1.1 defining and supporting psychological development

Question 1

what’s typical behaviour?

Answer 1

Behaviour that would usually (typically) occur and is appropriate and expected given the situation

Question 2

is there a clear line between typical and atypical psychological development?

Answer 2

no

Question 3

what’s atypical behaviour?

Answer 3

it differs markedly in some way from what is expected in a given situation

Question 4

what are social norms?

Answer 4

Widely held standards that govern what people should and should not do in different situations, especially in relation to others.

Question 5

what are cultural norms?

Answer 5

Generally, each culture and ethnic group within that culture has its own set of norms about what is considered acceptable behaviour.

Question 6

what’s statistical rarity?

Answer 6

assumed that any behaviour in a large group of individuals which is measured and plotted on a graph will tend to fall in the bell-shaped pattern of the normal distribution curve.

Therefore, typical and atypical behaviour can be determined by how often or how rarely they occur.

Question 7

what’s personal distress?

Answer 7

• a strong but natural psychological reaction to certain events
• if the personal distress is a reasonable response to such events and is appropriate in their culture, then it is likely to be considered typical
• If the distress is so intense, disruptive and persistent that it interferes with the person’s capacity to function adequately for a prolonged period, it is atypical as it has become a cause for concern and possibly maladaptive.

Question 8

limitation of using personal distress as a perspective to determine typical and atypical behaviour?

Answer 8

The experience of distress is highly variable among individuals.

Question 9

what’s adaptive behaviour?

Answer 9

any behaviour that enables the individual to adjust to the environment appropriately and effectively

Question 10

what’s maladaptive behaviour?

Answer 10

any behaviour that is detrimental, counterproductive or otherwise interferes with the individual’s ability to successfully adjust (‘adapt’) to the environment and fulfil their typical roles in society

Question 11

examples of maladaptive behaviour?

Answer 11

phobias and OCD

Question 12

how is maladaptive behaviour described?

Answer 12

often described in times of a scale (minor-major severity)

Question 13

definition of normality?

Answer 13

no set definition

Question 14

if there’s no definition, how is normality identified and described?

Answer 14

psychologists focus on the concept, or ‘idea’, of normality, how it can be recognised, and key characteristics for doing so

Question 15

normality is used to refer to ___

Answer 15

• most commonly used in relation to mental health and wellbeing.
• mainly refer to ways of thinking, feeling and behaving that indicate a person is able to perform everyday tasks at
  the level required to fulfil their roles in society

Question 16

criteria of normality?

Answer 16

• no disabling thoughts
• the capacity to think and act in an organised and reasonably effective manner freedom from disabling feelings, such as hopelessness and despair
• no extreme emotional distress, such as excessive anxiety and persistent upset
• the ability to cope with the ordinary demands and problems of life;
• no clear-cut symptoms of a mental health disorder, such as obsessions and phobias

Question 17

is being abnormal negative?

Answer 17

depends on what is being considered and the perspective that is adopted.

For example, in relation to mental health, abnormality usually refers to thoughts, feelings and behaviour that may be maladaptive and therefore of some concern.

But statistically, say dedicating one’s life to living among impoverished people in an isolated and hostile environment in order to help them would be abnormal

Question 18

what is neurotypicality?

Answer 18

means being neurologically typical

Question 19

the word neurotypicality is used to describe …

Answer 19

used to describe people whose neurological development and cognitive functioning are typical, conforming to what most people would consider to be normal in the general population.

Question 20

what’s neurodiversity?

Answer 20

used to describe people whose neurological development and cognitive functioning are atypical

Question 21

are neurodivergent people in the general population normal? Why?

Answer 21

The range of differences among individuals who are neurodivergent is regarded as part of the normal variation of brain development found within any group or society in general.

Considered as variation of brain development

Question 22

are people with intellectual disabilities neurodivergent?

Answer 22

Yes. Individuals diagnosed with an intellectual disability may be described as neurodivergent or having a form of neurodivergence.

Question 23

What is an intellectual disability?

Answer 23

a neurodevelopmental disorder characterised by mild to profound limitations in cognitive abilities and in skills required to function independently in everyday life, such as the adaptive behaviours described previously.

Question 24

the term “neurodivergence” recognises that…

Answer 24

The term neurodivergence recognises that many neurological disorders are disabilities, but they also represent normal human variation in the cognitive functioning of individuals within our society.

Question 25

examples of neurodivergence

Answer 25

Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia