The biopsychosocial approach was proposed initially as an alternative to the biomedical approach for the investigation of the origin of abnormal psychological functioning (cf. Engel, 1977). The biomedical approach concentrated on specifically biological sources, such as abnormal genes, injury (particularly brain damage associated with premature birth, perinatal complications, postnatal accidents, or abuse), or exposure to pathogens in order to predict differences in functioning. The biopsychosocial approach added social and societal factors to the biological account. The social factors included not only the influences of parental care, peers, and adult models, but also psychological factors such as personal experiences, memories, and the interrelations among the psychological functions of language, cognition, and emotion. Societal factors included socioeconomic status, the media, formal schooling, and cultural traditions, pressures, and expectations. The biopsychosocial approach proposed that all of these factors should be considered when predicting individual differences in the well-being and psychological functioning of the individual (Borrel-Carrió, Suchman, & Epstein, 2004; Engel, 1977, 1980). Both approaches had the "medical" focus of identifying predictors of subsequent "abnormal" functioning for the purpose of rehabilitation and/or prevention.