Defining Abnormality Flashcards
Abnormality types
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from social norms
Deviation from ideal mental health
Statistical infrequency
Failure to function adequately
Unable to cope with the demands of every day life
- basic hygeine + nutrition
- standard interpersonal rules (eye contact, space)
- irrationality
- jobs
- relationships
FFA - AO3
Subjective
FFA + AO3
Takes into account the patients perspective
Deviation from Social Norms
Behaviour different from accepted standards of society
- norms which are specific to the culture we live in
DSN - AO3
- culture relativism as norms vary between cultures e.g. hearing voices abnormal in UK but could be seen as talking to the dead
- Could lead to human rights abuses: Drapetomania (black slaves escaping) and nymphomania (women attracted to lower-class men) are examples of how diagnosis was used for social control - abuse of peoples right to be different
DSN + AO3
- Face validity
Statistical Infrequency
Any behaviour uncommon in population - abnormal
- 2 standard deviations away from the mean on an inverted U
- e.g. 2% of population has an IQ of <70 which is diagnosed as an intellectual disability disorder
SI - AO3
- is high IQ actually bad?
- labelling someone when they could be perfectly happy and healthy
SI + AO3
Useful in clinical diagnosis
Deviation from Ideal Mental Health
Jahoda’s criteria for good mental health:
1. self-attitudes
2. personal growth
3. ability to cope with stress
4. ability to adapt to changing environment
5. autonomy
6. accurate perception of the world
7. accurate perception of self
DIMH - AO3
- cultural relativism - autonomy (independence) only applicable to individualist cultures
- unrealistic as we can’t meet all of them all the time
DIMH + AO3
Useful and practical as covers broard range - comprehensive
