Perspectives of Abnormal Behaviour> Psychological/Psychodynamic Perspective

Estimated time: 10 minutes

Need for Psychological Models
Behavioural (learning) Model
Cognitive Factors
Psychodynamic (Freudian) Perspective
Real-Life Application
Key Points: Perspectives of Abnormal Behaviour> Psychological/Psychodynamic Perspective

CISCE: Class 12

Need for Psychological Models

Biological factors alone cannot explain all mental disorders.
Many disorders develop without any clear brain or genetic problem.
Psychological factors like learning, thinking, and unconscious conflicts are also important.

CISCE: Class 12

Abnormal behaviour can be learned through experience.
Phobias and avoidance behaviours often start from a single scary or humiliating event.
Fear learned in one situation can spread to similar objects or situations.

CISCE: Class 12

Faulty thinking patterns can lead to mental disorders.
Some people credit success to luck or God, but blame themselves for every failure.
This pattern creates anxiety, guilt, and low self‑esteem over time.

CISCE: Class 12

This perspective focuses on unconscious motives and conflicts.
Painful thoughts and feelings may be pushed into the unconscious (repression).
Unresolved unconscious conflicts can later appear as neurotic or even psychotic symptoms.

CISCE: Class 12

A small child was publicly humiliated by a teacher for a minor mistake.
After this event, he refused to go to school and showed physical signs of stress.
This example shows how one bad school experience can lead to strong fear and avoidance.

CISCE: Class 12

Biological factors alone cannot explain all mental disorders; psychological factors are also important.
The behavioural model says abnormal behaviour is learned through experience, such as fear after a traumatic event.
The cognitive model explains that faulty thinking patterns can cause anxiety, guilt, and low self-esteem.
The psychodynamic perspective states that unconscious conflicts and repressed feelings can lead to mental disorders.
A single negative experience (e.g., public humiliation) can create long-lasting fear and avoidance behaviour.