Definitions of Abnormality

Question 1

How many definitions of abnormality are there?

Answer 1

4

Question 2

What are the definitions of abnormality?

Answer 2

Statistical Infrequency, Deviation from Social Norms, Failure to function adequately, Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Question 3

What is Cultural Relativism?

Answer 3

The view that behavior cannot be judged properly unless it is viewed in the context of their culture in which it originates.

Question 4

What is Statistical Infrequency?

Answer 4

When an individual has a less common characteristic or behavior. (e.g being more depressed or less intelligent than the rest of the population)

Question 5

What is Deviation from Social Norms?

Answer 5

Behavior that is different from the accepted standards of behavior in a community or society.

Question 6

What is Failure to Function Adequately?

Answer 6

When someone is unable to cope with the ordinary demands of day to day living.

Question 7

What is Deviation from Ideal Mental Health?

Answer 7

When someone doesn’t meet the a set of criteria for good mental health.

Question 8

Who created the criteria for ideal mental health?

Answer 8

Jahoda (1958)

Question 9

What were the 8 criteria for ideal mental health?

Answer 9

IVE-SPACE
Independent, realistic View of the world, good self Esteem - no Symptoms, accurate Perception of world/ourself, self Actualise, Cope with stress, can Enjoy work and leisure

,

Question 10

Who proposed further signs of failure to cope?

Answer 10

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989)

Question 11

what were Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) signs of failure to cope?

Answer 11

They no longer conform to interpersonal rules, they experience severe personal distress, they behave irrationally and dangerously.

Question 12

A strength of failure to function

Answer 12

25% of people experience symptoms of a mental disorder. When we cease to function adequately people seek professional help. Failure to function criteria provides a way to target treatment to those who need it most.

Question 13

Limitation of failure to function

Answer 13

Hard to distinguish between failure to function and a conscious decision to break social norms (ie. living off the grid) This means people who make unusual choices can be labelled abnormal and their freedom of choice can be restricted.

Question 14

Strength of ideal mental health criteria

Answer 14

Is widely applicable and covers a range of reasons. Provides a checklist that can be used to assess.

Question 15

Limitation of ideal mental health criteria

Answer 15

Culture-bound. Some criteria is limited to USA and western europe, e.g self actualization

Question 16

Strength of statistical infrequency

Answer 16

useful in diagnosis and assessment processes

Question 17

Limitation of statistical infrequency

Answer 17

Unusual characteristics such as high IQ can be positive.

Question 18

Strength of deviation from social norms

Answer 18

Useful in psychiatric diagnosis. E.g antisocial personality disorder and schizotypical personality disorder which involves “strange” beliefs and behaviour

Question 19

limitation of deviation from social norms

Answer 19

culturally relative. e.g hearing voices is socially acceptable in some cultures