Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards
What is Statistical Infrequency?
- Abnormal behaviour is that which is rare/uncommon
- Descriptive statistics such as mean, median and mode are used as a way to represent the typical value in any set of data.
- Statistics inform us about average IQ and IQ that is classed as a cut off point for specialneeds support
A03 Statistical Infrequency - Useful for some disorders
-Levels of autistic/depressive/OCD/phobic tendencies can be measured using a questionnaire.
- It is a quantitative so the results can be easily and objectively measured, so it is a fair way of allocating resources.
- However, questionnaires rely on the ability to understand and interpret as well as honesty, and therefore whilst their use is a necessary means of collecting information, the statistical
interpretation may not be comprehensive as the sole way of diagnosing a disorder.
A03 Statistical Infrequency - Does it apply to all people?
-How do we know what are desirable and undesirable statistically infrequent behaviours?
E.g., very few people have an IQ over 130, yet we would not want to suggest that this is undesirable.
- Therefore, using the cut-off of two standard deviations away from the mean may not be a useful, realistic and thorough way to “label” people with a psychological disorder.
What is Deviation from Social Norms?
-Abnormal behaviour which contravenes unwritten rules/expectations in a given society/culture
- Social norms are rules set by a culture. Anyone who behaves deviates from these norms is classed as abnormal
- Some rules about unacceptable behaviour are implicit whereas others are policed by laws.
Social norms change over time.
- This means that this definition may regard a specific behaviour as normal at
one point in time and as abnormal at another point in time. EG in the past homosexuality was classified as deviant behaviour in the UK
- Expectations can also vary by age and gender.
A03 - Deviation against Social Norms - Cultural Relativism
-Behaviours differ from one culture to the next and this poses a problem for this definition.
- Hence, judgments of abnormal behaviour are only relevant to the culture upon which the are based.
- For instance, the DSM and ICD are almost entirely based on the social norms of the dominant culture in the West (white and middle
class), and yet the same criteria are applied to people from different sub-cultures living in the West
- Using one set of criteria for different cultural groups results in differential diagnosis rates. ria.
A03 - Deviation against Social Norms - Unscientific
- If this definition has implications for who receives or does not receive treatment, the legitimacy of this definition is in question.
-It is unscientific and highly subjective, as it is judgement based,
-Therefore the definition is not a sound basis for universally defining abnormality.
What is failure to function adequately?
– Abnormal behaviour is that which causes a person distress or an inability to cope with everyday life
-There are a range of characteristics that suggest a person is failing to function adequately in their daily life.
Observer discomfort: - e.g standing too close to another person or not making eye contact
when conversing, then observers notice them and may feel uncomfortable.
Personal distress: - People suffering psychological abnormality often report they are in discomfort or are suffering.
Maladaptive behaviour: - Being able to adapt appropriately to new situations enables a person to reach their personal goals in life, for example to succeed at work, to have a good relationship, etc. Being unable to adapt would prevent this and so could be considered abnormal.
Irrational or unexpected behaviours: - often be regarded as abnormal.
A03 - Failure to Function Adequately - Cultural Relativism
- Definitions of adequate functioning are related to cultural ideas of how one’s life should be lived.
- The failure to function criteria are likely to result in differential diagnoses when applied to people from different cultures
because the standard of one culture is being used to measure another. - This may explain why lower-class and non-white patients are more often diagnosed with psychological disorders, because their lifestyles are non-traditional
-This may lead to a judgment of failing to function adequately. =
=Hence, the failure to function adequately definition is culturally relative
What is Deviation from ideas mental health?
Abnormality is that which fails to meet prescribed criteria for psychological normality
- Jahoda (1958) pointed out that we define physical illness by looking at the absence of signs of physical health.
- Physical health is indicated by having correct body temperature, normal skin colour, normal blood pressure, etc.
- Why not do the same for mental illness?
Jahoda identified 6 categories that were commonly
referred to:
* Self-attitudes: having high self-esteem and a strong sense of identity.
* Personal growth and self-actualisation: the extent to which an individual develops full capabilities.
* Integration, such as being able to cope with stressful situations.
* Autonomy: being independent and self-regulating.
* Having an accurate perception of reality.
* Mastery of the environment: including the ability to love, function at work and in interpersonal relations, adjust to new situations and solve problems.
A03 - Deviation from Ideal Mental Health - Positive Approach/Unrealistic
- The deviation from mental health is a positive approach to the definition of abnormality, and focuses on what is desirable rather than what is undesirable.
- It may be of help to therapists as they can highlight what a
person is missing, and the therapy can focus on restoring that particular behaviour.
-However, the criteria have been deemed as difficult to achieve for most people.
- According to these criteria most of us are abnormal.
- Maybe they should catalogue how many should to be lacking before a person is judged as abnormal.
- The criteria are also quite difficult to measure.
- For instance, trying to measure the extent to which a person has
achieved self-actualisation of has mastered the environment has too much subjectivity. - Hence, the criteria cannot be measured scientifically so the definition may not be useful for identifying abnormality.
A03 - Deviation from Ideal Mental Health - Cultural Relativism
- Most of the criteria of the ideal mental health definition are culture-bound.
- An example of how different cultures can regard supposedly positive personal attributes comes from Heine et
al (1999).
-They asked European/Canadian students and Japanese students about traits they would like to possess.
-Whilst the European/Canadian students rated self-confidence as the trait they would most like to possess, the Japanese rated self-confidence as the trait they would least like to possess. - Hence, Jahoda’s ideal behaviour, in fact any list of behaviours deemed as ideal within a specific culture, will only be relevant to
culture in which it has been created, limiting the comprehensiveness of ideal mental health as an explanation.
