Abnormal Psych Chapter 2

Demonology, Gods, and Magic

Early Chinese, Egyptian, Hebrew, and Greek writings attribute abnormal behavior to possession by demon or god; individuals who suffered were typically exorcised using magic, prayer, incantation, noisemaking, and use of horrible-tasting concoctions

Hippocrates’ Early Medical concepts

Contributed to a shift in understanding of mental disorders as natural, not supernatural, in origin

Plato (Greek philosopher)

Emphasized the importance of individual differences in intellectual abilities; acknowledged sociocultural influences in shaping thinking and behavior; recommended “hospital” care for those who developed beliefs counter to the broader social order

Aristotle (student of Plato)

Wrote extensively about mental disorders; most lasting contribution to psychology: descriptions of consciousness

Galen (Greek physician)

Took a scientific approach to mental health, dividing cuases into phsyical and mental categories