Definitions Of Abnormality

Question 1

What is statistical infrequency

Answer 1

It occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic for example being more depressed or less intelligent than most of the population

Question 2

When do we use the statistical approach?

Answer 2

When characteristics can be reliably measured

Question 3

What is IDD

Answer 3

Intellectual disability disorder, individuals scoring below 70 IQ are liable to receive this diagnosis

Question 4

What is deviation for social norms?

Answer 4

Concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society, we make a collective judgement as a society about what is normal

Question 5

What are norms specific to?

Answer 5

The culture we live in, there are few behaviours considered universally abnormal breaching social norms.

Question 6

What are the characteristics of someone with an antisocial personality disorder?

Answer 6

Impulsive, aggressive and irresponsible and they have an absence of prosocial internal standards with failure to conform to lawful, and culturally normative ethical behaviour.

Question 7

Brief evaluation of statistical infrequency

Answer 7

• Real world application
• Unusual characteristics can be positive

Question 8

Evaluation of statistical infrequency (in depth)

Answer 8

One strength statistical infrequency is its usefulness. Statistical infrequency is used in clinical practice both as part of formal diagnosis and as a way to access the severity of an individuals symptoms. This shows that the value of the statistical infrequency criteria is useful in diagnostic and assessment processes.

Unusual characteristics can be positive as well as negative, statistical infrequency classifies those above 130 as abnormal, being unusual or one end of the spectrum doesn’t necessarily make someone abnormal, SI can form part of the procedure but it is never sufficient as the sole basis for defining abnormality.

Question 9

Brief evaluation of deviation for social norms

Answer 9

• Real world application
• cultural and situational relativism

Question 10

Evaluation for deviation from social norms (in depth)

Answer 10

Deviation from social norms is used in clinical practice, key defining characteristics of antisocial personality disorder is the failure to conform to culturally acceptable ethical behaviour such norms also play part in schizotypal personality disorder, social norms criteria has value is psychiatry.

One limitation is the variability between social norms in different cultures and even different situations, a person from one cultural group may label someone from another group as abnormal using their standards rather than the persons standards. E.g hearing voices in the UK is abnormal but in other cultures it’s a message from the ancestors. Difficult to judge deviation across cultures and situations.

Question 11

What is failure to function adequately?

Answer 11

Occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day to day living

Question 12

When is someone FTFA

Answer 12

Rosenhan and Seligman proposed signs to look out for
- No longer conforming to standard interpersonal rules including ,maintaining eye contact and respecting personal space
- When a person experiences severe personal distress
- When a person’s behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others

Question 13

What is deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 13

Occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health.

Question 14

What does ideal mental health look like and who proposed it?

Answer 14

Jahoda (1958)
- no symptoms or distress
- rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
- self-actualise
- cope with stress
- realistic view of the world
- good self esteem and lack of guilt
- independent of other people
- successfully work and enjoy leisure
Overlap between deviation from mental health and failure to function adequately

Question 15

Brief evaluation of FTFA

Answer 15

• Represents a threshold for help
• Discriminaiton and social control

Question 16

Brief evaluation of deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 16

• A comprehensive definition
• May be culture bound

Question 17

In depth evaluation for FTFA?

Answer 17

One strength of failure to function criteria is that it represents a sensible threshold for when people need professional help. Most of us have symptoms of mental disorders to some degree, it tends to be at the point we cease to function adequately that people seek profession help or are referred by others. This coterie means treatments and services are targeted to those who need them most.

One limitation of failure to function is that it’s easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal. In practice it can be very hard to say when someone is really failing to function and when they have simply chosen to deviate from social norms. Adrenaline junkies are also classes as irrational this means they risk being labelled as abnormal and restrict their freedom.

Question 18

In depth evaluation for deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 18

A comprehensive definition, includes a range of criteria and covers most of the reason we ask for help this in turn means an individual mental health can be discussed meaningfully with a range of professionals who might take different theoretical views, provides a checklist we can assess ourselves and others and discuss psychological issues with a range of professionals

One limitation of ideal mental health criteria is that different elements are not equally applicable across a range of cultures. Some of Jahodas criteria for ideal mental health are located in context of US and Europe, self actualisation may be perceived as self indulgent in parts of the world. This means that it is difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another.