Assignment 1

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Assignment 1

Classroom discussion only - ungraded

1. Think about people whom you have met - friends, family members, co-workers, neighbors, even strangers on the street - and come up with at least one example of an individual who you felt was "psychologically abnormal" (whatever that term means to you). Then consider the following two questions:

a. What exactly is it about that individual (appearance, behavior, mannerisms, speech, interactions with others, etc.) that leads you to perceive that person as "abnormal"?
b. Why do you regard those qualities as "abnormal"? In other words, what standards or criteria for normal vs. abnormal are you applying?

2. Does it make sense to you to think of abnormal behavior in terms of "mental illness" and "mental disorder"? What are the arguments for? What are the arguments against? What does Szasz have to say about this?

Copyright ©1998 Beverly J. Volicer and Steven F. Tello, UMass Lowell. You may freely edit these pages for use in a non-profit, educational setting. Please include this copyright notice on all pages.