Definitions of abnormality Flashcards
Define the term psychopathology.
Refers to the study of mental disorders and abnormal behaviour.
Psycho - psychology.
Pathology - study of the causes of disease.
What are the two methods used to justify diagnosing and treating someone for a psychological disorder?
Statistical infrequency
Deviation from social norms
Define the term statistically infrequency.
A person’s trait, thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual.
What is normal distribution?
In human characteristics, the majority of people’s scores will cluster around the average.
The further we go above or below that average, the fewer people will attain that score.
What’s an example of statically infrequency?
Intellectual disability disorder.
(Formerly known as mental retardation)
Most people have an IQ in the range of 85 – 115
Around 2% have scores of below 70
= Unusual or abnormal - intellectual disability disorder.
What is the strength of statistical infrequency?
Real-world application.
It’s used in clinical practice both for formal diagnoses and a way to assess the severity of an individual’s symptoms.
Give examples of the statistical infrequency used in an assessment.
Beck depression inventory (BDI).
Only 5% of people score 30+ this is widely interpreted as indicating severe depression.
It shows statistical infrequency is useful in diagnostic and assessment processes.
What are the limitations of statistical infrequency?
Not all ‘unusual’ characteristics are negative.
Just because a few people display certain behaviours does make the behaviour statistically abnormal, but doesn’t mean it requires treatment to return to normal.
For example, if someone has an IQ above average we wouldn’t think of them as abnormal.
Define the term deviation from social norm.
When a person behaves differently from how we expect a person to behave.
We make a collective judgement as a society about what is the norm.
How do social norms vary?
- they are specific to the culture we live in varying from each generation
- there are few behaviours that are considered universally abnormal
- homosexuality is viewed as abnormal in some cultures and normal in others
What’s an example of deviation from social norm?
Antisocial personality disorder (Psychopath).
Someone who is impulsive, aggressive and irresponsible.
According to DSM-5, a key aspect of antisocial personality disorder is an ‘absence of prosocial internal standards associated with failures to conform to lawful or culturally normative ethical behaviour’.
Social judgement made that psychopaths are abnormal.
What is a strength of deviation from social norm?
Has real-life application (high external validity)
Used in clinical practice.
For example, key defining characteristics of antisocial personality disorder is failure to conform to culturally acceptable ethical behaviour. These signs of the disorder are all deviations from social norms.
Criterion have value in psychiatry.
What is a limitation of deviation from social norm?
Varies in different cultures and situations.
The experience of hearing voices is the norm in some cultures but would be seen as a sign of abnormality in most parts of the UK.
Aggressive and deceitful behaviour in the context of family is more socially unacceptable than in the context of corporate deal-making.
