Definitions of abnormality

Question 1

What is failure to function adequately?

Answer 1

• Do not display ‘normal emotions’.
• Disrupted/ unable to cope with the demands of everyday life.
• Find it hard to establish/ form relationships.
• The distress caused by abnormality causes stress which prevents people from functioning properly.

Question 2

Failure to function adequately (advantages)

Answer 2

1. Observable behaviour: judgement of whether individuals are functioning normally.
2. Patients perspective.
3. Checklist: practical checklist individuals can use to assess their level of abnormality.

Question 3

Failure to function adequately (disadvantages)

Answer 3

1. Who judges?- problems in objectively measuring stress, it is important to consider where the stress lies.
2. Adaptable- behaviours may be adapted to survive/ reduce stress.
3. Cultural differences- what is considered to be ‘normal functioning’ varies in different cultures.

Question 4

What is deviance from social norms?

Answer 4

• The people who don’t fit into society’s unwritten social rules.
• The definition creates a clear line between desirable and undesirable behaviours.
• Anyone who shows undesirable behaviours is considered abnormal.

Question 5

Deviance from social norms (advantages)

Answer 5

1. Helps people: society gives itself the right to intervene in abnormal people’s lives can be beneficial.
2. Protects society: protect society from the effects an individual’s abnormal behaviour can have on others.
3. Clarify: gives a clear indication of what is and what isn’t considered normal behaviour.

Question 6

Deviance from social norms (disadvantages)

Answer 6

1. Subjective: social norms are based on the opinions of those who rule society, rather than the majority opinion.
2. Individualism: those who do not conform to social norms may not be abnormal, but instead eccentric and individualistic.
3. Cultural differences: social norms vary within different cultures.

Question 7

What is deviance from ideal mental health?

Answer 7

• Failure to meet a list of criteria that states what is healthy.
• Jahoda identified 6 characteristics needed in order to be ‘healthy’.
• If you fail to meet Jahoda’s criteria it is used as an indicator of abnormality.
• The more criteria you fail to meet the more abnormal you are- Jahoda.

Question 8

What is Jahoda’s criteria?

Answer 8

1. Self attitudes: positive self attitude, high self esteem.
2. Self actualisation: know that you have the potential to achieve your goals and know the steps you have to take to achieve them.
3. Autonomy: acknowledge that we are responsible for our own actions and are accountable for the things that we do.
4. Resist stress: resilient, able to do things that reduce stress/ manage stress levels.
5. Accurate perception of reality: know what’s real and what’s not real (inner thoughts + distorted beliefs).
6. Mastery of the environment: adapt from the demands of one environment to another (different roles and ways to act).

Question 9

Deviance from ideal mental health (advantages)

Answer 9

1. Positivity- emphasises positive achievements rather than failures and stresses.
2. Targets areas of dysfunction- targeting of which areas to work on when treating abnormality.
3. Goal setting- identifies exactly what is needed to achieve normality.

Question 10

Deviance from ideal mental health (disadvantages)

Answer 10

1. Demanding criteria: this method of defining abnormality is unrealistic.
2. Subjective criteria: vague and difficult to measure.
3. Culturally biased: Individualist culture vs Colonist culture (based on a Western ideal).

Question 11

What is statistical infrequency?

Answer 11

• Behaviours that are statistically rare (uncommon) are seen as abnormal.
• A numerical representation of what abnormal is.
• An individual who displays behaviour outside of the ‘normal distribution’ is perceived as abnormal.

Question 12

Statistical infrequency (advantages)

Answer 12

1. Appropriate criteria in many situations.
2. Objective: no judgements are made, definition relies of real, unbiased data (more scientific).
3. Evidence for assistance: used to justify requests for psychiatric assistance.

Question 13

Statistical infrequency (disadvantages)

Answer 13

1. Not all infrequent behaviours are abnormal- desirable rather than undesirable.
2. Not all abnormal behaviours are infrequent: some statistically frequent ‘normal’ behaviours are abnormal.
3. Cultural differences: what is statistically normal in one culture may not be in another culture.

Question 14

What is cultural relativism?

Answer 14

• The view that a culture can only be understood and judged by the standards, behaviours, norms and values of within the culture and not anything outside.

Question 15

Why is there not one definition of abnormality?

Answer 15

• Cultural and professional subjectivity.