One of the most popular undergraduate psychology courses in college is the course on Abnormal Psychology. More and more universities and colleges offer this educational curriculum because of its budding status among incoming college learners. In addition to that, this is also a popular graduate degree course among people who are planning to take up further education after college. Now, what is really the focus on the study of abnormal psychology? Basically, this branch of psychology deals on the study of human behaviors and psychosomatic health conditions that are considered to be beyond the norms of our society. Aside from that, the course on abnormal psychology also talks about the possible effects and influence of ecological, cultural, and biological circumstances to people who have odd behaviors and extraordinary mental health condition.
The course on abnormal psychology deals with extensive lessons and classroom discussions. Among the various subjects that colleges and universities include in their syllabus are the topics on schizophrenias and anxiety disorders. Schizophrenia is a multifarious disorder that concerns the mental condition of a person. This disorder can hamper a person’s ability to think logically and differentiate real experiences from plainly illusory situations. Also, individuals who are schizophrenic find it hard to act normally in public and to control their emotional impulses. Abnormal psychology studies the symptoms and features related to this condition. On the other hand, anxiety disorder is about the exaggerated nervousness of a person on the events in his or her life without a convincing reason of worrying. This unusual way of thinking can obstruct the normal functioning of a person’s life because of unjustifiable and irrational thoughts that can dominate a person’s mental state. The symptoms and effects of such condition are also tackled on the course. Mental retardation, autism, personality disorders, sexual dysfunctions, sexual disorders, and substance abuse are also among the most common topics that are discussed under the course on abnormal psychology.
On the realm of abnormal psychology, there are actually numerous textbooks that provide good discussions on the topics related to such study. Among the common textbooks used by students is the one that is written by Alan Carr entitled “Abnormal Psychology”. This book includes a thorough and detailed account of the topics on abnormal psychology. It presents comprehensible clinical narratives as well up-to-date evaluation on topics such as depression, childhood behavior disorders, anxiety and many more. The author illustrated and discussed complex topics on abnormal psychology in an understandable and clear manner. Also, Susan Cave’s book on “Classification and Diagnosis of Psychological Abnormality” is gaining its popularity because of its profound account on psychologists’ attempts on defining the real meaning of psychological abnormality. Cave scrutinized the limitations of those attempts as well. These abnormal psychology notes are considered to be helpful guides for students towards a better understanding and successful study on the said course.
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