Describe and Discuss Two Alternative Psychological Approaches To Abnormal Behaviour

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Anne Bingham Health and Welfare (Abnormal Behaviour)

DESCRIBE AND DISCUSS TWO ALTERNATIVE PSYCHOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR

The word psychology is derived from two Greek words, psyche which means mind, soul or spirit and logos which means study. When the two are put together it means 'study of the mind', hence the word psychology.

Different psychologists take different approaches towards abnormal behaviour. The main four approaches are: psychodynamic, behaviourist, cognitive, humanist. None of these approaches are either wrong or right, they are merely just different ways of dealing with different people's problems.

We will concentrate on two of these approaches: cognitive and psychodynamic and look at the therapies involved in treating patients with various psychological abnormalities, and the therapists who helped develop the approaches.

The cognitive approach concentrates on changing the way a person thinks about themselves or their environment and other people. Cognitions are a combination of faulty thoughts and the incapability to make good decisions, which lead to depression and anxiety. By changing the way people think and see things, alters their whole perspective on life and therefore makes them better. Optimistic people are less likely to become depressed as they look on the