FOUR D'S IN PSYCHOLOGY

FOUR D'S IN PSYCHOLOGY

Firstly we talk about abnormal behavior. 

There are two primary definitions psychologists use to classify behavior as abnormal including.

Atypical Behavior: 

Behavior that deviates from the norms of society, a behavior seen as being different or weird, not necessarily harmful to self or others, just deviant- the definition most people in society use to define behavior as being abnormal

Maladaptive Behavior:  

Behavior that is potentially harmful to oneself or to others, not just physically harmful, but also emotionally harmful to the well-being of a person or others, not necessarily deviant, but definitely potentially harmful, the definition most clinicians are concerned about, they are more interested in the client's mental and physical well-being than whether or not a behavior is weird.

THE FOUR D'S

Although many definitions of abnormality have been proposed over the year, none is universally accepted (Mechanic.1999). Still, most of the definitions have certain features in common, often called “the four D’s”.

The Four D’s are;   

        i.  Deviance

       ii.  Distress

       iii. Dysfunction

       iv.  Danger

DEVIANCE:

Abnormal psychological functioning is deviant, but deviant from what? Behavior, thoughts, and emotions are different from those that are considered normal in our place and time.

 Behavior, thoughts and emotions are deemed abnormal when they violet a society’s idea about proper functioning.

       Each society establishes norms- explicit and implicit rules for proper conduct. Behavior that violates legal norms is called criminal. Behavior, thoughts, and emotions that violate norms of psychological functioning are called abnormal.

     Judgments of abnormality varies from society to society.

      A society’s norms grow from its particular culture- its history, values, institutions, habits, skills, technology, and arts. A society whose culture places great values on competition and assertiveness may accept aggressive behavior, where one that emphasizes cooperation and gentleness may discourage aggressive behavior and even condemn it as abnormal.

     Judgments of abnormality also depend on the specific circumstances as well as on cultural norms.

     A society’s values may also change over time, causing its views of psychologically abnormal to change as well.                                                     

      For example:                                                                                                                                              In Western society, a women’s participation in the business world was widely considered inappropriate and strange a hundred years ago. Today the same behavior is usually admired.

  DISTRESS:

According to many clinical theorists, behavior, ideas or emotions usually have to cause distress before they can be labeled abnormal. A person behavior may be classified as disordered if it causes him or her great distress.

Ø  Distressing means unpleasant and upsetting to the person

Ø  The individual subjective feeling of pain, anxiety, depression, agitation, disturbance in sleep loss of appetite numerous aches and pains.

   “You are considered abnormal if you are distressed”

 

Are we all abnormal depending on this definition?

What this means is that if we feel “subjective feeling of pain” we all qualify as being abnormal?

This definition alone could apply to most of us in this class.

  “Feeling subjective pain” generally leads to a doctor prescribing medication that might not address or solve the problem.

For example:

                    Women wish that she had a pill that would stop her husband from cheating or divorcing her. Or that made her kids do their homework.

DYSFUNCTION

Abnormal behavior tends to be dysfunctional; that is, it interferes with daily functioning. It so upsets, distracts, or confuses people that they cannot care for themselves properly, participate in ordinary social interactions, or work productively.

DSM the definition provides, a broader concept of dysfunction, which is supported by our current body of evidence. Specifically, the DSM definition of the dysfunction refers to the fact that

            “The behavioral, psychological, and biological dysfunctions are all interrelated. That is, the brain impacts our behavior, and behavior impacts the brain; thus dysfunction in these is interrelated”.

For example:  An individual quits his job, leaves his family, and prepares to withdraw from a productive and meaningful life in order to live in an empty isolated a distant apartment where he feels comfortable and satisfied. So this dysfunctional behavior indicates psychological abnormality.

DANGER

Psychological dysfunction is behavior that becomes dangerous to oneself or others. Individuals whose behavior is consistently careless, hostile, or confused may place themselves or those around them at risk.

Danger consists of two broad themes:

          a) Danger to self

          b) Danger to others

The danger is often cited as a feature of abnormal psychological functioning, research suggests that it is actually the exception rather than the rule.

Despite popular misconceptions, most people struggling with anxiety, depression thinking poses no immediate danger to themselves or to anyone else