Definitions of Abnormality (PSYCHOPATHOLOGY 1/4) Flashcards
Deviation from Social Norms
abnormal behaviour when a person behaves in a way that is different from how we expect people to behave
go against written or unwritten rules and expectations of society (based on society’s norms)
offends sense of what is acceptable or the norm
Deviation from Social Norms strengths :)
useful in clinical practice
easy to identify
good reliability and validity by clinicians
considers effect on others and helps people live safely together
can offend/damage others
diagnosing is acting with greater good in mind
Deviation from Social norms weaknesses
what counts as a mental disorder is not always abnormal
eccentric people deviate from norms but are not abnormal
leads to incorrect diagnosis
normal is culturally and situationally relative
difficult to identify and make a judgement
norms can vary over time and across cultures
difficult to keep diagnosis constant
criteria must be constantly reviewed (time consuming)
Failure to function adequately
when people cannot cope with everyday life or cannot care for themselves properly
failure to function adequately criteria
Rosenhan and Seligman (1989)
- violation of moral standards
- unconventionality
- observer discomfort
- unpredictability
- personal distress
- maladaptive behaviour
- irrationality
GAF scale
Global Assessment of Functioning
objective measure to determine adequate functioning
clinicians rate patient’s social, occupational and psychological functioning
1 = severely impaired
100 = extremely high functioning
failure to function adequately strengths
standards allow abnormality to be established
objective GAF scale, clinicians measure behaviour
determine severity
acknowledges patient’s perspective
allows for assessment of regular functioning of each patient and what is abnormal for them
empowers patients - being listened to - own circumstances
failure to function adequately weaknesses
presence of mental illness may not always result in a failure to function
definition is insufficient in what is abnormal
not all abnormal behaviour is associated with criteria
some will go under the radar
not getting the help they need
many behaviours maladaptive but not sign of mental illness e.g. smoking
subjective assessment
not always linked to abnormality
statistical infrequency
abnormal behaviour deviates from statistical average
less frequent a behaviour occurs in a population, more likely to be abnormal
judgement based on normal distribution
anyone beyond 2 standard deviations of mean is classed as abnormal
68% within 1 SD, 95% within 2 SD, 5% abnormal
statistical infrequency strengths
reliable measure
objective - subjective interpretation does not affect decision
consistent and objective diagnosis by all
useful in clinical practice
applicable to real life diagnostic processes
allows assessment of severity and need for treatment
statistical infrequency weaknesses
doesn’t consider desirability of behaviour or what is statistically normal but undesirable
doesn’t account for abnormal behaviours which are common
lacks validity and support may still be needed
cut off point is subjective and may change
not much difference between someone just out or just within statistical average
lacks validity, incorrect identification
deviation from ideal mental health
consider what makes someone normal rather than abnormal
deviation from ideal mental health categories
defined as abnormal if fail to meet criteria
more fail to meet, more abnormal
- resistance to stress
- accurate perception of reality
- positive attitude towards self
- personal autonomy
- adapting to and mastering environment
- self-actualisation and personal growth
deviation from ideal mental health strengths
positive approach to defining abnormality
ideal target
encourages being healthy and less stress on health services
holistic approach
considers individual as a whole, not just behaviour
help to understand cause and recieve best treatment
deviation from ideal mental health weaknesses
difficulty in meeting all criteria
most lack at least one criteria
lacks validity, incorrectly defining abnormality
cultural issues
based on Western ideals and individualistic cultures
not generalisable to all
