1. Module 22 Assessment & Anxiety Disorders
Virginia Union University
Introduction to Psychology

2. What are your norms? What do you consider to be “normal” behavior?
What do you consider to be “abnormal” behavior?

3. Mental Disorder
A prolonged or recurring problem that seriously interferes with an individual’s ability to live a satisfying personal life and function adequately in society
Not just abnormal behavior, but abnormal behaviors that are:
Statistically infrequent
Deviate from social norms
Maladaptive behaviors

4. Definition of Abnormal Behavior
Statistical Frequency
Behavior may be considered abnormal if it occurs rarely or infrequently in relation to the behaviors of the general population
Ex: Cannibalism in the US vs. in Melanesian tribes
But……limited usefulness, depends on whether the abnormal behavior is considered “desirable”
Ex: getting a PhD or becoming a millionaire

5. Definition of Abnormal Behavior
Deviation from Social Norms
Deviates greatly from accepted social standards, values or norms
Can be risky as norms are prone to change
Ex: men wearing earrings, women desiring to be thin

6. Definition of Abnormal Behavior
Maladaptive Behavior
Behavior is psychologically damaging or abnormal if it interferes with the individual’s ability to function in his or her personal life or in society.
Ex: do you prefer smaller social gatherings or are you agoraphobic?
Ex: do you drink socially on occasion, or does your life center around your maintaining a state of drunkenness?
Most useful definition for mental health professionals

7. Causes of Mental Disorders
Biological Factors
Genetic factors
Are unlearned or inherited tendencies that influence how a person think, behaves and feels
Ex: genetic link to schizophrenia
Neurological factors
Abnormal brain functioning contributing to mental disorders
Ex: overactive amygdala contributing to social phobia

8. Causes of Mental Disorders
Cognitive/Emotional/Behavioral/Environmenta l Factors
Include deficits in cognitive processes (such as having unusual thoughts or beliefs)
Deficits in processing emotional stimuli (such as understanding or overreacting to emotional situations)
Behavioral problems (such as lacking social skills)
Also includes the experience of traumatic events
Ex: war veterans & PTSD

9. PTSD PTSD – The War Within
Experienced by those who experience a traumatic event/episode
Estimated to impact one in three soldiers who have served in Afghanistan & Iraq

10. Assessing Mental Disorders
Clinical assessments used to diagnose mental disorders
Involves systematic evaluation of an individual’s various psychological, biological, and social factors, as well as identifying past and present problems, stressors, and other cognitive or behavioral symptoms
Three methods
Neurological tests
Clinical interviews
Psychological tests

11. Assessing Mental Disorders
Neurological Tests
Check for possible brain damage or malfunction
Might include evaluating reflexes, brain structures (MRI scans) and brain functions (fMRI)
Mental disorders can be caused by tumors, diseases & brain infections

12. Assessing Mental Disorders
Clinical Interviews
One method of gathering information about a person’s past and current behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, emotions & problems
Some are unstructured – no set questions
Some are structured – follow a standard format or ask similar questions

13. Assessing Mental Disorders
Psychological Tests
Includes two different types of tests
Objective tests
Self report, questionnaires
Consists of specific statements or questions to which the person responds
Ex: personality tests
Projective tests
Have no set answers
Consists of ambiguous stimuli for a person to interpret
Ex: Rorschach inkblot tests

14. Rorschach Inkblot Test