Emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions you usually encounter before and during your exams? In other words, what changes do you notice in your body, emotions, behavior, and thoughts? Psychologists recommend several strategies to cope with stress, including emotional, behavioral, cognitive, emotion-focused, and problem-focused methods. Which strategies do you currently use during exam time? Which methods would you consider incorporating in the future?
In a multi-paragraph (5) essay, first describe your physiological, emotional, behavioral, and cognitive reactions to the stressor of taking exams, and then discuss two strategies (emotional, behavioral, or cognitive) that you might use to cope more effectively. Be sure to include details from class materials, readings, and research to support your discussion.
Abnormal Psych: Myths
For centuries, people have believed myths and misconceptions about psychological disorders and the people who suffer from them. Modern psychological research has allowed us to correct some of these misconceptions. As a result, many people have changed their ideas about mental and emotional disorders. Think of a common misconception you have observed in society or in your personal experience. How could information from research be used to change people's views of psychological disorders? How can this information help us to better understand people who experience mental and emotional disorders?
In a multi-paragraph (5) essay, describe the misconception you observed and discuss how information from research could be used to change this misconception about psychological disorders and the people who suffer from them. Be sure to include details from class materials, readings, and research on psychological disorders to support your discussion.
Sample Answer
The Stigma of Violence: Dispelling the Schizophrenia Misconception
For centuries, psychological disorders have been shrouded in superstition, fear, and misinformation, leading to deep-seated myths that continue to fuel social stigma. One of the most damaging misconceptions observed in contemporary society—perpetuated heavily by sensationalized media and film—is the belief that individuals suffering from severe mental illnesses, particularly schizophrenia, are inherently violent, unpredictable, and a danger to the public. This myth portrays psychological disorders not as medical conditions, but as moral failings or indicators of criminal intent, causing profound societal harm by isolating those in need of treatment and discouraging them from seeking necessary help. To correct this deeply ingrained view, modern psychological and psychiatric research provides robust, quantifiable data that directly refutes the link between mental illness and propensity for violence.
The misconception stems largely from a fundamental misunderstanding of the disorder’s core symptoms. Schizophrenia is characterized by a breakdown of thought processes and emotional responsiveness, manifesting as hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and negative symptoms like flat affect or avolition. The public often conflates the terrifying, albeit private, experience of a delusion—such as believing one is being persecuted—with aggressive intent toward others. Media tropes frequently feature characters with psychotic traits as the primary villains, leading to a cognitive shortcut where “mental illness” equals “menace.” The resulting widespread fear causes employers, landlords, and even family members to distance themselves, thereby creating the very isolation and marginalization that can exacerbate symptoms and complicate recovery.
Information derived from large-scale epidemiological studies and longitudinal research provides the crucial evidence needed to dismantle this harmful myth. Research consistently demonstrates that the vast majority of people with schizophrenia and other serious mental illnesses are not violent. In fact, they are significantly more likely to be victims of violent crime than the general population, highlighting their vulnerability rather than their danger. When violence does occur in individuals with mental illness, researchers have