The Evolutionary approach explains behavior in terms of the selective pressures that shape behavior. Most behaviors that we see/display are believed to have developed during our EEA (environment of evolutionary adaptation) to help us survive. The mind is therefore equipped with ‘instincts’ that enabled our ancestors to survive and reproduce.

Norms are expected ways of behaving in a society according to the majority, and those members of a society who do not think and behave like everyone else break these norms and are often defined as abnormal. Abnormal psychology research is pivotal for understanding and managing mental health issues, developing treatments, and promoting mental health awareness. Defining Abnormality This requires us to decide on the characteristics we consider necessary for mental health. Jahoda (1958) defined six criteria by which mental health could be measured: Additionally, what’s considered abnormal in one context may be normal in another. Definitions also evolve with societal and scientific progress. Furthermore, distinguishing when feelings like sadness or anxiety become severe or prolonged enough to be deemed abnormal is complex.

10 Defense Mechanisms: What Are They and How They Help Us Cope

The behaviorist perspective proposes two main processes whereby people learn from their environment: namely classical conditioning and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning involves learning by association, and operant conditioning involves learning from the consequences of behavior. Psychology approaches refer to theoretical perspectives or frameworks used to understand, explain, and predict human behavior, such as behaviorism, cognitive, or psychoanalytic approaches. Many great artists and musicians have had unhappy lives and have used the medium of art of music to express themselves. Sport is another example of putting our emotions (e.g., aggression) into something constructive. It is an extremely scientific approach and typically uses lab experiments to study human behavior. The cognitive approach has many applications including cognitive therapy and eyewitness testimony. Biological Perspective In Psychology Secondary traits are less consistent and influential than central traits and refer to tastes, preferences, political persuasions, reactions to particular situations, and so on.

have difficulty construing and reacting to events, trying to make decisions, and making sense of ourAccording to Rosenberg and Hovland (1960), attitudes are ‘predispositions to respond to some class of stimuli with certain classes of response’.