Option: Abnormal Psychology 1

Question 1

Discuss the concepts of normality and abnormality.

Answer 1

ABNORMALITY:
- Deviation from norms
- Inadequate functioning
- Deviation from ideal mental health
- Statistical infrequency
- Medical model of abnormality

DEVIATION FROM NORMS: if a person does not fit into a societal norm, they can be labeled “abnormal” and isolated.

STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY: It focuses on specific traits that would be considered normal/abnormal. An abnormal trait is statistically unusual.

MEDICAL MODEL:
- Medical model of abnormality assumes that abnormal behavior has a set of symptoms and a set of causes behind them.
- Symptoms may be observed, causes may be inferred and treatment should be targeted towards inferred causes.
- This model focuses on mental disorders one by one, defining them descriptively by a system of symptoms. Descriptions of symptoms are then brought into a classification system. In it each disorder is characterized by a set of symptoms which allows it to differentiate it from other disorders.

Studies to use: ROSENHAN (1973) STUDY 1 AND 2