Contemporary Perspectives on
Abnormal Behavior
and Methods of Treatment
PSY 436
Instructor: Emily Bullock Yowell, Ph.D.
Objective: To differentiate among the perspective/model
below and discuss the merits and limitations of each with regards to
their explanation of abnormal behavior and their approach to treatment.
 Biological
Perspective
 Psychodynamic
 Learning Models
 Humanistic Models
 Cognitive Models
 Sociocultural Perspective
 Biopsychosocial Perspective
Types of Helping Professionals
 Clinical
Psychologist
 Counseling Psychologist
 Psychiatrist
 Clinical or Psychiatric Social Worker
 Psychoanalyst
 Counselor
 Psychiatric Nurse
Psychotherapy
 Systematic
Interaction
 Psychological Principles
 Behavior, Thoughts, and Feelings
 Abnormal Behavior, Problem Solving, and
Personal Growth
Current Perspectives and Methods
of Treatment for Abnormal Behavior:
In-Class Interactive Project
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Every group member read the sections in chapters 2 and 4 that
pertain to your assigned Perspective and Treatment.
Determine the way your assigned perspective conceptualizes
abnormal behavior. i.e., Where do these theorists or adherents
think it comes from?
Outline for the class some important aspects of your perspective
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Are there some important concepts in the chapter?
Are there some specific names of theorists emphasized?
Are there some differences among those theorists that fall within your
perspective?
What are some approaches to treatment that your perspective
takes? What would they do with a client to help them? What are
some techniques or tools they use?
Begin to form an opinion on whether your perspective is more
focused on abnormal behavior being perceived as a biological or
environment/societal issue.
The Biological Perspective
 Medical
Model
 The Nervous System
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Neurons
Dendrites
Axon
Terminals
Neurotransmitters
Synapse
Receptor site
Anatomy of a Neuron
Transmission of Neural Impulse
Across the Synapse
The Biological Perspective
 Parts

of the Nervous System
Central nervous system
• Medulla
• Cerebellum
• Reticular activating system
• Thalamus
• Hypothalamus
• Limbic system
The Geography of the Brain
The Biological Perspective
 Parts

of the Nervous System
Central Nervous System
• Basal Ganglia
• Cerebrum
• Cerebral cortex
The Biological Perspective
 Parts
of the Nervous System
Peripheral Nervous System
 Somatic Nervous System
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• Autonomic Nervous System
Sympathetic
 Parasympathetic
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The Cerebral Cortex
Biomedical Therapies
 Drug
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Therapy
Anti-anxiety Drugs
Anti-psychotic Drugs
Anti-depressants
• Tricyclics
• MAO
• SSRI

Lithium
Biomedical Therapies
 Electroconvulsive
Therapy (ECT)
 Psychosurgery
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Prefrontal Lobotomy
 Evaluation
of Biological Approaches
The Psychological Perspective
 Psychodynamic
Models
Psychoanalytic Theory
 Structure of the Mind
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• Conscious
• Preconscious
• Unconscious
The Psychological Perspective
 Psychodynamic

Models
The Structure of Personality
• Id
• Ego
• Superego
Parts of the Mind,
According to Freud
The Psychological Perspective
 Psychodynamic

Models
Defense Mechanisms
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Repression
Regression
Rationalization
Displacement
Projection
Reaction Formation
Denial
Sublimation
The Psychological Perspective
 Psychodynamic

Models
Stages of psychosexual
development
• Oral stage
• Anal stage
• Phallic stage
• Latency stage
• Genital stage
The Psychological Perspective
 Psychodynamic

Models
Other Psychodynamic Theorists
• Carl Jung
• Alfred Adler
• Karen Horney
• Erik Erikson
• Margaret Mahler- Object relations
The Psychological Perspective
 Psychodynamic

Models
Psychodynamic Views of
Normality and Abnormality
• Psychosis

Evaluating Psychodynamic
Models
Methods of
Psychotherapy Treatment
 Psychodynamic
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Free Association
Dream Analysis
Transference
Modern Psychodynamic Approaches
• Ego Analysts
• Object-relations
• Introjected
The Psychological Perspective
 Learning

Models
Behaviorism
• Ivan Pavlov-classical conditioning
• J.B. Watson-father of behaviorism
• B.F. Skinner-Operant conditioning
• Social-Cognitive Theory
Pavlov’s Conditioning
Apparatus
Schematic Diagram of Classical*
Conditioning
Methods of
Psychotherapy Treatment
 Behavior
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Therapy
Systematic Desensitization
Gradual Exposure
Modeling
Token Economy
Evaluating Learning and
Behavioral Models
The Psychological Perspective
 Humanistic
Models
Carl Rogers
 Abraham Maslow
 Humanistic Concepts of Abnormal
Behavior
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• Unconditional positive regard
• Conditional positive regard
Methods of
Psychotherapy Treatment
 Humanistic

Therapy
Person-Centered Therapy
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Unconditional Positive Regard
Empathy
Genuineness
Congruence
The Psychological Perspective
 Humanistic

Models
Evaluating Humanistic Models
The Psychological Perspective
 Cognitive
Models
Information-Processing Models
 Albert Ellis
 Aaron Beck
 Evaluating Cognitive Models
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Methods of
Psychotherapy Treatment
 Cognitive
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Therapy
Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy
Beck’s Cognitive Therapy
 Cognitive-Behavioral
 Eclectic
Therapy
Therapy
The Sociocultural Perspective
 Ethnicity
and Mental Health
 The Sociocultural Perspective
Social causation model
 Downward drift hypothesis
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Ethnic/Racial U.S. Population in*
the Year 2005
Projected Ethnic/Racial U.S.
Population in the Year 2050
Multicultural Issues in
Psychotherapy
 African
Americans
 Asian Americans
 Hispanic Americans
 Native Americans
Ethnic Group Difference in Use of
Mental Health Services
 Barriers
to Receiving mental health
treatment
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Cultural mistrust
Institutional barriers
Cultural barriers
Language barriers
Economic barriers
The Sociocultural Perspective
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Evaluating the Sociocultural
Perspective
The Biopsychosocial Perspective
 The
Diathesis-Stress Model
 Evaluating the Biopsychosocial
Perspective
Diathesis-Stress Model
Methods of
Psychotherapy Treatment
 Group
Therapy
 Family Therapy
 Couples Therapy
 Evaluating
Methods of Psychotherapy
Hospitalization and CommunityBased Care
 Roles
for Hospitalization
 The Community Mental Health Center