Failure to Function Adequately Flashcards
Examples of functioning adequately
good hygiene; interacting with other human beings; listening and acting appropriately etc.
Define Failing to Function Adequately
– An assessment of an individual whose disability prevents them from pursuing normal activities and goals (e.g. alcohol addiction affecting performance or depression)
When would a person be considered ‘Failing to Function Adequately’
– If an individual cannot meet expected social norms, they are believed to be ‘failing to function adequately’
– If an individual’s behaviour, mood or thoughts adversely affect their:
1. Well-being, i.e. their ability to retain relationships and employment 2. Becomes a danger to their own safety 3. They become a danger to the safety of others
Then they are considered abnormal – doctors have to take this into account when diagnosing mental health issues; they are required to assess people on various psychological and physical measures
Who came up with the 7 categories for abnormality in failing to function adequately?
Rosenhan and Seligman
What are the with 7 characteristics in which, Rosenhan and Seligman thought, abnormality can be categorised?
- Suffering
- Maladaptiveness
- Unconventional Behaviour
- Unpredictable Behaviour
- Irrationality
- Observer Discomfort
- Violation of Moral Standards
When several are present it may be symptomatic of a mental disorder
What are the limitations of the definition, ‘failure to function adequately’?
Adaptive or maladaptive?
Cultural relativism
Not the whole picture
Exceptions to the rule
Who judges?
Explain ‘Adaptive or maladaptive?’
As a limitation of failure to function adequately
is the behaviour of benefit to the person instead of negative? – This disorder may lead to extra attention (desired)
Explain ‘Cultural relativism’
As a limitation of failure to function adequately
Cultural ideas of how one’s life should be lived. Lower class and non-white patients are more often diagnosed with mental disorders
Explain ‘Not the whole picture’
As a limitation of failure to function adequately
Not a true definition of abnormality. Instead it is a way of determining the extent of a person’s problems and the likelihood they might need professional help
Explain ‘Exceptions to the rule’
As a limitation of failure to function adequately
A student experiencing anxiety and distress about and exam may behave uncharacteristically but would not necessarily be regarded as abnormal. On the other hand, sociopaths (anti-social personalities) might exhibit violent or aggressive behaviour but be unlikely to experience personal suffering or distress
Explain ‘who judges?’
As a limitation of failure to function adequately
Who decides whether someone is failing to function adequately, the person or a doctor?
– What if the patient is content with the situation and sees it as a means for survival, e.g. schizophrenia – act violent to defend oneself
