Normality vs abnormality Flashcards
Issue of Normality vs abnormality
As these different ways of classifying abnorality all have their limitations, it is difficult to judge whats normal. This is a serious problem, as if people are being treated incorrectly, with society judging what is considered normal, this could lead to unfair standards of normality.
standards of normality
If the majority of people are said to behave normally, then other’s perspectives may be viewed as odd, leading to the judgement of others. This could also lead to a
self-fulfilling prophecy
theyll believe and feel that way
Society treats people differently when theyre labelled abnormal
stigmatization, attach to you, affect how you regard yourself
forced hospitalization / medication when it is not necessary
statistical normality
There is also a debate between Cultural universality vs specific diagnosis (etic vs emic)
The same disorders all around the world, vs each culture has smth that shapes the symptoms/ relative to culture and system of that country
Want evidence for culture bound syndrome (only exist in specific cultures)
Is it that people from diff cultures see it as diff symptoms/ if its normal?
The same disorders all around the world, vs each culture has smth that shapes the symptoms/ relative to culture and system of that country
Want evidence for culture bound syndrome (only exist in specific cultures)
Is it that people from diff cultures see it as diff symptoms/ if its normal?
Abnormality vs normality: how to classify?:
Statistical Infrequency: behaviour that occurs frequently is classified normal, infrequent behavior is classified as abnormal. problem w this approach would be that normality seems to be equivalent to conformity, could lead to discrimination
Deviation from Social Norms - social norms are standards set by every society according to how it expects its members to behave. The approach known as cultural relativism is that anyone who violates the conventional rules of society are considered abnormal. Therefore, no behavior is considered abnormal AS LONG AS the society accepts it.
Failure to function adequately- does it interfere with daily functioning?
Deviation from Ideal Mental Health- idea proposed that psychology should be centered on the positive aspects of human experiences (health, happiness, self realisation etc). Thought negative focus of human existance stopped researchers from looking at the bigger issues, and so they were interested in mental health as opposed to mental disorders. Problem is that its impossible to fully achieve all 6 criteria, so lost of people would be classified as abnormal.
Using a Medical Model- we diagnose abnormality like how we diagnose other illnesses/ symptoms- classification systems with lists of symptoms. Need to find what depression/ anorexia look like and tick off a list. Good bc its flexible, e.g even if clincians have diff opinions of what causes depression, ie. A thinks its chemicals in the brain, B thinks its environmental. The set of symptoms allow them to reach the same consesus. Bad bc symptoms of mental illness not as obvious as physical illness. Hard to diagnose or see sig change in behavior without relying on self report data. One symptom could be an indication of multple disorders, and its only a combo of symptoms that can differentiate between symptoms.
Classification systems
Based on medical model of abnormality. Meant to address issues w medical model like
How many symptoms need to be present before disorder is diagnosed?
How many symptoms sould be present and for what period of time?
Weisz: theory and study
Suppression facilitation model
Theory by weisz et al
Forms of behavior that are discouraged within a culture will be supressed and so observed only rarely.
Forms of behavior that are reqarded within a culture will be facilitated, and so produced to excess
Culture enocurages behaviours it thinks is socially desirable and will supress behaviour it disapproves. This supports the idea that abnormal behavior can be classified by a deviation from social norms
Method
Studied 400 children in each coutry who were referred to clinic w behavioral problems
Took in interviews from parents? Translated Thai interviews using several translators
Also asked for standardised parent reports on approx 100 child problems
Recorded behavior problems reported by parents when they refered kid or adolescent for clinical treatment
Result
Found that more of thai kids showed over controlled behavior, whereas under controlled behavior as more common in american children
Reports from parents:
found that thai kids were rated higher than americans on some problems, particularly those involving overcontrolled behavior (shyness, anxiety, depression)
In both cultures, boys showed more fighting, impulsitivity ad undercontrolled bhavior
Overcontrolled problems (fearfulness, nervous ovement, worrying) reported more often for thai than US
Undercontrolled prob (disobedience, fighting, lying, arguing) reported more for US
Overcontrolled probs most distinct amongst THAI teens, group most exposed to traditional buddhist teaching and most encouraged to inhibit outward expression of feelings
Concluion:
Supports initial theory. Bad behavior was defined differently in each culture, and so kids sent to clinic had different behavioral issues
- cultural values and socialisation practices may suppress and facilitate certain types of behaviors.
Thailand is buddhist nation, so aggression and undercontrolled is disapproved and discouraged, but inhibition and overcontrolled behaviors might be condoned or encouraged
US, undercontrolled behavior more likeley to be condoned.
thai culture - restrained, calm, quiet,
usa - outgoign
facilitate encourage behaviours that find socially desirable
observed behaviour of children in thai and usa
both groups of children had behavioural problems - opposite
usa had overcontrolled behaviour, too quiet
thai had undercontrolled behaviour, too loud
overcontrolled problems more in thai
shyness, somaticizing (convert anxiety to physical symptoms), depression
undercontrolled more in usa
disobedience, fighting, impuslvitiy
push adolescnats to buddhism, restrained
EVAL
clinical sample - doesnt report thailand in general, not general behaviour - people who’ve reported behavioural problems. THEY ONLY LOOKED AT PARENTS WHO REPORTED BEHAVIORAL PROBLEMS
diff definition of childrens probles. E.g in thai, swearing was considered language that was only impolite in the US
using western/usa standards of how to identify behavioural problems and applying to thai
Some cultural diff between thai and US kids may be more apparent than real
They observed the kids behaviors in schools in US and Thailand.
American kids twice as disruptive in terms of talking and being out of their seats, but the thai children were still perceived by their teachers as having sig. More behavioral problems than the american kids were by theirs.
Pike’s etic emic approach
Etic approach
Aims to discover what humans have in common
Addresses universal human behavior
Idea that the way underlying psych mechanisms and disorders are experienced are very similar or universal across cultures
Cultrues can only influence the way abnormal behavior manifests itself
Emic approach
Aims to look at cultural human behaviour
Assumes meaning of behaviour can only be defined from within the culture it is studied
Moves away form the assumption that disorders are culturally relativist
Since there are no cross cultural differences studied, what is considered normal and abnormal may be different in diff cultures
etic study by WHO
A study by the World Health organisation on the diagnosis and classification of depression in switzerland, canada, japan, iran
Use standard diagnostic scheme to investgate symtpoms of depression in approx 600 patient in 4 countries
Results
Foudn that most patients experienced several symptoms that were the same in all 4 countries
several symptoms that were the same in the above cultures that may seem different
76% reported anxiety, sense of insufficiency, sadness, joylesness
40% of patients displayed symptoms such as somatic pains that werent part of the symptoms in the diagnostic scheme. THis could be indication of cultural factors playing a part
Other studies have found vairations in the way depressive symptoms are experienced by diff cultures
Some cultures, e.g nigerians not at all likely to report feelings of worthelessness or guilt
Draguns and Tanaka- Matsumi study: chinese reported more somatic pain - body pain, upsets, less psychological pain
emic study by manson et al
Did study using the american indian depression scale
Used interviews w native american ppt to derive 5 hopi illness categories:
worry sickness
unhappiness
Heartbroken
drunken-like craziness
Disappointment
Most Hopi participants said they could not identify a Hopi word that was equivalent to the term depression, but were all familiar with the 5 hopi illness categories above which were relevant to depression
Some of the cahracterisitcs identified by manson, e.g unhappiness, were similar to western ways of looking at depression, while others wre completely different, e.g heartbroken had the symptoms of :
Weight loss
Disrupted sleep
Agitaion
Loss of libido
Shame
Trouble thinking clealry
^^ this set of symptoms doesnt form part of any western diagnostic scheme
CONCLUSION
Research seems to suggest that although depression is universal, the way it expresses itself is culturally determined
Other studies have drawn similar conclusions w anxiety and other disorders
Seems best approach would involve both etic and emic components
In derived etic approach, its assumed that althrough the phenonemon under study is same accorss all cultures, the development and expression may show cultural influences
