definition of abnormalities Flashcards
what are the 4 definitions of abnormalities
Deviation from social norms
Failure to function adequately
Statistical infrequency
Deviation from ideal mental health
Deviation from social norms
Social norms are the expected rules of behaviour in society. They differ between cultures and between the same culture at different periods in time. we can define abnormalities that deviates from these social norms
Strengths of the deviation from social norms definition:
social norms are flexible to account for the individual and situation. For example, throwing tantrums and hitting people is socially normal for a toddler, but would be a sign of mental disorder in adulthood. Similarly, walking around naked in your house might be normal, but walking around naked in the street would be a sign of mental disorder.
Weaknesses of the deviation from social norms definition
Social norms are not objective facts that definitively say which behaviours are most healthy, but instead are subjective (and somewhat arbitrary) rules created by other people.
Failure to function adequately
This means a person is unable to navigate everyday life or behave in the necessary ways to live a ‘normal’ life.
Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) identify various features of dysfunction, including:
(failure to function adequately)
Personal distress
Maladaptive behaviour
Irrationality
Unpredictability
Discomfort to others
Statistical infrequency
It defines abnormality as statistically rare characteristics and behaviours. The further a characteristic or behaviour is from the mathematical average, the more rare or statistically infrequent it is.
Strengths of the failure to function definition:
The majority of people who seek clinical help for psychological disorders do so because they believe the disorder is affecting their ability to function normally. So, this definition is well-supported by the individuals themselves who suffer from mental disorders.
Weaknesses of the failure to function definition:
Not everyone who is unable to function is suffering from a mental disorder. In some contexts, psychologically healthy people may (temporarily) be unable to function adequately. For example, a person who has just lost a close friend or relative may be unable to go to work or have fun with friends due to the grief they are feeling.
Strengths of the statistical infrequency definition
Statistical infrequency provides a clear and objective way of determining whether something is abnormal or not. It is not just the subjective opinion of one person, but something that can be measured and quantified.
Statistical infrequency does not imply any value judgements, i.e. whether something is good or bad.
Weaknesses of the statistical infrequency definition
Infrequency does not always mean abnormality or mental disorder. For example, having an IQ above 140 is statistically infrequent, but it’s not a mental disorder and is actually quite desirable.
Some psychological disorders are difficult to measure objectively and thus difficult to quantify as statistically infrequent.
Deviation from ideal mental health
The idea is that there are various theoretical descriptions of ‘normality’ and if someone does not fit within this theoretical idea of normality their behaviour is abnormal.
Strengths of the deviation from ideal mental health definition:
The deviation from ideal mental health definition provides a positive goal to strive towards: Rather than focusing on what is ‘abnormal’ or ‘undesirable’, this definition focuses on what is optimal and desirable and aims towards that.
Weaknesses of the deviation from ideal mental health definition:
Too idealistic. Very few people meet all of Jahoda’s 6 criteria all the time. For example, many people have times when they lack self-esteem, and very few people are self-actualising all the time. So, according to this definition, most people are psychologically unhealthy or ‘abnormal’.
