Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards
1
Q
Statistical infrequency
A
Less common characteristic than majority of population
2
Q
Failure to function adequately
A
Inability to deal with demands of everyday life
3
Q
Rosenhan & Seigelman (1989)
A
Failure to function adequately - interpersonal rules, severe personal distress, irrational and dangerous behaviour
4
Q
Deviation from social norms
A
Behaviour differs from what society deems normal
5
Q
Deviation from ideal mental health
A
Absence of good mental health
6
Q
Jahoda (1958)
A
Ideal mental health - self esteem, self-actualisation, resistance to distress
7
Q
Evaluation of statistical infrequency
A
- Real world application (eg. Top 5% of respondents in the BDI liable to receive diagnosis of severe depression)
- Unusual characteristics can be positive (eg. Would not think of someone with a low score in the BDI as abnormal)
8
Q
Evaluation of failure to function adequately
A
- Represents a threshold for help (eg. Those who need help noticed and referred professional help and treatment)
- Discrimination of social control (eg. People with alternative lifestyle choices at risk of being labelled abnormal, restricting freedom)
9
Q
Evaluation of deviation from social norms
A
- Real world application (eg. Defining characteristic of antisocial personality disorder is failure to conform to ‘normal’ ethical behaviour)
- Cultural and situational relativism (eg. In some cultures hearing voices from ancestors is the norm, whereas in the UK it’s classed as abnormal)
10
Q
Evaluation of deviation from ideal mental health
A
- Highly comprehensive (eg. Wide range of criteria, allowing professionals with different theoretical views to meaningfully discuss mental health)
- Unachievable high standards for MH (eg. Few people reach self-actualisation especially in collectivist eastern cultures)
