Psychopathology Flashcards
What is statistical infrequency?
occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic, for example being more depressed or less intelligent than most of the population.
according to the statistical definition any relatively usual behaviour or characteristic is ‘normal’ and any behaviour that is different to this is ‘abnormal’
you are abnormal if your behaviour is statistically rare what is statistically rare depends upon a normal distribution.
what are the 4 definitions of abnormality?
Statistical infrequency
Deviation from social norms
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from ideal mental health
statistical infrequency example (IQ)
the average IQ is 100. most people (68%) have an IQ from 85-115 (1SD from mean). nearly everyone is between 70-130 (2SD).
2% of people have a score below 70 and 2% above 130. if your IQ is <70 or >130 you are statistically rare and thus abnormal.
those scoring below 70 are liable to receive a diagnosis of a psychological disorder - intellectual disability disorder
strength of statistical infrequency
+ practical applications
this method of defining abnormality is the only way of diagnosing intellectual disability disorder (IDD = IQ below 70).
this strengthens the definition as it is clearly a useful technique due to the diagnosis of IDD - helps establish normal/abnormal behaviours.
all MH diagnostic criteria does involve some aspect of how rare their behaviour is compared to statistical norms.
thus a useful part of clinical assessment.
Limitations of statistical infrequency
- not all rare behaviour is undesirable
whilst it does suggest rare behaviour is undesirable (IDD), it cannot distinguish when a rare behaviour might be desirable to have.
having an IQ over 130 is just as unusual as below 70 so under this def. it makes you rare and in need of intervention. however, this is a desirable trait to have.
serious limitation to the concept of SI and means it would never be used alone to make a diagnosis. - not all abnormal behaviour is rare
in todays society depression is roughly found in 30% of the population. so, using this definition, depression would not be seen as abnormal.
clearly then this definition is not that suitable in modern society as depression shouldn’t be considered normal. - no benefit of being labelled abnormal. Could unnecessarily affect they way others view them, and the way they view themselves.
deviation from social norms
concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society,
you are abnormal if your behaviour is not what is considered normal for that culture.
groups of people define what behaviour is considered normal/abnormal
it’s not law - we’re making a collective judgement, unwritten rules about what is right or wrong
norms are specific to the culture we live in - we run the risk of applying our norms to others. there are relatively few behaviours that are considered universally abnormal
evaluation of deviation from social norms
+ does distinguish between desirable & undesirable behaviour,
perhaps better than statistical infrequency for some behaviours
- problems with other cultural norms
every culture has different norms. if we use this definition, what might be abnormal in 1 culture may be normal in another. Culture bound - cannot judge another culture from one’s own norms.
mental health should be universal.
e.g. in some cultures, hearing voices is socially acceptable but would be seen as abnormal/ a sign of mental abnormality in the UK.
if a psychologist is unaware of these differences in norms it can lead to misdiagnosing people. this creates problems for people from 1 culture living within another cultural group
- when does this explanation infringe on people being different?
-lacks temporal validity, cultural norms change all of the time, thus this definition of abnormality will have to be constantly updated. Thus, decreasing its reliability.
failure to function adequately
occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day-to-day living.
someone is abnormal if they fail to keep up with the demands of day-to-day life
we might decide that someone is not functioning adequately if they were no longer keeping up with hygiene, eating, keeping in contact with friends & family and can’t keep up with school work/job
all of these things are likely to cause distress to the patient and to others
strengths of failure to function adequately
+ can apply to other cultures (unlike social norms)
+ it includes the subjective experience of the patient
this explanation acknowledges that the patients feelings are important and need to be considered.
FFA definition captures the experience of many people who need help.
All MH diagnostic criteria contain some aspect of how the patients life is affected.
FFA is a useful criterion for assessing abnormality
weaknesses of failure to function adequately
- there are times when we all don’t meet the demands
so we run the risk of mislabelling many as abnormal - how do we know it is not just someone being alternative?
there are many people who choose not to have a job - under the definition they would be abnormal.
but they do not necessarily need help - it’s just their chosen way to live.
but if we treat these behaviours of ‘failures’ of adequate functioning, we risk limiting personal freedom and discriminating against minority groups
deviation from ideal mental health
occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health
this believes you are abnormal if you do not meet the criteria for good MH
Jahoda suggested we are in good MH if we meet all the following:
we have no symptoms of distress
we are rational & can perceive ourselves accurately
we self-actualise (reach our potential)
we can cope with stress
we have a realistic view of the world
we have good self-esteem and lack guilt
we are independent of other people
we can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure
evaluation of deviation from ideal mental health
+ comprehensive list
it covers a broad range of symptoms/criteria from many mental illnesses.
in fact, it covers pretty much all reasons to why someone might suffer from MH problems.
this means it is a useful tool for thinking about mental health (we just shouldn’t have to meet them all)
- most people will not meet all the criteria
this set of criteria is unrealistic for most people to achieve.
this means that this approach would see us all as abnormal.
this weakens it as it may not be a useful tool alone to see who might need help.
what is depression?
A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
characteristics of depression
