Читать книгу Abnormal Psychology - William J. Ray - Страница 43

In this book, I will explore three major themes. The first theme takes a behavioral and experiential perspective on psychopathology. Here, I will examine current ways of classifying and describing abnormal behavior. I also want you to consider the experience of having a psychological disorder and will present first-person reports from individuals with particular disorders. We will also discuss symptoms and signs. Traditionally, symptoms, such as feeling sad, are seen as subjective, and may be reported by the individual to a professional, whereas signs, such as having a fever, are an objective process that can be measured and would be apparent to a professional. An important aspect of this perspective is the manner in which the signs and symptoms of a particular disorder are seen in a similar manner throughout the world. The universality of mental disorders has been an important consideration for scientists. It is also important to note the role culture plays in the manifestations of behaviors and experiences related to psychopathology.

The second theme examines what we know about particular psychopathological experience from a neuroscience perspective. In particular, I will emphasize the structure and function of the brain as it relates to psychopathology. With the advent of neuroscience techniques such as brain imaging, it is becoming clear that mental disorders are also brain disorders. In fact, with every disorder we will consider in this book, it is possible to examine the manner in which the structure and function of the brain is changed. The neuroscience perspective will also help us to consider how certain disorders share a similarity in underlying brain processes. For example, knowing that the same brain networks involved in physical pain are also involved in social rejection helps us understand the experience of each and how they are similar.

The third theme asks much broader scientific questions and examines psychological disorders from an evolutionary perspective. In adopting this perspective, we can think about how certain ways of seeing or being in the world might be adaptive. Being afraid of heights, for example, keeps us from taking unnecessary risks. We can ask if there is any advantage to behaving and feeling in certain ways that others consider abnormal. We can also ask if the disordered behavior is secondary to another process that is beneficial. This could include an attempt by our body to protect itself.

neuroscience perspective: examines what we know about particular psychopathological experience from the standpoint of neuroscience, including the structure and function of the brain, the autonomic nervous system, and a genetic and epigenetic consideration as it relates to psychopathology

evolutionary perspective: examines psychological disorders in terms of how certain aspects might be adaptive, asking if there is any advantage to behaving and feeling in certain ways that others consider abnormal or if the disordered behavior is secondary to another process that is beneficial

In the same way that we know that having a fever is protective and beneficial to recovering from sickness, we can look for similarities in psychological disorders. We can also ask questions concerning why particular disorders continue to exist. Individuals with schizophrenia, for example, generally have fewer children than those without the disorder. Thus, you might expect that schizophrenia would have gradually disappeared over our evolutionary history through the production of fewer children with the genetics related to the disorder. However, this is not the case, and in fact, schizophrenia occurs in approximately the same percentage (1% of the population) throughout the world in both developed and developing countries. As I will discuss in more detail later in this book, this suggests that schizophrenia is an old disorder that has existed since humans migrated out of Africa around 100,000 years ago. It also suggests that the multiple genes associated with schizophrenia may be associated with more positive human traits such as creativity.

In summary, the three themes—behavior and experience, neuroscience, and the evolutionary perspective—give us important perspectives for thinking about psychopathology.