I. Ways of defining abnormal behavior
A. Norm Violation
B. Statistical Rarity
C. Personal Discomfort
D. Deviation from expectation or "ideal"
E. A working definition of abnormal: Behavior which the person in question or those who associate with the person agree deviates markedly from expectations
II. Import of Abnormal Behavior
A. Prevalence
1. Midtown Manhattan Study (1954)
2. Epidemiologic Catchment Area investigation
3. National Comorbidity Study
B. Relevance
1. Entering a health profession
2. In the business world
3. Friend's & family
4. Personally
C. Placement
III. General Issues
A. Popular misconceptions
1. Psychopathology is bizarre
2. Psychopathology is enduring
B. Psychopathology as role
1. Effect of labeling a person
2. Rosenhan (1973) study
3. Some claim Mental Illness is a role people use to their advantage
C. Psychopathology as personal issue
IV. Perspectives on abnormal behavior
A. Historically
B. Biological-physiological (briefly)
C. Genetic influences--disorder clusters among members of the same family.
a. Family studies:
| Sz in Relatives | % Developing Sz | |
| 2 Sz parents | 30-48 | |
| 1 Sz parent | 10-12 | |
| 1 Sz sibling | 8-9 | |
| 1st cousin | 8-9 |
Closer genetic rltnship, increased likelihood. Yet, does not separate environmental influence.
b. Twin studies:
| Concordant % | |
| MZ twins (100% common genes) | ~25-48% |
| DZ twins (50 % shared genes) | ~6-8% |
c. Adoption studies
| Adoptees with 1 Sz parent placed in "normal" home: | 8-11% |
| Adoptees without Sz parent placed in "normal" home: | <1% |
d. Most research supports a Diathesis-Stress Model; Epigenetic landscape.