Module One Milestone Guidelines and RubricOverview
With the new term beginning in just a few days, Jamal is super excited to be taking his first abnormal psychology course! Since he was young, Jamal has always had a fascination with the unusual aspects of human nature—especially the elements that didn’t seem to fit within socially constructed categories and norms. Because abnormal psychology examines atypical patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior, Jamal believes that the course will be incredibly interesting and may even contain personal significance: Jamal has always viewed himself as different—deviating from what many might consider to be normal ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving.
Prior to the beginning of the term, Jamal was inspired to research some of the perspectives that have informed our attitudes and beliefs about the meaning of abnormal. In his explorations, here’s what Jamal found:
- Abnormal behavior is often perceived as weird.
- Abnormal behavior can cause those who witness it to experience psychological discomfort.
- Abnormal behavior often significantly deviates from what we view as the norm.
As Jamal processed the weirdness, discomfort, and deviation that are commonly associated with abnormal behavior, he couldn’t help but wonder what many of us might be wondering: If abnormal behavior is an aspect of the human experience, why does it carry such a powerful social stigma?
Prompt
The following resources support your work on the milestone:
- Module One Milestone Template Word Document: You may use this template to complete the Module One Milestone assignment.
- Psychology Research Guide: This resource was created to help you find psychology related content.
- Purdue OWL: This resource is provided to assist you with referencing resources according to APA standards.
Using the Module One Milestone Template, respond to the below prompts, which focus on deconstructing the stigma associated with abnormal behavior. Support your position with a minimum of 3 to 5 sentences per bullet, using credible sources and addressing the rubric criteria listed below:
- Often a person describes an abnormal behavior as weird—a term that can elicit a range of emotional responses (e.g., fear, anger, guilt, curiosity, withdrawal, compassion). Describe a common psychological reaction that a person might have after hearing this description of the behavior of another person.
- Describe why witnessing an abnormal behavior may cause a person to experience psychological discomfort.
- Describe the feelings a person may experience when witnessing a behavior that deviates from the norm.
- Ironically, it is normal to perceive abnormal behavior as atypical, uncomfortable, or strange. However, the labels that we use to describe abnormal behavior could contribute to its stigma. In your own words, describe how abnormalities in the mind are not really different from other physical or biological abnormalities.
Guidelines for Submission
Submit your completed Module One Milestone Template. Sources should be cited according to APA style.
