AS PSYCHOPATHOLOGY - DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY

Question 1

Define statistical infrequency

Answer 1

• Beh.s that are statistically rare are seen as abnormal
• Based on the normal distribution
• E.g. ppl with an IQ of less than 70 (about 2% of the population) can be treated for intellectual disability disorder

Question 2

Evaluate statistical infrequency

Answer 2

(+) Objective, clear cut so easy to decide if something’s abnormal or not
(+) Real life application; see intellectual disability disorder
(-) Not all statistically rare beh.s are considered to be abnormal e.g. a particularly high IQ
(-) Not all abnormal beh.s are stat rare e.g. depression, anxiety

Question 3

Describe deviation from social norms

Answer 3

Those who go against the unwritten rules of society are considered abnormal, as most of us adhere to these rules, so we decide what is abnormal as a society

Question 4

Evaluate deviation from social norms

Answer 4

(+) Distinguishes between desirable and undesirable beh.s, unlike statistical infrequency
(-) Social norms change over time
(-) Social norms are inconsistent across cultures
(+) Real life application; one symptom for antisocial personality disorder is a failure to conform to society’s general moral standards; society determines some ppl as psychopathic based on its own std.s

Question 5

Describe failure to function adequately

Answer 5

Someone who’s unable to cope with demands of everyday life i.e. hygiene, relationships, jobs, nutrition, is considered to be abnormal

Question 6

Evaluate failure to function adequately

Answer 6

(+) Acknowledges the patient’s experience, and can sometimes help ppl to see where they need help
(-) Hard to distinguish bet. failure to function adequately and deviation from social norms
(-) One person has to decide whether the patient is actually failing to function adequately (i.e. a psychiatrist) which can become subjective
(-) Labelling someone as failing to function adequately can be more damaging than useful; that label may stay with them for life and harm future job opportunities, and may also add to negative self schemas, as they may feel they are not good enough

Question 7

Describe deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 7

Jahoda (1958) put froward a long list of criteria for what she considered to be ideal mental health, and if one or more are not met, then the person is considered abnormal. Examples include:

• no symptoms of distress
• ability to self actualise
• free from guilt
• good self esteem
• independent from others

Question 8

Evaluate deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 8

(+) A very comprehensive list which acts as a good tool for thinking about mental health
(-) By these std.s, we’re all abnormal; the std.s set by Jahoda are too high for most ppl to meet
(-) Some criteria are specific to Western cultures and may not apply in collectivist cultures, e.g. ability to self actualise may be seen as self-indulgent in collectivist cultures as it doesn’t benefit the community/group as a whole, just that one person; culturally biased