Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards
What are the definitions of abnormality
- Deviation from social norms
- Failure to function adequately
- Deviation from ideal mental health
- Statistical infrequencies
Define deviation from social norms
Behaviour that defies the unwritten rules of society
(-) Limitations of deviations from Social Norms as a definition of abnormality
- Deviating from social norms can be beneficial to society (the suffragettes broke social norms leading to women gaining the right to vote)
- Social norms of a society can change overtime (homosexuality was classified as a mental illness in the international classification of diseases (ICD) until 1990
- Deviation from social norms does not always correlate with mental health issues. Eccentric people are not abnormal but do deviate from social norms (naturists break social norms by being naked but they do not necessarily have mental health problems)
Define failure to function adequately
- Abnormal behaviour causes an inability to cope with everyday life
- Behaviour disrupts their ability to work/conduct satisfying interpersonal relationships
List the seven features of someone that fails to function adequately and who made them
- Personal distress - feeling anxious, sad, worried
- Maladaptive Behaviour - behaviour that stops one to achieve goals
- Unpredictability - unexpected behaviours (losing control)
- Irrationality - behaviour that cannot be explained logically
- Observer discomfort - behaviour that causes discomfort in others
- Violation of moral standards - behaviour that violates ethics
- Unconventionality - behaviour that does not conform to norms
- Rosenhan and Seligman (1989)
(-) Limitations of Failure to Function Adequately as a definition of abnormality
- abnormality does not always cause dysfunction. Harold Shipman murdered 215 patients over 23 years, nobody knew of his psychopathic nature
- Regular people suffer from personal distress during their lifetimes (when a loved one dies)
- Behaviour can cause distress to others and make them feel observer discomfort, but the individual may not feel any personal distress (Stephen Gough, naked hiker)
List the six characteristics of ideal mental health and who made them
- Positive attitude towards oneself - Self-respect, self-confidence, positive self-concept
- Self-Actualisation - experience personal growth, reach full potential
- Autonomy - be independent, self-reliant
- Resistance to Stress - effective coping strategies to manage anxiety, stress
- Accurate Perception of Reality - perceiving the world realistically (no hallucinations/delusions)
- Environmental Mastery - being competent in all aspects of life, adapting to any circumstance
- Jahoda (1958)
(+) Advantages of deviation from Ideal Mental Health as a definition of abnormality
- The criteria is comprehensive and based on similar models for physical health
- This is a positive and holistic approach to diagnosis
(-) Limitations of deviation from Ideal Mental Health as a definition of abnormality
- Criteria is very demanding and unrealistic
- Many criteria are vague (personal growth) and near impossible to define
- Criteria are subject to cultural relativism
-Collectivist cultures (India, Japan) emphasise communal goals over autonomy
-Individualistic cultures (Germany, USA) emphasise autonomy
What is Statistical Infrequency as a definition of abnormality
- Abnormal behaviour is defined as behaviour that is statistically rare
- Lies at both extremes of a normal distribution
(-) Limitations of Statistical Infrequency as a definition of abnormality
- Behaviour that is statistically rare can be desirable - high IQ
- Psychological disorders are not necessarily statistically rare - depression affects 27% of elderly (NIMH, 2001)
- Rare behaviours can be neither abnormal nor normal - left handedness
