully . The disorder is usually manifested by slow cognitive capabilities, slight to moderate intellectual debility, hypotonia in infancy and weak muscle tenor. . Physical characteristics encompass distinctive facial characteristics such as a flat facial outline, eyes slanting upwards, macroglossia, epicanthic eyelids, flat nasal bridge, small limbs, petite body frame, palmer crease, microgenia and smaller heads compared to the body frame .
The slow cognitive capabilities are usually manifested by a major delay ...

1. This statement is from a researcher involved in studying cases of feral children: In the sad and mysterious case of __Genie_ we have an instance of developmental deficiency produced, not by a loss of senses, but by deprivation of the power of exercising them.
Place the name of one of the feral cases covered in class in the blank space above then, in your own words tell me what you think this statement means as it relates to the case you chose as well as to all the cases of feral children. Support your point of view with explanation, ...

Introduction to Psychology (Final Project)

- Discuss any of your actions and/or thought processes since taking this course that demonstrate your understanding and tolerance of the behavior of other people, allowing greater acceptance of what is labeled different, deviant, abnormal, pathological, or crazy.
- Identify and discuss the forces acting on you to limit or prevent your freedom of choice, both those rooted in your past (such as guilt, traumatic memories, obligations, bad contracts, unrewarding experiences, punishment, low self-esteem, or shyness), those rooted in the present (including social pressures to conform, comply, obey, and do what others reward you for; personal pressure to ...

Models of abnormality are frameworks that assist in explaining the behavioral, cognitive, biological and psychodynamics of individuals (Sue, Sue & Sue). Additionally, the models help to explain why illnesses occur and the treatments associated with these illnesses. Each model presents a different approach to resolving the psychological illness that an individual may be going through. For the purposes of this paper, the behavioral and cognitive models will be discussed, compared and contrasted.

Behavioral Model

The behavioral model in psychology is typically expressed as an alternative to the conventional medical frameworks that are used to explain individual behaviors. The therapies that are governed ...

(Name of Student)

“One person’s abnormality is another person’s life.”-Alice Dreger

The extent to which one person’s abnormality is another person’s life is relative to the scope of anatomical normality or abnormality. Genetic abnormalities that relate to gender, otherwise known as anatomical sexual variation, are part of human intersexuality. Intersex is defined as the anatomical variation from the standard male or female gender, and is a pathological variable that require medical treatment. This means that an intersex child has the sexual anatomy of both genders.
Intersex genitals may therefore be a sign of an underlying medical condition, but they are not a medical problem. The notion that ...

Introduction

This paper summarizes four papers related to Pervasive Healthcare in Smart Environment for Aged-Care in UAE. This assignment criticizes four research papers in the context and literature of the research question. This paper highlights key elements such as; aim of the study, methodology used, outcome and analysis of the paper.
- ANGELAH: a framework for assisting elders at home

Aim

The paper aims at addressing domestic safety for elders. It is because there is an increase in injuries and deaths among the elderly.

Objectives

-how can we detect and monitor possible dangerous situations?
-how can we improve emergency response and ...

Biological underpinnings for recovery models in substance abuse, as applied to a specific life stage according to Erikson’s or Vaillant’s theoretical stages.
In a biological perspective, growth and development of the human being diversely differ across the genetic composition. It simply implies those different individuals are identified using distinct aspects of life for instance, the health, gender, socioeconomic, cultural identity, growth, ethnicity and sexual orientation. According to Erik Erikson’s theories of human development stages, it categories adulthood into three distinct stages. These include the earliest stage of adulthood (young), the stage between the final and the young ...

Genetic diseases are generally caused by abnormality in the individual's genetic makeup or genome. The effect of this abnormality ranges from mild to severe. Those effects depend on the affected genetic components. The changes or abnormalities could be a mutation in a single base to that which could affects the large chromosome. The main forms of occurence are either through inheritance or spontaneous mutations. The basic types of inheritance are; single gene inheritance, multifactoral inheritance, chromosome abnormalities and mitochondrial inheritance. Haemophilia A is a type of chromosomal abnormality associated with a defective X chromosome hence tagged as X-linked disorder.

Haemophilia A

Haemophilia A is a genetic ...

Therapeutic Models

Mental disorder, tentatively referred to as abnormality, has been a core problem in the human race, and it has been very difficult to avoid value judgments in the determination of psychological abnormalities. Further, psychological abnormality has been an essential health issue in tandem to physical abnormality. For years, variety of treatment for mental disorders has been brought forth, and a plethora of approaches and frameworks formulated to help ameliorate such conditions (Totton, 2010). Humanistic and psychodynamic therapies serve as august examples of therapeutic models in psychological approaches to mental health and distress.

Humanistic Therapy

This is an approach formulated in the early 1940s ...

Introduction

One of the most common strategies of criminal defense attorneys when representing a defendant who has an unusual condition such as a mental abnormality, is to argue either that regardless of their actions, they are nevertheless not responsible for the crime or that they never had the capacity to commit a crime. The reason that criminal defense attorneys can make these arguments is that criminal law recognizes a number of unique situations where otherwise criminal conduct should not be subjected to a determination of guilt and the offender should be exempted from the crime (LaFave, 2000). These arguments, which ...

INTRODUCTION

There are so many different diseases, disorders, ailments and syndromes that can affect human beings in ways that can impact the quantity or quality of life of those who suffer from them. Biological Psychology is a specific discipline that focuses upon the behaviors of human beings and other animals based on the study of their physiology, genetics and mechanisms of development. One of the many different afflictions that Biological Psychologists are interested in is Tourette Syndrome, also called Tourette Disorder, Gilles de la Tourette Syndrome or simply TS or GTS; it was first discovered by Georges Albest Edouard Brutus ...

Prenatal Testing and Screening

Prenatal testing and screening have raised the number of ethical issues related to diagnostic testing in relation to special circumstances of pregnancy. The concerns related to the diagnostic testing involve greater ethical concerns for the parents with disabilities that need to be effectively addressed. It is debated that the prenatal diagnosis in contemporary society has enhanced the testing process to make right decisions about the pregnancy. However, there are number of concerns that evolve within our society concerning the cultural, religious and other social pressures.
In the case of people with disabilities it is argued that the people often ...

Summary of the article

This article is about a study that was conducted to check the abnormal short latency synaptic plasticity in the motor cortex of subjects with Becker muscle dystrophy (BMD). Before the research could take place, the author indicates that the assessment of the cortical function especially with patients with BMD has brought about contradicting results. The researchers used the repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) so as to explore the excitability of the motor cortex. Therefore, the participants of the study were thirteen patients suffering from Becker Muscle dystrophy. Out of the thirteen patients, six of them are stated to have ...

Which patient scored the highest on the preoperative CVLT Acquisition? What was his or her T score?

The highest T score on the preoperative CVLT Acquisition is 63 (Patient #3).
Which patient scored the lowest on postoperative CVLT Retrieval? What was this patient’s T score?
The lowest postoperative CVLT Retrieval T score is 24 (patient #14).
Did the patient in Question 2 have more of a memory performance decline than average on the CVLT Retrieval? Provide a rationale for your answer.
The average T-score on the CVLT Retrieval is 38.2, that is higher than 24. Hence, the patient in Question 2 have more of a memory performance decline than average on the CVLT Retrieval.

What is the mean and standard deviation for preoperative T score for CVLT Acquisition?

Mean=45.9SD=5.2
...

VTE Nursing Research

Venous Thromboembolism
Introduction
Venus thromboembolism (VTE) is a condition that includes both pulmonary embolism (PE) and deep vein thrombosis (DVT). DVT commonly occurs when blood clots in deep veins normally in the pelvic veins or in the legs. However, VTE is common any vein in the human body. Patients who develop VTE have a 35% to 65% chance of dying from it. It is important to research on Venus thromboembolism (VTE) because as the third most common cardiovascular disease, it is a leading cause of mortality and mobility worldwide. VTE results from slowing of the blood flow (stasis), damage of ...

Introduction

Conceptual mapping is a graphical representation of concepts or ideas and the relationship between them. The concepts are represented as vertices of a graph while the relationship between them is represented by edges which may be directional or unidirectional depending on the relationship between the concepts. Conceptual mapping can be thought of as theory-building process because it explores the relationship between various concepts such as causes and effects. In this easy, the works of various authors are analyzed in view of conceptual mapping as a theory-building process.
Artinian, B. M. (1982). Conceptual Mapping: Development of the Strategy. West Journal of

Nursing Research 4(4), 379-393.

According ...

The human body comprises of many health complication due to variation, environment, activities and nutritional factors. Human beings are prone to developing some disorders arising from the above mentioned factors at different degrees and extent. The most alarming thing is the increase in incidences of young people being affected by VTE (Amin, 2009). This has necessitated the addressing the issue of VTE to determine why it has become so dreadful to the youths and young generations. Similarly, the paper will discuss the issue of the core measures that have been incorporated in health care and their net effect on ...

Iron deficiency anemia: Pregnancy outcomes with or without iron supplementation:

Abstract
The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy of iron supplements by analyzing the data set of Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry from 1980 to 1996. The basis of the efficacy of iron supplements would be provided by the birth complications or congenital abnormalities of the offspring of the mothers. The result of the study showed 3,242 cases with congenital abnormalities and 6,358 controls without congenital abnormalities had mothers with iron deficiency anemia. The study presented three primary findings, and three secondary findings that need further investigation.

Introduction

In this study, the authors aimed to validate the efficacy ...

Introduction

The society receives the magnitude of various types of illnesses with equal different perceptions (Fink et al., 2003). For instance, somebody suffering from certain chronic disease that the society considers it as ‘severe’ with intolerable effects will be treated courteously. This is opposed to one suffers another type of chronic disease but tolerable in the eyes of the society. The case of Marty and Sally justifies this claim. It is evident that Marty’s mental illness is associated with certain violent behaviors that could emerge any time. This would mean that Marty could be violent to anybody around him ...

Difficulties in defining abnormal behaviour

There many definitions which have been put forward to define abnormal behaviour but none of them is satisfactory. Generally, norm is the typical characteristics of a population and therefore every population has its own ways of defining norm. There are four ways that the psychological theorists define abnormal behaviour; statistically, culturally, psychological adequacy and in categorising symptoms. Definition of abnormal behaviour varies with different scholars, fields, communities and the challenge is finding a single common definition.

Statistical abnormality

This includes any act that is distinctively different from the norm. Given that there two extreme ends that is very high and very low, the ...

Life Span Development and Personality

Harriet Tubman was a remarkable woman that led the black slaves to freedom during the early and middle part of 1880s through the Underground Railroad. She was born Araminta Hariet Ross, census records cannot determine the correct month of her birth. However, reports indicate that her birth is between February to March of 1822. Tubman was born in an African-American slave family. She is a humanitarian, an abolitionist and a Union spy during the time of the Civil War. Tubman made 13 trips to the South in a mission to rescue more than 70 slaves using networks of anti-slavery groups including safe houses ...

Psychology Quiz

READING/STUDY QUIZ #6&7:

1. What are hallucinations and delusions? (2 points)
A hallucination is a false perception of sensory stimuli in the absence of an external stimulation of the corresponding sensory stimuli.
A delusion is a false belief, which an individual holds on to with a strong conviction despite evidence to the contrary. The belief is not one that is normally accepted by members of the individual’s culture or people of the same educational background.
2. What are the indicators of abnormality? (3 points)
Indicators of abnormality include distress, irrationality, maladaptiveness, unpredictability, unconventionality and undesired behavior.
...

Experiment: Investigating the integumentary system.

Introduction
Scientifically, the integumentary system consists of the skin and its appendages. It functions primarily as an outer protection for internal organs from bacteria. Superficially, the skin serves as a buffer to trauma. Its integrity decreases incidences of invasion by harmful organisms even when breakage occurs. (Martini 2009).
Beside these basic functions, the integumentary system is also responsible for insulation by assisting in regulating body temperature; production of hair; excretion of waste through pores and a sensory station for the transmission of impulses when touched. Sensory receptors present within the subcutaneous layers are also pain transmitters. (Watson 2011)

Background to aims

However, ...