4.1.4 DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY

Question 1

how many definitions of abnormality are there and what are they?

Answer 1

1) statistical infrequency
2) deviation from societal norms
3) failure to function adequately
4) deviation from ideal mental health

Question 2

what is abnormality?

Answer 2

• means deviating from the average (norm)
• any rare behaviour / ability would be abnormal

Question 3

what is psychopathology?

Answer 3

• ‘psycho’ = refers to the mind
• ‘pathology’ = refers to disease
• field of study that deals with mental, emotional and behavioural problems
• involves research into:
  -> the diagnosis
  -> classification
  -> causation
  -> prevention
  -> treatment of psychological disorders

Question 4

what is statistical infrequency?

Answer 4

• looks at behaviours through statistics
• measuring which behaviours are statistically normal and abnormal
• statistical rare behaviour is seen as abnormal

Question 5

statistically rare behaviours are dependent on normal distribution
what is this?

Answer 5

most ppl are around the mean (average) of the normal distribution with rare behaviours further away, either above or below the mean

eg
- if a person has an IQ lower than 70, they’re classed as abnormal and suffering from a mental/psychological disorder

eg) 1 in 100 suffer from schizophrenia

Question 6

what are some strengths of statistical infrequency?

Answer 6

• objective measurement of measuring abnormality
• no judgements made about the person with the abnormality
  -> they just fall outside a statistical range
• the graphs used to plot standard deviation are based on real data
  -> therefore should be unbiased

Question 7

what are some limitations of statistical infrequency?

Answer 7

• some conditions like depression are seen as psychopathologies
  -> but they’re so common in our society
  -> feels wrong to state it as statistically infrequent
• therefore not all abnormalities are statistically infrequent
  -> equally, not all statistical infrequencies are abnormal
  ie) having a high IQ

Question 8

what does the bell curve look like?

Answer 8

Question 9

what is deviation from social norms?

Answer 9

• society has unwritten rules which we call ‘norms’
• this is one way to define abnormal behaviour
  -> variation from these norms
  -> the definition has a clear line between desirable and undesirable behaviours
  -> those demonstrating undesirable are social deviants
• interferes with everyday life
• social norms are specific to the culture we’re currently living in
  -> often different for different generations and cultures
  eg) homosexuality is still deemed abnormal + illegal in some cultures

Question 10

what are some strengths of deviation from social norms definition?

Answer 10

1) comprehensive
- covers broad range of criteria
- most of which is why someone would seek help from mental health services / to be referred for help
- makes it a good tool for thinking about mental health

2) developmental norms
- allows for these
eg) may be normal for a 1yr old to be carried everywhere by parents, but this would be abnormal if it was a 50yr old

3) protects society
- looks at an individual’s abnormal behaviour and seeks to protect society from it

4) distinguishes between normal and abnormal
- has clear indication of what’s considered normal and abnormal as most of us understand and are aware of social norms in our own culture

5) helps ppl
- allows society to get involved in individuals abnormal behaviour + help them when they may not be able to seek / identify the help they need

Question 11

what are some limitations of deviation from social norms definition?

Answer 11

1) doesn’t explain abnormality changing over time

2) ethnocentric
- based on western societal norms + reflects the majority, which is a white population
- Cochrane (1977) found that in Britain, black ppl were more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than white ppl
-> this wasn’t in countries with a majority black population like Jamaica
- suggests there’s a diagnostic bias

3) cultural differences
- doesn’t make it clear how to deal w cultural differences in normal + abnormal behaviour

4) individualism
- doesn’t account for those who don’t conform to social norms but aren’t abnormal
- like those that are individualistic / eccentric in their behaviour

5) social norms can vary over time
- behaviour that would’ve been defined as abnormal in 1 era is no longer defined as abnormal in another
eg) drink driving was seen as acceptable but is now socially unacceptable

6) unrealistic
- most ppl don’t meet all the ideal because few ppl experience personal growth all the time
- may be ideals rather than actualities

7) culturally specific
- this definition is specific for western cultures
- collectivist cultures would see autonomy as undesirable
- social norms can vary from culture to culture
- is an example of cultural relativism

Question 12

what does the failure to function adequately definition mean?

Answer 12

• states individuals are abnormal and cannot cope with everyday life
• causes stress + inability to function properly
• abnormal behaviours include:
  -> distress leading to not being able to function
  -> behaviour that interrupts ability to walk or go to school

Question 13

what did Rosenhan and Seligman suggest?

Answer 13

1989
- suggest that personal dysfunction has 7 features
- the more features an individual has, the more they’re classed as abnormal

Question 14

what are the 7 features of personal dysfunction?

Answer 14

1) personal distress
2) maladaptive behaviour
3) unpredictability
4) irrationality
5) observer discomfort
6) violations of moral standards
7) unconventionality

Question 15

what is personal distress?

Answer 15

• displaying behaviour which causes personal stress to sufferer
  eg) not being able to hold down a job and therefore having a limited income

Question 16

what is maladaptive behaviour?

Answer 16

• displaying behaviour stopping individuals from attaining life goals both socially + occupationally

Question 17

what is unpredictability?

Answer 17

• displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by loss of control
  eg) quitting a course after 1 bad mark in a test

Question 18

what is irrationality?

Answer 18

• displaying behaviour that cannot be explained rationally

Question 19

what is observer discomfort?

Answer 19

• displaying behaviour causes discomfort to observers
  eg) not keeping good hygiene so it’s unpleasant to be around that person

Question 20

what are violations of moral standards?

Answer 20

• displaying behaviour violating social norms
  eg) loudly talking to oneself, loudly in the street

Question 21

what is unconventionality?

Answer 21

• displaying unconventional behaviours

Question 22

what are some strengths of the failure to function adequately definition?

Answer 22

1) observable behaviour
- focuses on behaviours which can be observed in the individual
- allows others to judge if the individual appears to have abnormal behaviours

2) checklist
- provides individuals with a practical checklist to check their behaviour

3) personal perspective
- allows the individual to have their own perspective of the mental disorder by recognising the personal experience of those suffering

4) represents a threshold for help
- provides a clear criteria for when individuals need professional help

Question 23

what are some limitations of the failure to function adequately definition?

Answer 23

1) discrimation
- labels individuals who make unusual life choices
eg) those who complete unusual spiritual activities / base jumpers as abnormal
- discriminates against those cultures who make different life choices
eg) travellers, who may not live at a permanent address + choose not to work

2) abnormality is awful
- doesn’t consider when it’s normal to behave abnormally
eg) at the loss of a loved one, through a divorce, taking exams

3) abnormality + dysfunction don’t always go together
- doesn’t explain ppl with dangerous personality disorders
- such as psychopaths, who can appear normal
eg) Harold Shipman a respected doctor who killed over 200 patients but was seen as respectable

4) FFA may not be limited to abnormality but to other factors
- failure to keep a job may be due to the economic situation not the psychopathology
- FFA is context dependent
-> not eating can be seen as failing to function adequately
-> could be prisoners on hunger strikes making a protest can be seen differently

5) cultural relativism
- what may be seen as functioning adequately in 1 culture may not be in another
- likely to result in different diagnoses in different cultures

Question 24

what is the deviation from ideal mental health definition?

Answer 24

• assesses mental health in the same way physical health is assessed
• (once it’s established how individuals should look when they’re psychologically healthy)
• those who deviate from this ideal mental health can be identified as abnormal

Question 25

what did Marie Jahoda suggest?

Answer 25

that there are 6 characteristics an individual should display if they have an idea of mental health

Question 26

what are the 6 characteristics an individual should display if they have an idea of mental health?

Answer 26

1) positive attitudes towards one’s self
2) self actualisation
3) autonomy
4) integration
5) accurate perception
6) environment mastery

Question 27

what does ‘positive attitudes towards one’s self’ mean?

Answer 27

• high levels of self-esteem and a strong sense of identity
• knowing where you fit in the world

Question 28

what does ‘self actualisation’ mean?

Answer 28

• personal growth and development
• developing yourself and achieving the goals you set yourself in life
  eg) completing your exams to the best of your ability / buying a house / getting your dream job

Question 29

what does ‘autonomy’ mean?

Answer 29

• the ability to act indecently from others
• self regulation
• being bale to work on your own and work out problems that may arise
• if you were left on your own, you’d be okay and would be able to work things out for yourself

Question 30

what does ‘integration’ mean?

Answer 30

• resisting stress and being able to cope in stressful situations
• although we all face stressful situations, most should have the ability to accept and deal with them
• coping with tight deadlines, celebrations and moving house

Question 31

what does ‘accurate perception’ mean?

Answer 31

• having a realistic view of the world and not a distorted view
• understanding how the world works
  eg) if you were to be unsuccessful at a job interview, you could see that it may be that the other candidate was a better fit for the job and it’s not about you as a person

Question 32

what does ‘environment mastery’?

Answer 32

• meeting the demand of the environment and situation you’re in and adapting to this
• this is the ability to adapt to your different environments and act accordingly in them
  eg) in a romantic relationship, being loving with your partner whilst at work, maintaining professional relationships with your boss

Question 33

what are some strengths of the deviation from ideal mental health definition?

Answer 33

1) positive approach
- focuses on positive behaviours and what’s desirable instead of undesirable behaviours

2) consistent
- provides a consistent and standardised measurement for those looking at both positive and negative mental health

3) holistic
- looks at the whole person and their behaviour instead of focusing on singular behaviours
- means it’s a holistic approach to diagnosing mental health issues

4) comprehensive
- includes a range of reasons as to why individuals may need help with their mental health
- also includes a range of criteria for distinguishing mental health from illnesses

Question 34

what are some limitations of the deviation from ideal mental health definition?

Answer 34

1) subjective criteria
- tried to treat mental health in the same way as physical health
- but mental health is much more subjective and needs to be looked at in context of the patient
- diagnosing a patient with mental health is more complex than self questionnaires

2) cultural specific
- specific for western cultures
- collectivist cultures would see autonomy as undesirable

3) over-demanding criteria
- doesn’t take into account that the criteria are often hard to achieve consistently / all of the time
eg) most ppl don’t always have personal development/growth
- using this definition, this makes them abnormal

4) changes over time
- doesn’t account for changes over time, behaviours that were once seen as normal are abnormal + vice versa