Abnormal Psychology & Therapy

Abnormal Psychology and Therapy Paper

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PSY 300

July 2, 2010

Abnormal Psychology and Therapy

Upon researching what the word psychology means many definitions may be found.   However, once all those definitions have been deciphered you will find that psychology is the study of an individual’s mental and emotional state and thought processes. The intention of therapy within psychology is to diagnose, treat, and in time help individuals improve from whatever psychological infirmity that they are experiencing.
Comparison and Contrast of Normal and Abnormal Psychology
      The word normal is characterized by what the majority of a society views as typical. Depending on the culture of an individual the meaning of normal will vary as each culture has a different opinion of what is deemed normal. A normal person is someone who is depicted not having mental and physical quandaries (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). Although the definition of normal changes within cultures and with each individual there is still a simple distinction between what is normal and abnormal.
The word abnormal is defined as anything that is not typical or non-conforming. Abnormal psychology is a portion of psychology that focuses on abnormal behavior or psychopathology; it is the study of emotional and mental disorders and behaviors that hinder an individual from becoming acclimatized to life (Kowalski & Westen, 2009). Factors that are assessed are based on, the anguish, dysfunction, threat, and divergence that could ultimately cause an individual to harm others of themselves (Berg, 2007).   Like normal behavior, abnormal behavior is determined by what is seen as normal by civilization. For instance, some cultures believe that polygamy is normal while it is viewed as abnormal in other cultures and monogamy is the norm.
In terms of similarities between normal and abnormal psychology, each has a decisive factor that is apprehended by an individual’s culture and ever-changing... [continues]

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