Abnormal psychology determines the unusual patterns regarding the emotions thoughts as well as the behavior. Further, the essence of this aspect may not be understood as a form of precipitating a mental disorder. Even though there are many behaviors, which can be considered as abnormal, this understanding can deal with the context of clinical aspects. The history of psychology often attempts to control and understand behavior that can be deemed to be deviant in various ways. (Alloy, Riskind, and Manos, 2005). As a result, different researchers have provided their definitions regarding their perspectives on the concept of psychological abnormality. The understanding of the distinct meaning is vital in providing the different context of the topic.
The science of abnormality psychology attempts to study various types of behaviors that consist of maladaptive and adaptive behaviors. These concepts have been defined differently considering the perceptions of many psychologists. The definition of abnormal is simple through various sources although its application to psychology is considered to be complicated in regards to some given context (Braff, Freedman, Schork and Gottesman 2006). Primarily, this context entails what should be normal, the existing norm for which age and culture.
According to Durand and Barlow (2012), abnormal psychology is considered among the most popular fields of study, in which the understanding of psychology for a good reason is enumerated. Additionally, the problems it expresses are immense social and personal importance. These challenges address the lives of people in one way or another and consist of being pervasive such as obesity, depression, and sexual dysfunctions. (Durand, and Barlow, 2012). Notably, these problems, which are explained, often affect the majority of people who experience them in their endeavors.
On the other hand, abnormal psychology is a representation of the formidable challenges in reviewing a breadth of research, which exist across the number of subfields (Alloy, Riskind and Manos 2005). The explanation illustrates the abnormal psychology as the study, in which the understanding of behavior, is expressed through the deviation of what is expected among people. The essence of this is to describe the probable imaginary aspects, which entail the agony of displaying the problems associated or affecting people.
Conclusively, the understanding of psychological abnormality is defined in various perspectives according to different authors. However, the common aspect, which exists among these authors, is the fact that it is the study of unusual patterns of emotions, thought, and behavior. The ultimate goal may or sometimes not be on the understanding of precipitation of a mental disorder. The difficulties regarding psychological abnormality primarily consist of the problems of behavior among people.
Task two
Eating disorders are often the description of the illnesses, which have characteristics of irregular habits of feeding with severe distress or concerns regarding the body weight and shape of people. Further, they consist of inadequate or excessive food intake that can ultimately affect the well-being of an individual. (Castellini, Trisolini, and Ricca, 2014). There are common forms of disorders, which can be experienced like bulimia nervosa or anorexia nervosa. The understanding in comparing and contrasting the biological and psychological factors are essential to express the eating disorders. Research provides that there is evidence, which establishes for an inherited tendency that develops towards such dysfunctions (Braff, Freedman, Schork and Gottesman 2006).
The biological aspects are often experienced from the families who genetically contributes towards the development risk on eating disorders. For instance, an individual with the parents having such dysfunction has higher chances of getting the condition than people without a history of the disease within the lineage of their families. The biological factors, which cause eating disorders, consist of genetics, the constitutional features, low birth weight, older maternal age, and convulsions. (Castellini, Trisolini, and Ricca, 2014). The other aspects in biological factors entail the physical characteristics such as propensity for obesity and the neuroendocrine as well as the metabolic abnormalities such as disturbances in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
The biological explanation also regards abnormalities in the structure of the hypothalamus and the brain structure, which are responsible for the regulation of eating disorders (Edwards 2013). Notably, studies suggest that the hypothalamus of bulimics cannot trigger a response of normal satiation. As a result, these individuals often do not feel full even after having a meal. The essence of this is developed by the existence of various neurotransmitters, which are involved in eating disorders. The neurotransmitters assist in carrying messages from the cell throughout the brain and nervous system to a cellular space and attach the receptors to the cell. (Edwards, 2013). Moreover, the neurotransmitter serotonin affects the development of behaviour in bulimics making the individuals concerned to have a craving for foods.
The psychological aspect of the eating disorder, on the other hand, is characterised by the president disturbance of patterns of eating, which can lead to poor physical health to an individual. Moreover, it is also considered one of the most prevalent psychiatric disorders that affect many people in the world (Castellini, Trisolini and Ricca 2014). The essence of this often occurs following the illness of psychology such as substance abuse, depression or a possibility of anxiety conditions, which can develop among people. Conversely, the people who suffer from eating disorders can experience a wide range of physical complications due to kidney failures, heart conditions among others (Brytek-Matera and Czepczor 2017). The persistence disturbance in regards to changes in behaviour leads to abnormalities as well as psychosocial impairments. For instance, the anorexia nervosa and bulimia are considered as self-induced starvation, which can bring about changes in the body weight.
The development of culture influences the understanding of the eating disorder and the process of diagnosis. The modern westernised countries models and the establishment of media have created a way, in which people eat their food as well as the diagnosis system. Miller and Pumariega (2001) noticed that the development of eating disorders across time has been affected by the establishments and practices, which alters their physical health (Miller, and Pumariega, 2001). The reflection of culture is observable in cuisine, social habits, which are considered as the available options that surround individuals. Further, the family structure is a vital aspect, which influences the cultural elements in eating disorders because it shapes the food culture among people. For instance, some families have an emphasis on the type of historical background on the culture (Butcher, Mineka, and Hooley 2013).
Studies suggest that it is eating disorders, which takes place across the time have noted ideas of beauty to change considering their need to keep the shape of their bodies (Striegel‐Moore et al. 2009). Besides, men who are doing personal fitness also have been influenced by the need to partake their particular diet. As a result, it has immensely affected the incidences of diagnosis and eating disorders among different genders. Significantly, it is noted that more women are reported to have felt that they cannot control how and what they eat. (Striegel‐Moore et al. 2009). The development of social, economic groups has also influenced the incidents of diagnosis and eating disorders in various ways.
The essence of this has been experienced given the fact that there is the plan of treatment, which has missed the other demographic groups (Mulders-Jones, Mitchison, Girosi and Hay 2017). Overall, the symptoms of eating disorders are equally spread all the levels of socioeconomic status. The necessity for specialisation of common access to services in detecting and diagnosis of disorders among different subgroups is imperative to consider the best type of treatment of the condition. The cases of unemployment have also been associated with many instances of psychiatric disorders (Mulders-Jones, Mitchison, Girosi and Hay 2017). Different factors cause the spread of eating disorders among various socio-economic groups. These consist of varying levels of education, employment opportunities, levels of income as well as access to services, which exist between them.
References
Alloy, L.B., Riskind, J.H. and Manos, M.J., 2005. Abnormal psychology: Current perspectives (Vol. 278). New York: McGraw Hill.
Braff, D.L., Freedman, R., Schork, N.J. and Gottesman, I.I., 2006. Deconstructing schizophrenia: an overview of the use of endophenotypes to understand a complex disorder. Schizophrenia Bulletin, vol. 33, no. 1, pp.21-32.
Brytek-Matera, A. and Czepczor, K., 2017. Models of eating disorders: a theoretical investigation of abnormal eating patterns and body image disturbance. Archives of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, vol. 1, pp.16-26.
Butcher, J.N., Mineka, S. and Hooley, J.M., 2013. Abnormal psychology. New York: Pearson.
Castellini, G., Trisolini, F. and Ricca, V., 2014. Psychopathology of eating disorders. Journal of Psychopathology, vol. 20, no. 1, pp.461-470.
Durand, V.M. and Barlow, D.H., 2012. Essentials of abnormal psychology. New York: Cengage Learning.
Miller, M.N. and Pumariega, A.J., 2001. Culture and eating disorders: A historical and cross-cultural review. Psychiatry: Interpersonal and biological processes, vol. 64, no. 2, pp.93-110.
Mulders-Jones, B., Mitchison, D., Girosi, F. and Hay, P., 2017. Socioeconomic correlates of eating disorder symptoms in an Australian population-based sample. PloS one, vol. 12, no. 1, p.e0170603.
StriegelMoore, R.H., Rosselli, F., Perrin, N., DeBar, L., Wilson, G.T., May, A. and Kraemer, H.C., 2009. Gender difference in the prevalence of eating disorder symptoms. International Journal of Eating Disorders, vol. 42, no. 5, pp.471-474.
Edwards, L.M., 2013. Theoretical analysis of binge eating disorder through the perspectives of self-psychology and cognitive theory/cognitive behavioural therapy, and an explanation of blending these perspectives. Theses, Dissertations, and Projects. 578. [online] Available at: https://scholarworks.smith.edu/theses/578 [Accessed 20 December 2018].
