Definitions of Abnormality

Question 1

What are the four definitions of abnormality?

Answer 1

1. Statistical Infrequency
2. Deviation from Social Norms
3. Failure to Function Adequately
4. Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Question 2

What is meant by statistical infrequency?

Answer 2

behaviour seen as abnormal if it is statistically uncommon

Question 3

What is meant by deviation from social norms?

Answer 3

when a person behaves in a way that is different from how we expect people to behave

Question 4

What is meant by failure to function adequately?

Answer 4

inability to cope with demands of everyday life

Question 5

What is meant by deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 5

considering what makes an individual normal and having ‘ideal mental health’

Question 6

What is an example of statistical infrequency?

Answer 6

IQ

Question 7

How is IQ an example of statistical infrequency?

Answer 7

average IQ is 100
in normal distribution- 68% have score 85-115
only 2% have IQ below 70
below 70 considered ABNORMAL so would receive psychological diagnosis of INTELLECTUAL DISABILITY DISORDER

Question 8

What is an example of deviation from social norms?

Answer 8

antisocial personality disorder

Question 9

How is antisocial personality disorder an example of deviation from social norms?

Answer 9

APD- impulsive, aggressive and irresponsible
DSM-5 states symptoms of APD is an absence of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to lawful and culturally normative ethical behaviour
APD are abnormal as they don’t conform to our moral standards

Question 10

What is an example of failure to function adequately?

Answer 10

Intellectual disability disorder

Question 11

How is intellectual disability disorder an example of failure to function adequately?

Answer 11

criteria for diagnosis is having very low IQ however we cannot use this as the only basis, an individual must be failing to function adequately before a diagnosis

Question 12

What were the signs of failure to function adequately by Rosenham and Seligman?

Answer 12

-individual no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules (maintaining eye contact)
-individual starts to experience severe personal distress
-individuals behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others

Question 13

What were Jahoda’s conditions for ideal mental health?

Answer 13

-no symptoms or distress
-rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
-we self-actualise
-can cope with stress
-realistic view of the world
-good self-esteem and lack guilt
-independent of other people
-can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure

Question 14

How can we evaluate statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality?

Answer 14

REAL WORLD APPLICATION- used in clinical practice as formal diagnosis and to assess severity of individual symptoms- example: intellectual disability disorder and assessment tools like Beck depression inventory (value of 30+ indicates severe depression)- recognises usefulness
UNUSUAL CHARACTERISTICS POSITIVE- for every person with IQ below 70, person with IQ above 130- wouldn’t consider high IQ as abnormal- shows being at the extremes of psychological spectrums does not necessarily make someone abnormal- never sufficient to be used individually/to be dependent on
BENEFITS VS PROBLEMS- labelled as abnormal can be positive- example: low IQ then can access support services OR high BDI likely to seek therapy HOWEVER negative implications of being labelled as ‘abnormal’ someone who has low IQ and can cope with chosen lifestyle DOESNT BENEFIT from a label

Question 15

How can we evaluate deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality?

Answer 15

REAL WORLD APPLICATION- clinical practice- key defining characteristic of APD is failure to conform to cultural acceptable ethical behaviour (aggression, recklessness, deceitfulness)- signs of disorder all deviations from social norms- value in psychiatry- high ecological validity
CULTURAL AND SITUATIONAL RELATIVISM- variability of social norms across cultures and in different situations- hearing voices norm in some cultures (messages from ancestors) whereas others would see this as a sign of abnormality- aggressive and deceitful behaviour more socially accepted in family settings than corporate/business settings- difficult to judge- criticises validity
HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES- risks unfair labelling and opens human rights abuses- historically, nymphomania (uncontrollable or excessive sexual desire) used to control women- negative social implications- minimises validity

Question 16

How can we evaluate failure to function adequately as a definition for abnormality?

Answer 16

THRESHOLD FOR HELP- represents sensible threshold for when people require professional help- many press on in the face of fairly severe symptoms- criterion allows treatment and services to be targeted- high ecological validity
DISCRIMINATION AND SOCIAL CONTROL- easy to label non-standard lifestyles as abnormal- hard to decipher failure to function or deviation from social norms- not having permanent job may appear as failure to function adequately however some choose to live off-grid which is normal for them- those who make unusual choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal- negative implications may be limiting for people
IS IT ABNORMAL?- circumstances where we fail to function adequately- example: bereavement- reaction to difficult circumstances labelled as abnormal- not appropriate- lowers validity

Question 17

How can we evaluate deviation from ideal mental health as a definition for abnormality?

Answer 17

COMPREHENSIVE- highly comprehensive- Jahoda’s concept ranges to distinguish mental health from mental disorder- covers variety of professional help- medical psychiatrist may focus symptoms whereas humanistic counsellor may focus on self-actualisation- allows self assessment and discusses many psychological issues
CULTURE-BOUND- criterion not equally applicable across all cultures- theory of self-actualisation probably dismissed as self-indulgent- value of personal independence high in Germany, low in Italy- lacks generalisability
HIGH STANDARDS- very few attain Jahoda’s criterion- none achieve all of criteria- disheartening to not live up to these standards- negative implications