Definitions of Abnormailty Flashcards
How can abnormality be defined?
- Deviation from Social Norms (DSN)
- Failure to Function Adequately (FFA)
- Statistical Infrequency (SI)
- Deviation from Ideal Mental Health (DIMH)
Define DSN as a definition of abnormality
• Defines abnormality that deviates the unwritten rules and norms in a given society or community.
- In any society there are social norms - standards of acceptable behaviour that are set by the social group i.e. walking 🚶🏻 down street naked 🍑.
- Sometimes these are unwritten but they are generally accepted, therefore anything that goes against these norms would be considered abnormal.
• Definition concerned with behaviour that is antisocial or undersirable.
- E.g. Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) - person with APD is impulisve, aggressive and irresonsible.
- According to Diagnostic & Statistical Manual 5 (manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose mental health disorder), an important symptom of APD is that people with APD are abnormal - don’t conform to our moral standards.
What are the Evaluation points of the DSN definition?
1) Supports general ideas of abnormality ✅
2) Social norms change over time ⛔️
3) Cultural relativity ⛔️
Outline 1) Supports general ideas of abnormailty ✅ (DSN)
Point:
Strength of DSN definition is that it has face 👩🏻 validity - supports general views that most people have of what abnormality is.
Explain:
Most individuals diagnosed with having mental disorder show behaviours that deviate from social norms.
Example:
E.g. social phobics have great fear of social situations and so avoid social situations - goes against general norms of our society.
Elaborate:
People with major depressive disorder gain little 👌🏼 enjoyment from most activities and often become disengaged from many aspects of everyday life - may ‘cut ⚔️ themselves off’ from seeing other people in which again supports the fact that its DSN.
Re-cap:
Supports general view of what abnormailty is means that its easier for individuals to apply the criteria.
Outline 2) Social norms change over time ⛔️ (DSN)
Point:
Difficulty with DSN definition is that norms defined by society are not constant but often relate to moral standards that vary over time 🕓 as social attitudes change.
Explain:
Suggests that this approach to defining abnormaity is era-dependent - behaviours that are considered abnormal now, may not be considered abnormal in the future.
Example:
Homosexuality 🏳️🌈 was once considered abnormal behaviour because it broke social norms of the day.
Elaborate:
Attitudes have changed and homosexuality 🏳️🌈 is no longer considered as abnormal behaviour - it was removed from DSM5 as a mental disorder in 1️⃣9️⃣7️⃣0️⃣.
Re-cap:
Suggests that caution needs to be taken when using DSN as way of defining abnormal behaviour because social norms change over time 🕓, therefore it challenges validity of this definition.
Outline 3) Cultural relativity ⛔️ (DSN)
Point:
limitation of DSN definition is cultural 👳🏼♀️👱🏽👱🏿♀️validity. Social norms vary tremendously from 1 community to another.
Explain:
Means that a person 🕴🏼 from 1 cultural group may label someone from another culture as behaving abnormally according to their standards of the person behaving that way.
Example:
Hearing 👂🏼 voices 🗣 is socially acceptable in some cultures but would be seen as sign of mental abnormality in UK 🇬🇧 .
Elaborate:
This creates problem for people from 1 culture living within another cultural group.
Re-cap:
Suggests that caution must be taken when defining an individual from a non-dominant culture using DSN definition.
Define FFA as a definition of abnormality
• FFA definition sees individuals as abnormal when their behaviour suggests that they cannot cope with the demands of everyday life.
- Behaviour considered abnormal when causes distress 🤦🏼♂️ leading to an inability to function properly i.e. disrupting ability to work 💼 / conduct satisfying relationships 💔.
- such people often characterised by not being able to experience usual range of emotions/behaviours.
- Key issue is that abnormal behaviour interferes with day-to-day living.
• Common example would be severe depression 🙇🏻♀️, which can lead to lack of interest - meaning that depressed person may fail to get up in morning and hold down a job.
- FFA definition focuses on individual suffering, thus drawing attention to personal experiences associated with mental disorders.
- Rosenhan & Seligman suggested characteristics of abnormal behaviour - relates to definition including irrational behaviour and observer discomfort.
- Clinicians use GLOBAL ASSESSMENT of FUNCTIONING scale (GAF) to assess how well individuals cope with everyday life. GAF rates their level of social, occupational and psychological functioning.
What are the characteristics of abnormal behaviour that Rosenhan & Seligman suggested?
> Suffering - patient may suffer as result of their condition (e.g. depression 🙇🏻) or may inflict suffering on others.
> Maladaptiveness - behaviour prevents person reaching desired goal.
> Irrational - Behaviour seems to defy logical sense.
> Observer discomfort - behaviour makes those around feel uncomfortable e.g. swearing 🔣.
> Vividness - others find behaviour odd e.g. tattoos all over body.
> Violation of moral codes - Not behaving in accordance with society’s norms e.g. public nudity 🍑.
> Unpredictability - behaviour unexpected / unpredictable.
What are the Evaluation points of the FFA definition?
1) Real life application ✅
2) Subjective judgement - who decides what is adequate ⛔️
3) Abnormality is not always associated with FFA ⛔️
Outline 1) Real life application ✅ (FFA)
Point:
Strength of FFA seems to apply the diagnosis of many disorders and an important criteria with respect to many mental disorders.
Example:
when looking at depression 🙇🏻♀️ and anxiety 😖, millions of people experience severe depression/anxiety some of the time 🕓.
Explain:
However key difference between those diagnosed with depression/anxiety as a mental disorder and the rest of population, is that those who are diagnosed, find their depression/anxiety is seriously interfering with their everyday lives, e.g. holding down a job 💼/relationship💔.
Re-cap:
This suggests that FFA definition seems to apply to people’s common sense view of what abnormality is and is therefore a useful criterion for assessing abnormality.
Outline 2) Subjective judgement - who decides what is adequate ⛔️(FFA)
Point:
Limitation of FFA definition is that in order to determine FFA, someone needs to decide what is ‘adequate’.
Explain:
Some individuals may be quite content with the situation and might be unaware that they are not coping. - It is other who are uncomfortable and judge the behaviour is abnormal.
Example:
If you take Rosenhan & Seligman’s criteria of observer discomfort, many people with schizophrenia feel they can function adequately and don’t feel as if they have a problem.
Elaborate:
However, if they demonstrate erratic behaviour this might be uncomfortable and distressing for people around them who may think that the individual is FFA.
Re-cap:
Suggests that FFA definition is subjective because it’s influenced by people’s own personal feelings of what is abnormal.
Outline 3) Abnormality 👽 is not always associated with FFA ⛔️ (FFA)
Point:
Limitation of FFA definition of abnormality is that many individuals with mental health issues can appear to lead perfectly normal lives most of the time.
Example:
E.g. Harold Shipman was a doctor 👨🏼⚕️ who was responsible for death 💀 of over 2️⃣0️⃣0️⃣ of his patients over 2️⃣3️⃣ year period.
Explain:
In spite of his appalling crimes 💉, Shipman functioned adequately and was seen to be respectable 👍🏼 doctor 👨🏼⚕️ .
Elaborate:
He was clearly abnormal, but did not display features of dysfunction and was able to escape detection for many years.
Re-cap:
Suggests that using FFA as single way of defining abnormality is inadequate.
Define SI as a definition of abnormality 👽
• Idea behind definition is that abnormal 👽 behaviour is behaviour that is rare (uncommon).
- Very few people show the behaviour / thinking 💭 , it is described as abnormal.
- Any behaviour that strays FAR from average would be seen as abnormal 👽, e.g. schizophrenia is suffered by 1 in 100 people - so its statistically infrequent.
• People 🕴🏼who use this definition, measure 📐 specific characteristics and assess how these characteristics are distributed in the general population.
- 1 way of doing this is by means of a normal distribution curve, which is bell 🔔 shaped and tells us for instance that for a given characteristic most people score around the middle (mean).
- Any individuals who fall outside the ‘normal distribution’, usually about 5% of the population are perceived as abnormal 👽
So if somebody is demonstrating behaviour at 1 extreme or the other, they would be viewed as abnormal 👽, e.g, very high/very low IQ.
What are the Evaluation points of the SI definition?
1) SI definition is objective and sometimes appropriate. ✅
2) Focuses on FREQUENCY of behaviour, NOT its desirability. ⛔️
3) Behaviours that are statistically infrequent in 1 culture may be statistically frequent in another. ⛔️
Outline 1) SI definition is objective and sometimes appropriate ✅ (SI)
Point:
Strength of SI definition is that once way of collecting data 📊 about behaviour and a ‘cut off point’ has been agreed, it becomes objective way of deciding who is abnormal 👽 & can then be used in diagnosis of disorders.
Example:
E.g. can be used to define & diagnose somebody suffering from Intellectual Disability Disorder (IDD).
Explain:
People who have an IQ in range from 85-115 are viewed as normal 🙂, only 2% have IQ below 70. Individuals scoring below ⬇️ 70 are rare and therefore labelled as having IDD.
Elaborate:
All assessment of patients with mental disorders includes some kind of measurement of how severe their symptoms are compared to statistical norms (as distinct from social norms).
Re-cap:
Therefore, suggests that the SI definition is useful part of clinical 🔬 assessment.
Outline 2) Focuses on FREQUENCY of behaviour, NOT its desirability. ⛔️ (SI)
Point:
Limitation of SI definition is that there are many abnormal 👽behaviours that are actually infrequent but desirable.
Example:
Very low IQ is statistically just as abnormal 👽as very high IQ, but its desirable to have very high IQ; very few people have an IQ over 150, yet we wouldn’t say that having a high IQ is undesirable.
Explain:
Equally, there are some normal 🙂 behaviours that are infrequent but desirable. E.g. experiencing depression 🙇🏻♀️ is relatively common, yet its undesirable.
Elaborate:
Therefore using SI to define abnormality means that we are unable to distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviours.
Re-cap:
In order to identify behaviours that need treatment, there needs to be a means of identifying infrequent and undesirable behaviour.
Outline 3) Behaviours that are statistically infrequent in 1 culture may be statistically frequent in another. ⛔️ (SI)
Point:
Limitation is that psychological disorders appear to be infrequent in some ethnic groups, but this may simply reflect a reluctance to seek professional 🕵🏻 help, owning to cultural beliefs.
Example:
Depression 🙇🏻♀️, a frequently diagnosed disorder in Western 🤠 Culture, appears to be absent in Asian 🎎 cultures.
Explain:
A general explanation for this has been that Asian 🎎 people tend to live within extended families with ready access to social support.
Elaborate:
However, Rack 1982 claims that depression 🙇🏻♀️ is equally common among the Asian 🎎population, but they tend to consult the doctor 👨🏼⚕️ for physical problems and rarely with ‘emotional distress’ they do not see this as a responsibility of the doctor 👨🏼⚕️ instead sort it out within the family 👨👩👧👦.
Re-cap:
Therefore SI merely reflects the statistical likelihood of seeking professional help, rather than an indication of whether a disorder is present or absent in a particular culture.
Define DIMH as a definition of abnormality.
• Definition starts from what is normal/mentally health and works backwards from that.
Jahoda suggested that NORMAL 🙂 mental health includes:
- Positive 🤗 attitudes towards the self - having self respect & positive self concept.
- Self actualisation and personal growth 🌱 - having motivation to achieve or full potential.
- Being resistant to stress - being able to cope with stressful situations and cope with anxiety.
- Personal autonomy - being independent 💁🏻, self-reliant, and able to make personal decisions.
- Accurate perception of reality - perceiving the world in a non-distorted fashion. Having objective and realistic view of the world (psychosis - hallucinations).
- Environmental mastery - being competent in all aspects of life and able to meet the demands of any situation. Having flexibility to adapt to changing life circumstances.
Abnormality 👽 would therefore be an absence of these criteria’s. Jahoda argued that if a person deviated from 1 or more of her 6 criteria’s they would be VULNERABLE to a psychological disorder.
What are the Evaluation points of the DIMH definition?
1) Its a positive approach to viewing abnormality ✅
2) Sets an unrealistically high standard for mental health, who CAN achieve these criteria’s? ⛔️
3) Cultural relativism ⛔️
Outline 1) Its a positive approach to viewing abnormality ✅ (DIMH)
Point:
Strength of DIMH definition is that it offers an alternative view on mental disorders by focusing on positives ➕ rather than negatives ➖ . Also focuses 🔍 on what is desirable rather than what is undesirable.
Explain:
Even though Johoda’s ideas were never taken up by mental health professionals, the ideas have had some influence and are in accord with the positive ➕ movement from the humanistic approach in Psychology.
Elaborate:
Additionally, DIMH definition covers broad range of criteria’s for mental health.
Example:
It in fact probably covers most of reasons someone would seek help from services or be referred for help.
Re-cap:
The sheer range of factors discussed in relation to Johada’s DIMH make it a good tool for thinking about mental health.
Outline 2) Sets an unrealistically high standard for mental health, who CAN achieve these criteria’s? ⛔️ (DIMH)
Point:
Limitation of DIMH is that according to these criteria’s most of us are abnormal 👽.
Explain:
Jahoda presented them as ideal criteria and they certainly are. Also how many need to be lacking before a person would be judged as abnormal.
Example:
How easy is it to assess capacity for personal growth or environmental mastery.
Re-cap:
Suggests that this approach may be an interesting concept but not really useable when it comes to identifying abnormality.
Outline 3) Cultural relativism ⛔️ (DIMH)
Point:
Limitation of DIMH is that the characteristics listed by Jahoda are rooted in Western 🤠 societies and a Western 🤠 view of personal growth and achievement.
Explain: :
Self actualisation may be seen as key goal in life within some cultures (e.g. Individualistic 💁🏻Western 🤠 cultures) but not other cultures (collectivist 👯 Non- Western cultures).
Example:
In collectivist 👯 cultures, elders 👵🏼 in family 👨👩👧👦 may plan young 👦🏼 persons future e.g. career paths and arranged marriages.
Elaborate:
It may therefore be regarded as abnormal 👽 to go after your own goals if they conflict with those of your own culture.
Re-cap:
Suggests that cultural relativity severely limits validity of DIMH definition when looking at abnormality just from Western 🤠 society point of view. Lacks external validity as you cant generalise the criteria’s across all cultures.
