PSY 215 Module Eight Activity Template
For this journal activity, you will focus on reconstructing your view of what it means to be abnormal.
Specifically, consider the notion of the humanity in abnormality. Then respond to the following prompts
with a minimum of 3 to 5 sentences. Address the rubric criteria listed below and support your answers
with a credible source when necessary. Complete this template by replacing the bracketed text with the
relevant information.
Discuss what it means to view our individual differences through a non-pathologizing lens.
Viewing individual difference through a non-pathologizing lens refers to viewing someone who
may be diagnosed with some form of mental illness without judgment and not necessarily
abnormal. Pathologizing refers to treating someone differently or categorizing them as
abnormal, so essentially as I mentioned somewhat the opposite of that is what it means to view
someone through a non-pathologizing lens (Loggins, 2022). As we had discussed recently in this
course, labels of mental illness can lead to a stigma surrounding the individual and result in
others treating them differently than they would otherwise.
In recent times, people have begun to adopt a non-clinical view of psychological conditions—as
differences, not disorders. Discuss the costs and benefits of viewing psychological traits,
symptoms, and conditions in this manner.
There are costs and benefits when we view some of these physiological conditions as differences
rather than disorders. As I mentioned, removing labels from some of these conditions can be
beneficial in removing the stigma that may be present in some cases and lead to greater
acceptance among others. On the other side, some people may find it difficult in which direction
to go in regard to improving the symptoms of the the physiological conditions they may endure.
I mentioned in my discussion post last week something very relevant to this topic which was
that research has shown people who believe that their depression is due to a chemical
imbalance are more pessimistic about their chances of recovery (Moncrieff and Horowitz, 2020).
This shows that maybe putting a label on something like depression could almost be used as an
excuse rather than something that can be overcome. Obviously, depression is a real thing that
involves undesirable symptoms, but using a label may not be the best solution for helping
individuals get back to where they would like to be.
Think of an abnormal behavior that may be viewed as a deficit or a weakness. Discuss how
aspects of this behavior may be reframed and reapplied as a strength.
An abnormal behavior that may be viewed as a deficit or weakness could be ADHD. Although
ADHD can be viewed as a weakness in having trouble focusing in class or at work, individuals
with ADHD can have some aspects that may actually give them advantage in certain areas. One
area that is known to be a strength in these individuals is hyper focus, usually involving a task
that the individual enjoys to do (Medical News Today, 2021). This ability is a strength because
the individual can almost get lost in what they are doing with no distractions and work more
efficiently than others would be able to.
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