Lecture 1

Question 1

What’s a problem when defining ‘normal’?

Answer 1

Societal norms impact what we view as normal
Stereotypes/schemas influence our views
Heuristics, mental shortcuts that help us make desicions and judgments

Question 2

What is the internal model?

Answer 2

They allow us to make quick decisions BUT they can lead us to make errors as they are influenced by pre-existing schemas and don’t consider context/background

Question 3

Schemas

Answer 3

Provide a cognitive architecture, packets/internal frameworks the build up over time and helps us to sort and process infomation

Question 4

What is a person schema?

Answer 4

A schema for a specific individual, how do we view them based on behaviour, appearance, personality and preference

Question 5

Why do we need to understand psychological disorders?

Answer 5

Before we can apply a diagnostic tool and treatments
By understanding them, we can organise them to be able to effectively treat the disorders

Question 6

Nomenclature

Answer 6

A naming system, we know what to call a disorder and their symptoms
DSM - the standard classification of mental disorder, allows a consensus to be reached all around the world

Question 7

What makes defining abnormal behaviour difficult?

Answer 7

There are lots of grey areas, some behaviours appear normal at times but of they continue can then become abnormal
e.g. universal stress and anxiety but when it become excessive

Question 8

What is a social construction?

Answer 8

An idea that has been created and universally agreed upon by society.
Szasz (1974) argued illness only affects the body not the mind

Question 9

Who argued against Szasz?

Answer 9

Dammann, there’s not a sharp distinction between physical and mental illness

Question 10

Help-seeking

Answer 10

Individuals ability to seek help. This is a behavioural intention, if the intend to seek help and their attitudes align they will

Question 11

Irrationality

Answer 11

Skeem found 15% of psychiatric patients were responsible for 68% of violent instances

Question 12

Deviance

Answer 12

Going against a social norm, but these are different in different societies

Question 13

Emotional distress

Answer 13

However, some disorders don’t experience emotional distress, antisocial personality disorder
And there are times when the emotional distress is normal, the 5 stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance)

Question 14

Significant Impairment

Answer 14

Statistically below/above the norm

Question 15

What are Rosnehan and Seligmans 7 features?

Answer 15

Suffering - some conditions are abnormal but don’t cause suffering (bipolar disorder) and some suffering is common (in pain reactions)
Maladaptiveness - behaviour that interferes with daily functioning, the more extreme the response the more likely to be labelled abnormal
Unconventional behaviour - how unusual is the behaviour, uncommon behaviour isn’t always abnormal
Unconvetional - this is subjective
Unpredictable - we expect people to be consistent, if we can predict we feel anxious, to what extent is a person in control
Irrationality - disordered speech
Observer discomfort - rules of social interactions e.g. personal space
Violation of moral and ideal standards - set by society, the degree to which we feel embarrassed

Question 16

Comer 4 Ds

Answer 16

Deviance - behaviour that varies from what’s acceptable according to social norms
Distress - behaviour that causes suffering
Dysfunction - disordered behaviour that people cannot care for themself
Danger - behaviour that is a threat to them or others

Question 17

Can we use abnormal behaviour to indicate psychological disorders?

Answer 17

Rosenhans study in 1973 demonstrated how easy it is for people to fake mental illness - questions the validity
Scheff (1966) labelling mental abnormality leads to stigma and a self-fulling prophecy

Question 18

Legal implications of defining abnormality

Answer 18

McNaughton Defence, using the argument for moral insanity to receive a lesser sentence

Question 19

Context Dependent

Answer 19

Social rules to say what is acceptable when and where

Question 20

Social deviation

Answer 20

A behaviour that violates social norms
However prostitution violates a social norm but is it abnormal behaviour?
Changes in society causes changes in these norms

Question 21

Culturally bound

Answer 21

Judgements vary from society to society

Question 22

What 3 things should we look for in abnormality?

Answer 22

is the behaviour maladaptive?
does it appear deviant?
does it cause suffering?

Question 23

How and why do we define abnormality?

Answer 23

Lots of different ways to define abnormality
deviation from social norms - this can change in different societies, what’s normal in one may be abnormal in another
statistical infrequency - just because a behaviour isn’t common doesn’t make it abnormal
by defining helps us to understand abnormal behaviour and can also help us understand normal behaviour too