The Four Primary Perspectives for The Evaluation Of Abnormal Behavior

In determining the cause of an individual’s abnormal behavior, it is imperative that all risk factors and protective factors are considered, along with the distinguishment of these factors into necessary, sufficient, and contributory categories. The four primary perspectives for the evaluation of abnormal behavior are biological, psychological, social and cultural--an ideal perspective, the biopsychosocial approach, seeks to combine aspects of these individualized viewpoints. Biologically, our focus rests on genetic abnormalities and the concept of nature vs. nurture in the developmental stages of a child. Biological aspects also strive to include neurotransmitters and hormonal imbalances.

Psychologically, perspectives can be further divided into psychodynamic, behavioral, and cognitive-behavioral approaches, which work to examine both conscious and unconscious factors in human development. These viewpoints place a heavy focus on interpersonal relationships and learning. Socially, our focus turns to individual complications in a patient’s life, such as socioeconomic disadvantage, discrimination, and past trauma. The cultural approach, similarly, takes specific cultural variables pertaining to a single person into account, directly relating to the exact “form” their disorder may take. All four perspectives are imperative to treatment in certain ways, seeking to elaborate upon a patient’s past, present, and future in determining the causes of abnormal behavior.

Freud’s psychoanalytic approach emphasized the basic structure of personality as three individual segments--the id, the ego, and the superego. The id embodies instinctive drives and unconscious wants and desires, operating on the “pleasure principle.” The ego embodies reasoning and survival, focused on physical development and the “reality principle.” The superego deals with morals and the individual concept of right and wrong. Freud believed that any unresolved issues between these aspects of personality, referred to as intrapsychic conflicts, were the root cause of mental disorder.

Children denied vital emotional or mental needs by parents or other caretakers are oftentimes left with trauma that leads to mental disorder later in life. Institutionalization is a prime example, denying children of much-needed social interaction and physical contact required for healthy development. Separation can also influence psychological issues, directly correlating with both secure and insecure attachment types based on the frequency of separation. Of course, abuse and mistreatment of a child in the home stands as one of the most powerful predecessors to mental disorder, leaving deep and irreparable scars on a child and robbing them of proper development milestones.

Parenting styles have a direct effect on the growth of a child, altering the way they deal with life challenges. Parenting styles can be divided into four categories--authoritative, authoritarian, permissive, and neglectful. Authoritative parents emphasize warmth and implement control in moderation, a style considered very healthy for childhood development. Authoritarian parents show little warmth and emphasize control, deteriorating a child’s self-esteem and concepts of self-control. Permissive parents focus on high levels of warmth and low levels of control, leading to child rearing with an extreme lack of discipline. Neglectful parents are low on warmth and low on control, leaving them uninvolved in a child’s life or development (whether intentionally or not) and prompting a child to have issues developing meaningful relationships with peers.