Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards
What are the 4 definitions of abnormality?
-Deviation from social norms
-Failure to function aduquetly
-Deviation from ideal mental health
-Statistical Infequency
What is deviation from social norms?
-Standards of acceptable/expected behaviour is set by social groups
-Anything that deviates away from acceptable behaviour us considered abnormal
-Unexpected and may cause offence to society
-e.g someone with OCD refusing cutlery at a restaurant due to fear of contamination
unexpected= abnormal
What are the evaluations for deviation from social norms?
-Cultural relativism
-Real life App in diagnosis of APD
Explain the evaluation for DSN
Cultural Relativism.
-Social norms are created within cultures
-different cultures have different social norms and expected behaviour
-e.g west,receiving message from a spirit is schizophrenic however non west is a shaman
-therefore may not be appropriate to use one other cultures
Explain the evaluation of DSN real life in diagnosing APD.
-Mental health practitioners can look at hat is deemed acceptable in society
-Use the cultural and social norms to diagnose abnormal behaviour
-e.g individual who had truant behaviour is deviating from social norms
-this can be use by practitioners to judge if individual is displaying abnormal behaviour
-useful to differentiate between normal and abnormal behaviour
What is the definition of failure to function adequately?
-not being able to cope with the demands of everyday life
-abnormal behaviour interfered with everyday life e.g maintaining nutrition
-Rosehan and Seligman
>maldaptive behaviour
>irrational behaviour
>behaviour which is dangerous to themselves and others
>Severe personal distress
e.g depression
What are the evaluations for failing to function adequately?
-Acknowledges personal experience
Acknowledge personal experience.
-Although the criterion is difficult to measure
-it does take into account and individuals subjective experience
-and perception of ability to cope with everyday life
-and whether the feel they have sever personal distress
-useful for assessing abnormality
Explain the evaluation of it is easy to label non-standard living choice as abnormal.
-hard to say is someone if FFA or is simply DSN
-e.g and individual who favours high risk leisure activities
-would be classed as irrational and a danger to others so abnormal
-freedom of choice is restricted
What is Statistical Infequency?
-looks at behaviour seen as typical of general population
-Any behaviour seen as rare/uncommon is abnormal
-On distribution curve 2/more standard deviations from the mean
-is statistically rare so is uncommon
-e.g OCD effects 2% of the population statistically rare therefore abnormal
What are the evaluations for statistical infequency?
-Practical app
-difficult to differentiate between desirable and non-desirable behaviour
Explain the evaluation of Practical app
-SI has been used in the real world for clinical practise
-to both diagnose and asses the severity of an individuals symptoms
-e.g diagnoses of intellectual diablity disorder required score below 70 (bottom 2%)
-useful part of clinical assessment
-
Explain the evaluation of difficulty differentiating desirable and non desirable behaviour
-e.g high IQ is seen as desirable
-We would not consider high IQ as abnormal behaviour
-However it is statistically rare so therefore is abnormal
-despite treatment not being needed on the individual to return to ‘normal’
-therefore although behaviour can be seen as statistically rare that does not mean it has to be treated as a abnormality
Explain deviation from ideal mental health.
-Jahoda identifies 6 criteria which define mental health
-failure to meat 1/more can suggest abnormality
:
-negative self attitude
-problems with self actualisation
-inaccurate perception of reality
-lack of autonomy
-unable to resist stress
-poor environmental mastery
What are the evaluations for deviation from ideal mental health?
-covers a broad range of criterion
-too strict
