4.1: The failure to function adequately definition

Question 1

Failure to function adequately

Answer 1

Failure to function adequately is:

1. Distress leading to dysfunction
2. An inability to cope with day-to-day living

Question 2

The failure to function adequately definition sees individuals as abnormal when their behaviour suggests that they cannot cope with their ability to do what?

Answer 2

The failure to function adequately definition sees individuals as abnormal when their behaviour suggests that they cannot cope with their ability to conduct day-to-day tasks

Question 3

The failure to function adequately definition sees individuals as abnormal when their behaviour suggests that they cannot cope with their ability to conduct day-to-day tasks.
Example

Answer 3

For example, if you are feeling depressed, you cannot cope, because you may not be able to:
1. Go to work
Or.
2. Conduct satisfying interpersonal relationships

Question 4

The failure to function adequately definition sees individuals as abnormal when their behaviour suggests that they cannot cope with their ability to conduct day-to-day tasks.
For example, if you are feeling depressed, you cannot cope, because you may not be able to go to work or conduct satisfying interpersonal relationships.
When any disorder interferes with an individual’s ability to conduct day-to-day tasks, then that behaviour is seen as abnormal.
Such people are often characterised by not being able to experience the usual range of emotions or behaviours.
What does the failure to function adequately definition focus on?

Answer 4

The failure to function adequately definition focuses on individual suffering

Question 5

The failure to function adequately definition sees individuals as abnormal when their behaviour suggests that they cannot cope with their ability to conduct day-to-day tasks.
For example, if you are feeling depressed, you cannot cope, because you may not be able to go to work or conduct satisfying interpersonal relationships.
When any disorder interferes with an individual’s ability to conduct day-to-day tasks, then that behaviour is seen as abnormal.
Such people are often characterised by not being able to experience the usual range of emotions or behaviours.
The failure to function adequately definition focuses on individual suffering, so what does it draw attention to?

Answer 5

The failure to function adequately definition focuses on individual suffering, so it draws attention to the personal experiences associated with mental disorders

Question 6

Who (what year) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features?

Answer 6

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features

Question 7

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as what?

Answer 7

The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal

Question 8

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
What are the 7 features of personal dysfunction?

Answer 8

The 7 features of personal dysfunction are:

1. Personal distress
2. Maladaptive behaviour
3. Unpredictability
4. Irrationality
5. Observer discomfort
6. Violation of moral standards
7. Unconventionality

Question 9

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
1. Personal distress is a key feature of abnormality, including what?

Answer 9

Personal distress is a key feature of abnormality, including:
1. Depression
2. Anxiety
disorders

Question 10

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
2. What is maladaptive behaviour?

Answer 10

Maladaptive behaviour is behaviour stopping individuals from achieving life goals, both:

1. Socially
2. Occupationally

Question 11

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
3. Unpredictability is displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by what?

Answer 11

Unpredictability is displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by loss of control

Question 12

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
3. Unpredictability is displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by loss of control, like what?

Answer 12

Unpredictability is displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by loss of control, like attempting suicide after failing a test

Question 13

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
4. Irrationally is displaying behaviour that cannot be what?

Answer 13

Irrationally is displaying behaviour that cannot be explained in a rational way

Question 14

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
5. What is observer discomfort?

Answer 14

Observer discomfort is displaying behaviour causing discomfort to others

Question 15

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
6. What is violation of moral standards?

Answer 15

Violation of moral standards is displaying behaviour violating society’s moral standards

Question 16

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
7. Unconventionality is displaying what behaviours?

Answer 16

Unconventionality is displaying unconventional behaviours

Question 17

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
To assess how well individuals cope with everyday life, what do clinicians use?

Answer 17

To assess how well individuals cope with everyday life, clinicians use the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF)

Question 18

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features.
The more an individual has, the more they are classed as abnormal.
The 7 features of personal dysfunction are personal distress, maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, irrationality, observer discomfort, violation of moral standards and unconventionality.
To assess how well individuals cope with everyday life, clinicians use the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF), which does what?

Answer 18

To assess how well individuals cope with everyday life, clinicians use the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF), which rates their level of:
1. Social
2. Occupational
3. Psychological
functioning

Question 19

Strengths:
1. Matches sufferers’ perceptions.
As most people seeking clinical help believe that they are suffering from psychological problems that interfere with the ability to function properly, it supports the definition.
2. Assesses the degree of abnormality.
As the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF) is scored on a continuous scale, it allows clinicians to see the degree to which individuals are abnormal and thus decide who needs psychiatric help.
3. Observable behaviour.
It allows judgement by others of whether individuals are functioning properly, because it focuses on observable behaviours.
4. Checklist.
The failure to function adequately definition provides a practical checklist that individuals can use to assess their level of abnormality.
5. Personal perspective.
It recognises the personal experience of sufferers and thus allows mental disorders to be regarded how?

Answer 19

It:

1. Recognises the personal experience of sufferers
2. Thus allows mental disorders to be regarded from the perception of the individuals suffering them

Question 20

Weaknesses:
1. Abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction.
Psychopaths, people with dangerous personality disorders, can cause great harm, yet still appear normal.
Harold Shipman, the English doctor who murdered at least 215 of his patients over a 23 year period, seemed to be a respectable doctor.
He was abnormal, but didn’t display features of dysfunction.
2. Subjective nature of the features of dysfunction.
Although the Global Assessment of Functioning scale (GAF) measures the levels of functioning, it doesn’t consider behaviour from an individual’s perspective.
What is normal behaviour for an eccentric person, like wearing flamboyant clothes, is abnormal for an introvert.
It may be the case that apparently dysfunctional behaviour is actually adaptive and functional for the specific individual.
For example, cross dressers may cross dress for a living, but yet transvestism is generally regarded as abnormal.
3. Normal abnormality.
There are times in people’s lives when it is normal to suffer distress, like when loved ones die.
Grieving is psychologically healthy to overcome loss and the failure to function adequately definition doesn’t consider this.
4. Distress to others.
Behaviour may cause distress to other people and be regarded as dysfunctional, while the person in question feels no distress, like Stephen Gough, the naked rambler.
Is it the individual concerned who defines their own behaviour as abnormal or are they actually quite content with the situation, but others are uncomfortable and define the behaviour as abnormal?
For example, many schizophrenic people do not feel that they have a problem, but others describe their behaviours as erratic and distressing.
5. Personally rewarding abnormality.
An individual’s apparently dysfunctional behaviour may actually be rewarding.
For example, a person’s eating disorder can bring affection and attention from others.
6. Cultural differences and cultural relativism.
What is considered ‘normal functioning’ varies from culture to culture and so abnormal functioning of one culture should not be used to judge people’s behaviour from other cultures.
Behaviours relate to how each culture expects one to live their life.
This is likely to end up with different diagnoses from different cultures for the same behaviours, so the failure to function adequately definition isn’t reliable.

Answer 20

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