Failure to function adequately(Definitions of Abnormality) Flashcards
What is abnormality
Abnormality is defined as an inability to cope with day-to-day living…
e.g. being unable to dress oneself and to hold down a job (occupational functioning)
how is it subjective
An individual suffering from DEPRESSION may lack the motivation to get out of bed in the morning and leave the house for work, unable to face any kind of social interaction, and finding little pleasure in everyday activities.
It therefore recognises the subjective experience of the patient.
what is the measure used to assess functioning
Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale
Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) outlined seven characteristics of personal dysfunction. what are four of them ?
Personal distress – e.g. loss of appetite, insomnia
Observer discomfort – where another’s behaviour causes discomfort and distress to the observer
Unpredictability – inability to predict the behaviour of another
Irrationality – irrational behaviour is displayed that is difficult to understand
what does the The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) Scale rate
rates an individual’s level of social, occupational and psychological functioning.
Highly functioning individuals: Do people with psychological disorders always fail to function adequately?
Can you think of any individuals for whom abnormality is not accompanied by dysfunction?
P: Abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction.
E: Individuals may be functioning adequately e.g. attending school/work, maintaining good personal hygiene, despite clinical levels of anxiety and depression.
Harold Shipman is a good example of someone who was abnormal, murdering at least 215 of his patients, yet he did not outwardly display any features of dysfunction.
C: Therefore, according to this definition some abnormal individuals would be considered normal.
Is it necessarily the case that individuals behaving ‘inadequately’ are abnormal? Can you think of any circumstances that might temporarily affect someone’s ability to function adequately?
P: Failure to function adequately does not always indicate abnormal behaviour.
E: Certain factors can affect our ability to function adequately e.g. exam stress, death of a loved one. These can have a temporary impact on an individual’s functioning and does not necessarily indicate abnormality.
C: Therefore, the context in which the behaviour occurs must always be considered.
Who judges what is adequate? Why might ‘adequate functioning’ be considered a ‘subjective’ concept?
P: Arguably, adequate functioning could be viewed as a subjective concept.
E: We all have a different perception of what it means to function ‘adequately’.
C: This therefore makes it difficult to judge whether someone is functioning adequately or not.
Cultural relativism:
P: Standard patterns of behaviour in terms of what it means to ‘function adequately’ vary from culture to culture…
E: e.g. cultural variations in what it means to maintain good levels of personal hygiene.
C: Therefore, an individual may be considered normal in one culture but abnormal elsewhere.
This model of abnormality does recognise the personal experience of the patient.
P: In addition, ‘failure to function’ is also relatively easy to judge objectively,
E: because one can use a checklist of common behaviours they would expect in someone deemed normal e.g. can dress self, can prepare meals,
C: …which is straightforward to use because it focuses on observable behaviour.
The GAF (Global Assessment of Functioning) scale allows clinicians to judge the degree of abnormality.
