Abnormality Psychological Models

Type of psychology: Psychopathology; psychotherapy
Fields of study: Behavioral and cognitive models; evaluating
psychotherapy; humanistic-phenomenological models; models of
abnormality
Abnormal behavior is typically defined as behavior that is harmful to the self or others
or that is dysfunctional. Three models of abnormality stress medical or biological roots;

psychological aspects, such as unconscious conflicts, inappropriate learning, blocking
of full development, or maladaptive thoughts; and social and cultural context.
Key concepts

• behavioral model
• cognitive model
• humanistic model
• medical model
• psychoanalytic model
• sociocultural model

Prehistoric humans believed that evil spirits, witchcraft, the full moon, or
other supernatural forces caused mental disorders. In modern times, people
have more naturalistic ideas. The models of abnormality can be divided
into three types: medical, psychological, and cultural. Medical models hold
that mental disorders take on a psychological appearance, but the underlying
problems are physical in nature. Psychological models hold that mental
disorders are caused and then maintained by a person’s past and present life
experiences, which can result in inner conflicts, learned responses that are
problematic, blocked efforts to grow and achieve self-actualization, or pessimistic,
distorted thinking. Cultural models stress the sociocultural context
of stress.