Definitions of Abnormality: ‘Failure to Function Adequetely’

Question 1

what is meant by failure to function adequately definition

Answer 1

FTFA definition defines someone as abnormal if they are unable to cope with everyday life

Their behaviour is seen to prevent them from being able to work and conduct satisfying relationships and causes personal distress as well as distress to others

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggested four key characteristics of ‘failing to function adequately’:
- distress
- unpredictable behaviour
- maladaptive behaviour
- irrational behaviour

Question 2

who defined four characteristics of FTFA

Answer 2

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989)

Question 3

outline the characteristics of FTFA

Answer 3

1. Distress - Where someone’s behaviour causes distress to themselves and/or discomfort for others observing their behaviour
2. Unpredictable Behaviour - When someone’s behaviour is unexpected (e.g. sobbing for no reason or laughing at bad news)
3. Maladaptive Behaviour - Where someone’s behaviour is dysfunctional (i.e. not good for them). This characteristic is central to the FTFA definition
4. Irrational Behaviour - If a person’s behaviour doesn’t make sense to other people (i.e. difficult to understand)

Question 4

outline FTFA definition of abnormality

Answer 4

FTFA definition defines someone as abnormal if they are unable to cope with everyday life

Their behaviour is seen to prevent them from being able to work and conduct satisfying relationships and causes personal distress as well as distress to others

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggested four key characteristics of ‘failing to function adequately’:

1. Distress - Where someone’s behaviour causes distress to themselves and/or discomfort for others observing their behaviour
2. Unpredictable Behaviour - When someone’s behaviour is unexpected (e.g. sobbing for no reason or laughing at bad news)
3. Maladaptive Behaviour - Where someone’s behaviour is dysfunctional (i.e. not good for them). This characteristic is central to the FTFA definition
4. Irrational Behaviour - If a person’s behaviour doesn’t make sense to other people (i.e. difficult to understand)

eg, hoarding
eg, anorexia nervosa

Question 5

evaluate FTFA definition:
- STRENGTHS

Answer 5

P: tries to include the patient’s perspective
E: acknowledges that the experience of the patient (and/or others) is important
E: eg, the level of distress experienced by the patient is considered when defining
their behaviour as abnormal
L: FTFA is a useful way of assessing abnormality

Question 6

evaluate FTFA definition:
- LIMITATIONS

Answer 6

P: failing to function doesn’t always indicate psychological abnormality
E: sometimes people ‘fail to function’ due to external factors rather than anything to do with the person themselves
E: eg, holding down a job and supporting a family may be impossible due to the economic climate or discrimination at work
L: problematic as these environmental factors may cause the failure to function rather than any psychological abnormality.

P: mental disorders do not always prevent a person from functioning
E: some people with a clear mental illness still manage to live relatively normal lives
E: eg, some anorexics are able to more or less manage in their daily lives without necessarily showing clear signs of maladaptive or irrational behaviour
L: FTFA definition would not define such people as ‘abnormal’ when most psychiatrists would agree that they are

P: culturally biased (ethnocentric)
E: behaviour that doesn’t make sense to people from one culture (eg, ‘irrational
behaviour’) might make sense to people from another
E: eg, Harrison et al (1997) reported that African-Caribbean groups were 8 times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than white groups in the UK and this may be because white psychiatrists judge cultural differences as being irrational
L: a reliable definition should be consistent between cultural groups