DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY Flashcards
how many definitions of abnormality are there?
4
what is the definition of statistical infrequency?
normal behaviour is the mean anything else is considered abnormal
one strength of statistical infrequency is that it has..
real life application
how does statistical infrequency have high real life application
apply to IDD
useful during clinical assessment
what does the real life application of statistical infrequency increases?
the external validity
what are the three weaknesses of statistical infrequency?
not everyone is happy w a label
cannot be used standalone
low temporal validity
weakness of statistical infrequency as a label
give people a negative impression of themselves e.g. low IQ
no benefit of diagnosis
weakness of statistical infrequency as a standalone method
unusual/abnormal characteristics are not always negative
e.g. IDD or being left handed
cannot be used alone
if statistical infrequency cannot be used alone then what does this effect?
its practical application and external validity
weakness of statistical infrequency due to low temporal validity
1- abnormalities can differ over time
2- diagnosis from young age change someone’s life path
what is deviation from social norms?
norms are specific to a culture and someone could be seen as ‘abnormal’ if they do not follow these
what is a strength of deviation from social norms?
real life application
how does deviation from social norms have high practical application?
psychopath (APD) = failure to conform to culturally normative behaviour
how can real life application of deviation from social norms be criticised?
other factors to consider with APD, cannot be the sole explanation for diagnosis
what is a weakness of deviation from social norms?
cultural relativism
cultural relativism is a weakness of deviation from social norms because…
norms vary and change between generations and communities
cultural relativism affects deviation from social norms as…
it creates problems if someone moves from one culture to another
failure to function adequately means…
when someone cannot cope with the stress of everyday life
who made the assessment of functioning scale?
Rosenhan and Seligman
what did the GFA outline?
determine if someone is not coping e.g. personal distress or danger to themselves
what is a strength of failure to function adequately?
increased internal validity
why does failure to function have increased internal validity?
includes the patients individual experience, means the right people can get help
what are two weaknesses of failure to function adequately?
excludes alt ways of living so can be seen as deviation from social norms
favours individualist cultures
how can failure to function adequately be seen as same as deviation from social norms?
hard to differ between the two
live freely, labelling them as abnormal limits freedom
how can someone be seen as abnormal through GAF, which isn’t truly abnormal?
not having a permanent address or participating in extreme sports
how can the GAF be seen as individualist?
favours the individual and the culture they live
if failure to function adequately is individualist, this makes the definition have…
low population validity and generalisability
deviation from ideal mental health is when…
someone can be seen as abnormal because they are not psychologically healthy
who made the 8 criteria for ideal mental health?
Jahoda
give two examples of the eight criteria for ideal mental health
having good self esteem
being rational
what is a strength of deviation from mental health?
it is comprehensive
if deviation from mental health is comprehensive, it means that…
it is very broad and allows good practical application for all cultures
how is Jahoda’s scale comprehensive?
covers reasons why someone would seek help for their mental health
what are the two weaknesses of deviation from ideal mental health?
cultural relativism
unrealistic high standards
how is failure to function culturally relative?
specific to western European and north American cultures
give one example of how Jahoda’s scale is individualistic
emphasis on personal achievement in cultures where the community is more important
why is Jahoda’s scale unrealistic?
very few people will meet all the criteria at a given time
if Jahoda scale is a criteria, this effects the…
temporal validity as it is a snapshot in time, people may lose or gain criteria as they go on
how could Jahoda’s scale being unrealistic be a good thing?
can show to people traits they can have if they choose to seek help
