Mi Youn Rhee

Abnormal Psychology: Essay exam1

October 8th 2016
2. Based on our text and class discussions, what is your best understanding of the nature
of psychological "abnormality"? Use at least one of the examples discussed in class in
your answer. (Uncle Harry's pancakes, the Goiter People, Aunt Sally the Hermit)
The example case of South American tribe who had a physical disease that becomes
a symptom on their neck and which also had an effect on the next generation is a best
guide line of division for psychological abnormality. In the text book there are two
different belief stated, cultural relativism and cultural universality. Cultural
relativism is the belief that lifestyles, cultural values, and worldviews affect the
expression and definition of mental disorder. (pg,10). On the other hand, cultural
universality is the assumption that a fixed set of mental disorders exists whose
manifestations and symptoms are similar across cultures. In contemporary trends in
abnormal psychology the idea of influence non-universal factors, such as culture, race,
ethnicity, gender, age, socioeconomic class, and other similar factors, in behavior is being
emphasized as multicultural psychology. Development of the definition of abnormal is
being reconsidered over and over through time which is very appropriate to understand
mind of a person that are very complex. On the case of the tribe we should first
synchronize our perspective to their perspective for living. The problem of the case was
that there is a physical illness that is considered a beauty mark in the community that no
one desired to cure it even though the treatment is very simple. If an individual is aware
of the illness fully and still decides to keep ones way of living that is coming from their
culture or belief it should not be considered a mental illness. Every individual should be
able to have their own perception of the concept of life. However morally the choices of
individuals must not harm the others so in the case of the tribe since they are harming the
health of their children and also taking away their decision to choose even before they are
born it is ethically wrong. It cannot be considered that this tradition is a group mental
disorder same as we dont consider our ancestors who thought female had no right to vote
read or write additionally in East Asia there are still generation of people who has that
kind of mind set remaining because they were born in different environment but we dont
think of they are psychologically abnormal. The same eye should be used in this case.
4. What is your best understanding of why some trauma victims suffer post-traumatic
stress problems and others do not? Is remembering the trauma a good idea in treatment?
Why or why not?

I was a victim of sexual assault by my cousin. I was 9 years old when my cousin
planned to follow me to the grocery store while wearing my dads jacket and used his
phone to call me and ask where I was. Now that I think about how it all happened it is

very scary that my cousin who was at the moment 14 years old has planned everything so
well and he really intended to do what he did to me. However, I had no memory of what
happened for a very long time. It did not feel like I did not remember something but it
was more like I was just not paying attention to that specific part of my life and
unconsciously avoid to think about it. It was there the whole time in my head but I never
tried to look at it closely. When I was in middle school and high school (I went to girls
schools because in Korea most schools are divided by gender and the government
chooses which school you go to depending on your home address and lottery) I thought
all guys who were my age were gross I look at them as another creature than us females. I
didnt want to necessarily talk to them or spend time with them and didnt have to since I
was in a girls school with enough female friends. The memory was relighted when I
liked a guy for the first time whom I met in exchange student program in USA and that
kind of triggered me through having situations that I need to have physical contact with
him something very simple like sitting next to each other or holding hands made me so
nervous and uncomfortable that it made my hands and feet freezing cold. I felt guilty for
some reason. When I remembered everything I was very upset that my cousin never got
any discipline from it or even disadvantage from what he has done. I remembered more
than what he tried to do to me I realized that my parents even though I told them what
happened right after things happened they never mentioned it to me after that I
understand it is not comfortable for them to make a big problem out of it because my
cousin is the oldest and only male of the family. From my personal experience the reason
why some people suffer post-traumatic stress and some dont is because it is not triggered
by similar situations or environment that they need to remember those time of their life. If
I never had to meet a guy or liked one of them I probably would not have remembered
what has happened. I do think if the patient is already experiencing disadvantages
because of his or her trauma from the past it is Important for them to remember and try to
find out more about it and face the truth. The reason is because if you know you will have
to keep facing this similar situation and that troubles you it wont cure itself without
knowing and solving the root of it. However, if there are no symptoms at all from the
trauma necessity one does not have to force to remember something harsh.

6. Do you believe that very many so-called cases of multiple personalities (Dissociative
Identity Disorder) are faked? Why or why not? Does this disorder seem to be a genuine
possibility to you? Why?
I do not think that it is important to know whether or not the person is faking the
symptom. If we related to another disorder such as conversion disorder, which is a
disorder in which a person has blindness, paralysis, or other nervous system symptoms
that cannot be explained by medical evaluation, it is similarly treated as if the patient is
lying. The patient is a liar only if your definition of illness is only when there is a proof of
physical injury but we are discussing about a mental illness and psychology is a study of
understanding a human mind. Division between fake and real is a wrong approach
because the human mind does not work so crisp and clear as the physical body. If the
patient is experiencing pain or losing control of their identity and believes that another

identity is taking control over their physical body it is a true symptom. We can consider
that it may be the patients own belief but that belief itself is a true symptom.
Understanding ones mind is best achieved when the spectator is believing what the
person believes and looks through their perception of the world and expends the
consensus between them.