Abnormalities Flashcards
Deviation from Social norms
Abnormal behaviour is that which goes against the unwritten rules in a given society or culture.
Social norms- standards of acceptable behaviour created by a social group and adhered by all who are socialised into that group
Limitations of deviation from social norms
-sometimes it can be beneficial to break social norms e.g.sufgratees
-social norms of society change over time
-not always have mental health consequences, may jus be eccentric
Failure to function adequately
Abnormal behaviour is that which causes an inability to cope with everyday life.disrupt ability to work /relationships
7 features of personal dysfunction (rosehan +seligman)
(More u have , more abnormal)
1)Personal distress - feeling sad, anxious , worried
2)Maladaptive behaviour - behaviour stopping individuals from attaining life goals
3)Unpredictability- displaying unexpected behaviours characteristics by the loss of control
4)Irrationality-displaying behaviours which can’t be explained in logical way
5)Observer discomfort - causes discomfort
6)Violation of moral standards - displaying behaviour which violates society’s ethical standards
7)Unconventionality-displaying behaviour which doesn’t conform to what is generally done in that situation
+ of failure to function adequately
-this definition of abnormality recognises patients perspective
Deviation from ideal mental health
Behaviour is abnormal if it fails to meet prescribed criteria for psychological normality.
Ideal mental health (jahoda)
Six characteristics that individuals should exhibit in order to be classed as ‘normal’
Absence of them = abnormal
6 charcteristics of ideal mental health
1)positive attitude towards oneself- having self respect, high self esteem , confidence + positive self concept
2)Self actualisation - experience personal growth + development reach full potential
3)Autonomy- being independent, self-reliant + able to make personal decisions for oneself
4)Resistance to stress - having effective coping strategies able to manage everyday situations
5)Accurate perception of reality - perceiving the world in a non-distorted fashion +having realistic view of world
6)Environmental mastery- being competent in all aspects of life + the ability to meet the demands of any situation and the flexibility to adapt to changing life circumstances.
Limitations of deviation from ideal mental health
-demanding + unrealistic criteria.most ppl don’t meet all ideals
-many of criteria vague + difficult to measure
-crtieria can be accused of cultural bias.
Collectivist cultures emphasise communal goals and regard autonomy as undesirable unlike individualistic cultures , ppl from other cultures may be seen as abnormal
+ of deviation from ideal mental health
-this definition of abnormality is a positive, holistic approach to diagnosis
Comprehensive criteria is based on similar models for physical health , physical health may not be the same as mentalhealth
Statisticial infrequency
Abnormal behaviour is that which is statistically rare
Instances of abnormalities would lie at both extremes of a normal distribution
Limitations of statistical infrequency
-many rare behaviours or characteristics have no bearing on normality or abnormality
-some psychological disorders are not statistically rare, still a problem eg depression
-fails to account for behaviour that is statistically rare but desirable eg high IQ
