Learning Objectives

After studying this chapter, you should be able to:

1. Define psychopathology and describe the three traditional criteria for determining the presence of psychological disorder, indicating their weaknesses.
2. List and describe the emphases of the six major viewpoints regarding the psychological disorders.
3. Explain the nature and controversy of the insanity defense and discuss the current state of this defense.
4. Explain how the DSM-IV is used as a diagnostic tool, and briefly summarize the criticisms leveled against it, including discussion of Rosenhan’s study and Szasz arguments.
5. List and describe the important features of four anxiety disorders and summarize how proponents of the six viewpoints account for the development of the anxiety disorders.
6. List and describe the important features of three dissociative disorders, including proposed causes, and mention the controversy surrounding dissociative identity disorder.
7. List and describe the important features of two mood disorders, including proposed causes, emphasizing several important points about the issue of suicide.
8. Summarize the general characteristics of all the schizophrenias and then highlight the distinctive features of three types of schizophrenia.
9. Summarize how the proponents of the six viewpoints account for the development of schizophrenia, emphasizing the findings of biopsychological researchers.
10. Define the term "personality disorder" and describe the important features of two such disorders, including proposed causes.