Definitions of Abnormality

Question 1

What are the four definitions of abnormality?

Answer 1

Deviation from social norms
Failure to function adaquately
Deviation from ideal mental health
Statistical infrequency

Question 2

Define deviation from social norms

Answer 2

• standards of expected bhv are set by a social group
• anything that deviates from these is considered abn as the bhv is unexpected by group members or causes offence to society
• e.g. in OCD indv may refuse to use cutlery at restaurants due to own fear of contamination and instead bring their own. Therefore bhv would be unexpected to society so seen as abn

Question 3

What are the two AO3 PEELS to evaluate deviation from social norms as a definition of abn?

Answer 3

• weakness - cultural relativism
• strength - prac apps

Question 4

Define failure to function adaquately

Answer 4

• not being able to cope with demands of everyday life
• it looks at abn bhv that interferes with everyday life e.g. unable to maintain personal hygiene
• Rosenhan and seligman state that signs of a person FFA include maladaptive and irrational bhv, bhv that is dangerous to themselves or others and severe personal distress
• e.g. indv with dep may be unable to get up in the morning, keep a job or maintain a rs. Therefore showing they aren’t able to cope with the demands of everyday life so they fail to function adaquately

Question 5

What are the two AO3 PEELS to evaluate failure to function adaquately as a def of abn?

Answer 5

• strength - acknowledges personal experience of indv
• weakness - easy to label non standard lifestyle choices as abn

Question 6

Define deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 6

Jahoda says there are 6 criteria that define mental healthiness, failure to meet one or more suggests abn, the more you fail to meet, the more abn u are
- have negative self attitudes such as low self esteem
- problems with self actualisation such as indv feels their unable to work to full capabilities and potential
- unable to resist stress
- lack of autonomy such as being independent and self regulating
- inaccurate perception of reality or world
- poor env mastery such as inability to love/form rs or unable to function at work

Question 7

What are the two AO3 PEELS to evaluate deviation from ideal mental health as a def of abn

Answer 7

• strength - covers a broad range of criteria for mental health
• weakness - criteria is too strict

Question 8

Define statistical infrequency

Answer 8

• suggests we must look at bhvs that are typical in the general pop and any bhv which is infrequent is abn
• therefore on a distribution curve, any bhv that is 2 or more standard deviations away from the mean is statistically rare and therefore abn
• e.g. OCD affects 2% of the pop so is infrequent therefore this is abn

Question 9

What are the two AO3 PEELS to evaluate statistical infrequency

Answer 9

• strength - prac apps
• weakness - doesnt differentiate bw desirable and undesirable bhv