Abnormal Psychology:pop Culture

Abnormal Psychology: Pop Culture

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Abnormal Psychology: Pop Culture

In asking the question of what abnormal psychology is really supposed to be, it makes sense that we must first quickly think about the very definition of our word “abnormal . By all rights, is a remarkably puzzling word that is very dependent on what is called “normality . Both terms may justifiably change fundamentally from one era to another and one culture to a different one. How then do we choose upon what is abnormal and what is normal? Of course, this is much more of a philosophical issue than a psychological one. For logical reasons of practicability, it is essential to generate an approximately uniform definition of abnormal psychology that we can more or less decide upon as a cluster of caregivers. This general definition would obviously be typical in its nature, but the shared definition of the subject of abnormal psychology habitually looks something like this: Abnormal psychology is the research of behavior designs that deviate widely from usually acknowledged norms, particularly those of a compulsive nature (Medved, M.L.,2008). Nevertheless, when it comes to popular culture and reality television, how do these shows depicted abnormal behavior. In this essay I will discuss how a reality TV show called “Jersey Show” depicts abnormal psychology.

Reality shows are an abnormal, flawed vision of human nature in action, chiefly the MTV real world experimentations in which a group of strangers, combined only by their age and involvement in a nuanced subgroup of America are thrown under one roof for so many months and then forced not only to live with each other but to expose their souls on national television in front of the whole world. The newest segment is the Jersey Shore and features three females and four males who are all in their early twenties that are representing a cultural synthesis of hip-hop, contemporary Italian-Americanism and Jersey Shore-ism. Reality TV endorses the poorest values and potentials in people — and conceals them all as entertainment. To a lot of experts in psychology, Reality TV has made the Seven Deadly Sins — pride, avarice, envy, wrath, lust, gluttony, and sloth-attributes to be respected. Throw in deceit, selfishness, spite, and revenge –all potentials seen regularly on reality TV — and you have the representation of the worst kind of individual on Earth. Reality TV makes heroic definitely unheroic values, behavior and characters.

Impulsive Behavior

Impulsivity is a propensity to act quickly without thinking about the outcomes of your actions. Impulsive behavior typically happens in reaction to some event that has produced you to have some kind of response that is emotional. In Jersey Shore, there are several that have this order but exhibit them in the following categories: Promiscuous sex, yelling, shouting, or screaming at others and getting in physical fights with people.

When it comes to erotic conduct, a large section of the show is devoted to hooking up with women and having tons of sex, even though these women are sometimes indicated to as “grenades.” A grenade is an unappealing woman and the term comes from the idea of a wingman that is enthusiastic to fall on a grenade so his friend can score a hotter chick. On the show castmate Pauly D, a disc jockey who summons from Rhode Island, is frequently falling on grenades as the crew endeavors to find an even better looking woman each night to have constant addictive sex. Let us take the character named Snooki for instance. She is known as Daddy’s Little Girl on the show but has issues with having outrageous sex. She is so desperate for love and warmth that draws her into this place. However, Snooki over-plays her hand and accomplishes to push the group away with thoughtless, overly- destructive moves.

In the very first episode, her concern to develop hyper-fast friendships soon leads to getting too drunk, which leads to an effort to get too comfortable with people she just met, which leads to a public perception that she is too annoying and eventually into nonstop sex. Then to fit in even more she leads a promiscuous life that leads to one man after another. In the mind of viewers and, this inside tug-of-war in which the desire for uncompromising approval fights a sense of entire separation is a central trait to her. In-between her one-woman dance actions at the club and one-night friendship stands (she along with a stranger that is drunk will spend a drunken night on a beach both wrapped in a blanket with a stranger but seems to do little more than talk), she pines for the ever-present love of her entangled mother and beats herself over the head with the label, ” misinterpreted outsider.”

When it comes to shouting, or screaming at others, Jersey Shore is the show to watch. However, nobody does this better than the character known as the Gentle Giant. To be honest, to others the only thing more interesting than his muscular build (he puts some lineman to disgrace) is his laugh. It is a deafening, goofy cackle that is as frequent and spontaneous as it is deactivating. On most of every episode, this young is constantly in a shouting match with his housemates ( Mandel, H.P., & Hampson, W., 2000). He has two sides to his character. At times, he is seen as the being the bigger person than anyone else in the room conjoined with his genuine and funny personality. Even to some experts, they say that he has two core things about him. He struggles to protect others and authenticate intimacy. However at other times, he is like a walking time bomb just waiting to explode. His explosions cause a constant thrash of his tongue at those that live around him causing resentment and frustration among his peers. However, even with his unbearable shouting and screaming, he successfully and effectively manages the only seriously personal relationship on the show named Sammie despite the powerful strains to live a bachelor fabulous existence.

The lifestyle that the cast have on the Jersey Shore is a very relaxed, reckless, ill-mannered, and unassertive one. However, when it comes to getting in physical fights with people, violence also plays into The Jersey Shore as J-Woww slaps. The Situation who is a character and after a big long verbal fight with a man, who happens to be Ronnie gets arrested for punching him out cold with one straight punch. Snooki gets slapped by a school teacher who becomes aggressive after being told that she cannot have free shots at a clubui. Alcohol is an everyday idea with the cast regularly getting bombarded on beers, shots and mixed drinks shots. One example is with the relationship of Ronnie and Sammi. In one episode they both got in a fight at a club (which happen every episode), then went home and continued to fight. Through shouting and tears we learn that Sammi was hurt that Ronnie was talking to another girl at the club. Ordinary because this is the pattern between Ronnie and Sammi every week (Medved, M.L.,2008). We see their intense passion for each other, then intense hatred, then the make-up snuggle.

Treatment Methods

With the constant abnormal behavior from episode to episode, there are many treatments for impulsive behavior that have components that focus on impulsivity. For example, Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) emphases on building skills that will help the cast member to decrease their impulsive behaviors (Medved, M.L., 2008). Mindfulness, which is a talent that is taught in DBT, can help those on the show to stay more aware of their actions so that they can take time to consider their consequences and their outcomes. DBT combines standard cognitive-behavioral methods for emotion adjustment and reality-testing with ideas of distress tolerance, recognition, and mindful awareness that is largely originated from Buddhist meditative custom.

Mindfulness can help those on the show to make healthier decisions about how they should and can respond to events around them. Medications may also help some of them with impulsivity, but are probably most applicable when expended in combination with psychotherapy. Mindfulness is one of the essential ideas that is behind all components of DBT. Mindfulness is the aptitude to pay attention, non- negatively, to the current moment. Mindfulness is all about living in the moment, feeling one’s emotions and senses fully, yet with viewpoint (OConnor, B., P., 2009). It is believed a basis for the other skills taught in DBT, for the reason that it helps people to tolerate and accept the powerful emotions that they may feel when confronting their habits or revealing themselves to hurtful circumstances. The concept of mindfulness and the meditative exercises that are used to teach it are originated from traditional Buddhist practice, however, the version taught in DBT does not include any religious or metaphysical ideas.

My Reflections

Some people also believe that a lot of reality shows like the Jersey Shore provides a negative effect to the most of those viewers who watch that happen to be teenagers. I believe that it endorses the partying and trashy lifestyle of the cast, and it says that it’s okay to contribute in drinking that is underage and having a lot of sexual partners. After analyzing this reality TV show, it is clear to me how the Jersey girls and guys are characterized, the standards they acquire, and the lifestyle they chose to live. The show can amuse however it is intended and may offend a lot of older audiences. For example, I really believe that MTV has an accountability to help Sammi and Ronnie. Why? Because I believe they have a responsibility to generate a forum for the young stars of the show and their viewers to discuss about what they are going through, feel and see. A long with expert psychologist, they should open up the conversation and educate more young persons about intimate partner aggression — what it is, how to identify it in their own relationship or others’, what to do about it and how to build relationships that validate mutual respect and love.

Work Cited

OW, M.G.T., KENARDY, J.A., JOHNSTON, D.W., NEWMAN, M.G., TAYLOR, C.B., & THOMSON, A. (2007). Prognostic indices with brief and standard CBT for panic disorder: I. predictors of outcome. Psychological Medicine, 37(10), 1493-9. doi:10.1017/S0033291707000670

King, S., Waschbusch, D.A., Pelham Jr., W.,E., Frankland, B.W., Andrade, B.F., Jacques, S., & Corkum, P.V. (2009). Social information processing in elementary-school aged children with ADHD: Medication effects and comparisons with typical children. Journal of Abnormal Child Psychology, 37(4), 579-89. doi:10.1007/s10802-008-9294-9

Mandel, H.P., & Hampson, W. (2000). Abnormal psychology perspectives. Canadian Psychology, 41(4), 282-284.

Medved, M.L. (2008). Essentials of abnormal psychology, first Canadian edition. Canadian Psychology, 49(1), 73-74.

OConnor, B., P. (2009). Abnormal psychology: Canadian edition. Canadian Psychology, 50(2), 110-112.