 Is it abnormal to… (*abnormal is a synonym for strange, unusual, atypical) 1. keep 150 cats in a house? 2. talk to spirits? 3. wash your hands 10 times every hour?

 Students will be able to describe and analyze what is considered abnormal behavior by psychologists by:  1. Do-now + business  2. Notes  3. Practice  4. Presentations of research  5. Exit ticket + review answers  6. Work block*

 Essays due MONDAY, no late work will be accepted  Seniors: YOUR essays are due to me on Monday before you leave school  Seniors: Your portfolio is due on Tuesday at the beginning of class  Seniors: Your adolescent research is due to me on Tuesday at the beginning of class  MONDAY, May 14 th from 6-7pm: Rally for youth opportunities!

 Is it abnormal to keep 150 cats in a house?... if you breed them for substantial profit?... if you are a medicine man in a native tribe?... if you are a teacher?

WHAT: What classifies as a disorder, what does not WHY: To avoid stigmas, to help the public get a better understanding of disorders HOW: Learning to understand the psychological vocabulary associated with disorders, practicing identifying disorders, and applying the concepts to the disorders you researched

1. Extreme mental illness, insanity, or psychotic disorders are defined by actions that fall out of the realm of normal human behavior

 Depends on culture  Depends on time frame  Depends on someone’s ability to live their life and function in society

1. atypical behavior: behavior that is out of the ordinary, uncommon. So different that it violates a norm

 Olympic athletes are atypical because of the inordinate time they spend exercising – and they’re not usually insane. “Being different than most other people is part of what it takes to define a psychological disorder,” says Psychology textbook author David G. Myers. Being different isn’t enough to warrant insanity or a psychological disorder.

 2. disturbing behavior (to others): behavior that offends or bothers others -in that culture -in that time

 "Disturbing others" depends on the situation: mass killing is heroic during war but insane during peacetime. Homicidal terrorists are called freedom fighters by some and murderers by others, depending on the perspective. Homosexuality was once categorized as a psychological disorder by the American Psychiatric Association – but now it’s believed to be unconnected to psychological problems. So, whether a behavior is disturbing or abnormal may be subject to the culture, situation, and even the decade or century.

3. maladaptive behavior: person's inability to adjust to particular situations; destructive to oneself

 being unable to leave the house because of an extreme fear of birds is maladaptive

4. Unjustifiable behavior: without a rational basis. Behaviors aren't seen as possible, believable, or supportable.

Is it abnormal to… 1. keep 150 cats in a house? 2. talk to spirits? 3. wash your hands 10 times every hour?

 Interpretation: The power of labeling  Other studies also show stigmatizing by labeling. seeing interviewee as "different" refusal to rent rooms media portrayals of violent mentally ill

 Students will be able to describe and analyze what is considered abnormal behavior by psychologists by:  1. Do-now  2. Notes  3. Practice  4. Presentations of research  5. Exit ticket + review answers  6. Work block*

 Review the scenarios.  Determine if the behavior is abnormal by psychological standards  If it is, explain. If it is not, explain.  Example: This behavior is not abnormal because it doesn’t get in the way of her ability to live her life. Her behavior might be disturbing to others, but it is not extreme enough to classify it as abnormal.