1.1 defining and supporting psychological development Flashcards
what’s typical behaviour?
Behaviour that would usually (typically) occur and is appropriate and expected given the situation
is there a clear line between typical and atypical psychological development?
no
what’s atypical behaviour?
it differs markedly in some way from what is expected in a given situation
what are social norms?
Widely held standards that govern what people should and should not do in different situations, especially in relation to others.
what are cultural norms?
Generally, each culture and ethnic group within that culture has its own set of norms about what is considered acceptable behaviour.
what’s statistical rarity?
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.
what’s personal distress?
- 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.
limitation of using personal distress as a perspective to determine typical and atypical behaviour?
The experience of distress is highly variable among individuals.
what’s adaptive behaviour?
any behaviour that enables the individual to adjust to the environment appropriately and effectively
what’s maladaptive behaviour?
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
examples of maladaptive behaviour?
phobias and OCD
how is maladaptive behaviour described?
often described in times of a scale (minor-major severity)
definition of normality?
no set definition
if there’s no definition, how is normality identified and described?
psychologists focus on the concept, or ‘idea’, of normality, how it can be recognised, and key characteristics for doing so
normality is used to refer to ___
- 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
criteria of normality?
- 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
is being abnormal negative?
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
what is neurotypicality?
means being neurologically typical
the word neurotypicality is used to describe …
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.
what’s neurodiversity?
used to describe people whose neurological development and cognitive functioning are atypical
are neurodivergent people in the general population normal? Why?
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
are people with intellectual disabilities neurodivergent?
Yes. Individuals diagnosed with an intellectual disability may be described as neurodivergent or having a form of neurodivergence.
What is an intellectual disability?
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.
the term “neurodivergence” recognises that…
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.
examples of neurodivergence
Autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and dyslexia
