definitions of abnormality Flashcards
what is abnormality?
deviating from the norm- any rare behaviour/ability
what is psychopathology?
‘psycho’- refers to mind
‘pathology’- refers to disease
‘psychopathology’- studies + deals with mental, emotional + behavioural problems
–> involves research into diagnosis, prevention, causation, treatment, psychological disorders etc
what are the 4 definitions of abnormality?
Statistical infrequency
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from social norms
Deviation from ideal mental health
Statistical infrequency- what is it?
- statistically rare behaviour= abnormal
- behaviour measured as normal or abnormal according to where it’s placed on normal distribution
- bell curve
- maths based
Statistical infrequency- IQ example
- avg, IQ= 100
- 68% of ppl- score IQ between 85-115
- 2% of ppl= below 70 and above 130= abnormal
Statistical infrequency- strengths
- provides clear points of comparison between ppl= easy to test + use as an analytical tool –> e.g. someone who’s IQ score= below 70 or long way below mean avg –> suggests they require more help etc.
- standardised measure= replicable –> larger data sets= less affected by anomalous results
- real world app (in clinical practice to assess severity of individual’s symptoms) —> e.g. diagnosis of intellectual disability requires IQ below 70 (bottom 2%)
Statistical infrequency- limitations
- wouldn’t recognise depression as abnormal behaviour as 280 mill. ppl have it= SI isn’t fully valid measure of abnormality
- not all infrequent behaviour characteristics are negative e.g. IQ above 130 is considered abnormal yet isn’t undesirable limiting in same way as low IQ –> mismatch of measures limits usefulness of SI
- social stigma around labelling–> labelling doesn’t benefit everyone (some ppl cope well)
Failure to function adequately- what is it?
- someone who’s unable to cope with the demands of everyday life/continue their daily routine
- coping with everyday life= characteristic of good mental health
–> managing daily tasks + taking care of themselves
–> e.g. good personal hygiene, regular eating habits, attending work or school, socialising with others - ppl with FTFA may not do household chores, shower frequently etc
- FTFA has effects on relationships, disrupts work etc
Failure to function adequately- who is Rosenhan + Seligman?
they identified distinct signs that indicate FTFA
Failure to function adequately- what were some of the signs that Rosenhan + Seligman discovered?
- severe personal distress
- behaviour which ‘stands out’/goes against social norms (unconventionality)/(violation of moral standards)
- behaving irrationally
- self-inflicted hard
- unpredictability (inconsistent behaviour)
- maladaptive (unhelpful/bad) behaviours
- observer discomfort
Failure to function adequately- strengths
- definition provides clear guidelines for diagnosis of abnormality as it’s focused on observable characteristics
- checklist from Rosenhan + Seligman= can be used to assess the degree of FTFA= increases reliability
- gives sensible threshold for when ppl need professional help
Failure to function adequately- limitations
- overly subjective- e.g. sm1s lack of hygiene may just be diff compared to sm1 else’s so not acc bad= lacks validity
- some behaviours may have characteristics of FTFA but might just be expressions of personal choice –> non-standard lifestyle labelled abnormal
- some ppl may just not be able to cope for short period of time due to circumstances= unnecessary label –> BUT some ppl may need professional help in these circumstances
deviation from social norms- what is it?
social norms= set of ‘unwritten rules’ which people use in order to abide by what is deemed ‘normal behaviour’ e.g. wearing bikini on beach not to a work meeting, waiting in a queue and not pushing in
- behaviour against social norms= abnormal
- behaviours= desirable (queueing, speaking quietly) or undesirable (pushing, shouting)
undesirable behaviours= socially deviant
deviation from social norms- strengths
- useful tool for assessing behaviour e.g. someone who’s antisocial= socially deviant –> their behaviour may be schizophrenia= they can be prescribed treatment
- keep societies harmonious as prevents distressing/harmful acts
deviation from social norms- limitations
- doesn’t account for individual differences (some behaviour might just be odd (eccentric))
- not generalisable across cultures (some behaviour may be normal in one culture + abnormal in another) e.g. homosexuality= legal in UK but in other cultures can lead to death penalties, woman rights differences
- subjective (influenced by opinions/beliefs)
- not helpful definition= can cause distress e.g. homeless person can’t escape situation of deviating
- unethical to label (may not even lead to support)
- time + historical context matters, age + time-period grown up influences opinions
e.g. homosexuality in UK only recently became legal
