Definitions of abnormality Flashcards
What is abnormality
an undesirable state producing severe impairment to a person’s social and personal functioning
What are the 4 definitions for abnormlity
- deviation from social norms
- failure to function adequately
- deviation from ideal mental health
- statistical infrequency
What are social norms
these are standards of behaviour that are regarded as acceptable within a given society e.g. politness
Define deviation from social norms
- when people go against social norms they are viewed as abnormal
- these norms vary from culture to culture
- someone that is labelled as abnormal may lack conscience
Define failure to function adequately
- this is a model of abnormality based on an inability to cope with day to day life caused by psychological discomfort
- someone who seeks help from a clinical psychologist or psychiatrist is likely to be suffering from discomforrt
Who identified the 7 abonormal characteristics
Rosenhan and Seligman (1989)
Define deviation from ideal mental health
- this is where a person fails to strive for and/or achieve their full potential
- Johoda (1958) suggested that it was preferable to identify the criteria for positive mental health
What is the criteria for the ideal mental health identified by Johoda (1958)
- self attitudes-sense of identity/high self esteem
- personal growth-extent of individual growth/development
- integration-ability to cope with stress
- autonomy-degree to which an individual is independent of social influences
- perception of reality-clear and not distorted
- environment mastery-extent to which an individual is successful and well adapted
Define statistical infrequency
- based on the idea that certain behaviours are statistically rare in the population. These behaviours are seen as abnormal
- what is statistically rare depends on normal distribution-normal distribution curve can be drawn
- most people near/on mean
What are the 7 abnormal characteritsics
- suffering-key abnormal feature
- maladaptiveness-prevents individual from achieveing life goals
- vividness and unconentionality-refers to the way that abnormal individuals behave in certain situation
- unpredictability and loss of control-inappropriate
- irrationality and imcomprehensibility-not clear why abnormal individuals behave in certain ways
- observer discomfort-when unspoken rules of social behaviour are broken
- violation of moral and ideal standards
What is the global assessment of functioning
-includes a 1-100 scale measuring how adequately someone is functioning
Limitations of deviation from social norms
- subjective-the norms are subjective
- norms defined by society are often related to moral standards that vary over time as social attitudes
- Szarz (1962)-the term mental illness is a form of social control, it is used to label those who don’t conform and are discriminated against
Strengths of deviation from social norms
- helps people-society gives itself the right to intervene in abnormal people’s lives
- distinguishes between normal and abnormal-gives a clear indication of what is and isn’t normal
- protects society from effects of individual’s behaviour
Limitations of failure to function adequately
- abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction e.g. people with an anti-social personality commit murders
- Rosenhan and Seilgman’s charactertistics are subjective-ideas of what is required for each will differ from person to person
Limitations of deviation from ideal mental health
- over demaning criteria-most people don’t meet all those ideals
- subjective criteria-many of the concepts not clearly defined
- changes over time-the way that mental health is viewed changes
