To prepare for this assignment:

• Review Chapter 1 in the course textbook, paying particularly close attention to the section beginning on page 2 entitled “What Is Psychological Abnormality?”
• Consider some personal encounters that you have had with others during which you thought that their behaviors might be deemed “abnormal.”

The assignment (1–2 pages):

• Describe and analyze your personal experiences and encounters with abnormal behavior.
  • Describe in detail three examples of abnormal behavior, based on your personal experiences, encounters with others, or examples from the news.
  • Identify elements in these examples that relate to “the four D’s” that can be used to identify what is abnormal, including deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger.
  • Discuss cultural factors that might have an impact on whether or not the behavior you described would be considered abnormal.
  • Discuss any limitations to “the four D’s” approach to defining abnormal that are highlighted by your three examples and your analysis of these examples.