Defining Abnormality Deviation from ideal mental health

Question 1

What are the FOUR definitions of abnormality?

Answer 1

1. Statistical infrequency
2. Deviation from social norms
3. Failure to function adequately
4. Deviation from mental state

Question 2

What is Jahoda’s criteria for deviation of mental health

Answer 2

1. Positive attitudes towards the self
2. Self-actualisation of one’s potential
3. Resistance to stress
4. Personal autonomy
5. Accurate perception of reality
6. Adapting to the environment

Question 3

What are positive attitudes towards the self?

Answer 3

• Confidence
• Acceptance

Increases positive attitude as having confidence and acceptive

Question 4

What is an example of lacking positive attitudes towards the self

Answer 4

Less confidence with weight leads to consequence of eating disorder

Question 5

What is self actualisationPers of one’s potential

Answer 5

Personal growth and self-actualisation to exert to which the individual develops their full capabilities

Question 6

What is Jahoda’s criteria show?

Answer 6

Criteria for normal behaviour

Question 7

What is resistance to stress?

Answer 7

Being able to cope with stress and changes everday

Question 8

What is an example of someone lacking resistance to stress

Answer 8

Anxiety disorders and unable to deal with small amounts of stress

Question 9

What is personal autonomy?

Answer 9

Able to cope with demands yourself

e.g self-care by washing or getting dressed, get a job - gain independence

Question 10

Example of someone lacking personal autonomy

Answer 10

Depression/learning disability

Question 11

What is accurate perception of reality?

Answer 11

Recognition of your identity and where they are - real world

Question 12

Example of someone not having an accurate perception of reality

Answer 12

Body dysmorphia

OCD- Complusions

Question 13

What is adapting to the envirnoment

Answer 13

Able to meet varying demands of day to day situations

Question 14

An example of someone lacking adapting to the environment

Answer 14

Autism - set routine

can’t deal with change

Question 15

What is the deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 15

Rather than defining what is abnormal we define what is normal and anything that deviates from this is regarded as abnormal

Requires us to decide on the characteristics we consider necessary for positive mental health

Question 16

Explain at least 2 of Jahoda’s criteria and give examples of how a person would be defined as abnormal if they did not have those characteristics

Answer 16

• Positive attitudes towards self, varying from eating or undereating: eating disorder
• Accurate perception of environment: Having vivid illusions, schizophrenia - no environmental mastery

Question 17

Limitation of deviation from ideal mental health

Most people would be classed as abnormal using this criteria

Answer 17

Proves unrealistic criteria as it provides the majority to be abnormal - some point in their lives will be abnormal

Jahoda presented them to be a really ideal criteria

Ask how much to lack for them to be judged as abnormal

It is difficult to measure - this criteria is not useful

Question 18

Limitation of deviation from ideal mental health

Ideal mental health is based on Western cultures (American)

Answer 18

• Some ideas of Jahoda’s classification of ideal mental health are specific to Western European and North American cultures - not relating to collectivist cultures
• e.g emphasis on personal achievement (self-actualisation) would be consideried self-indugent in much of the world where the focus is a community rather than oneself
• Such traits are typical of individualist cultures and culturally specific

Question 19

A strength of deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 19

• Thus offers an alternative persepective on mental disorder by focusing on the positive rather than the negative (debate on desirable vs undesirable)
• Jahoda’s would be taken by mental health professionals to influence a positive psychology movements’

Question 20

Describe and evaulate TWO defintiions of abnormality (16marks)