Definitions of Abnormality

Question 1

What is one Strength and one Weakness of Statistical Infrequency?

Answer 1

Strength:
- Usefulness, used in clinical practice to diagnose/check severity of symptoms. E.g Beck depression inventory - a score of 30+ is interpreted as indicating severe depression. Valuable
Weakness:
- Infrequent characteristic can be positive and label is interpreted as negative. E.g we would not think someone abnormal for having a high IQ/high score on BDI as abnormal. Never sufficient as a sole basis for defining abnormality

Question 2

What is one Strength and one Weakness of Ideal Mental Health?

Answer 2

Strength:
- Highly comprehensive. A range of criteria/covers most of the reasons why we may seek help. Provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselves and others and discuss psychological issues with a range of professionals
Weakness:
- May be culture bound. Concepts such as ‘self-actualisation’ are more Western concepts and may be thought of as self-indulgent in much of the world. What defines being ‘ideal’ varies from culture to culture. Difficult to apply concept from one culture to another

Question 3

What is one Strength and one Weakness of Failure to Function Adequately?

Answer 3

Strength:
- Sensible threshold for needing professional help. Many press on in the face of fairly severe symptoms, tends to be at a point where we cease to function adequately people seek help or are noticed. Treatment can be targeted at those who need it the most
Weakness:
- Easy to label non-standard life choices as abnormal. Can be hard to say when someone is really failing to function. E.g not having a job or permanent address however some just like to live ‘off the grid’. Unusual choices risk being labelled abnormal and freedom is restricted

Question 4

What is one Strength and one Weakness of Deviation from Social Norms?

Answer 4

Strength:
- Useful. used in clinical practice. E.g antisocial personality disorder. Also, helps diagnose schizoptypal personality disorder, ‘strange’ is used to characterise thinning behavior and appearance. Valuable
Weakness:
- Variability in different cultures and situations. person from one culture may label someone from another as ‘abnormal’ based on their standards. E.g hearing voices from ancestors is accepted in other cultures but abnormal in UK. Difficult to judge norms across different situations and cultures

Question 5

What is Statistical Infrequency?

Answer 5

• Occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic, being more or less of something than most of the population
• E.g intellectual disability disorder, average IQ is 100, only 2% of people have a score of below 70, usually abnormal individuals and are liable to receive a diagnosis

Question 6

What is Failure to Function Adequately?

Answer 6

Adequate functioning:
- coping with the demand of everyday life
Failure to function adequately:
- Failure to cope with everyday life. e.g not holding down a job.
-E.g Intellectual disability disorder involves having low IQ and failure to function adequately

Question 7

What is Deviation from Social Norms?

Answer 7

• Concerns behaviour different from accepted standards of behaviour in society.
• Norms are specific to the culture we live in
• E.g antisocial personality disorder (psychopathology) aggressive, impulsive and irresponsible a symptom being ‘absence of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to lawful and culturally normative ethical behavior’

Question 8

What is Deviation from Ideal Mental Health?

Answer 8

• When someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health
• Jahoda’s criteria:
• No distress
• Rational
• We self-actualise
• Cope with stress
• Realistic world view
• Good self-esteem
• Independent
• Successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure