Study guide – Abnormal Psychology Midterm Chapters 1 – 6 Chapter One 1. The role of paradigm/perspectives in psychology and that the way the causes of abnormal are perceived affects the way it is treated. 2. Abnormal behavior can be defined in 4 different ways, distress, impairment, risk to self or others and socially and culturally unacceptable behaviors. Sometimes distress maybe so great that some people cannot get through the daily tasks of life. In many cases, distress leads to a reduction in a person’s ability to function. Impairment involves a reduction in a person’s ability to function at an optimal or even an average level. Risk refers to danger or threat to the well-being of a person. The final criterion for abnormal behavior is behavior that is outside the norms of the social and cultural context within which it takes place. The context within which a behavior takes place is a critical determinant of whether it is regarded as abnormal. a. There is rarely a clear delineation between what is...