Psychopathology

Question 1

What are the definitions of abnormality?

Answer 1

Deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately and deviation from ideal mental health.

Question 2

What are the key points of deviation from social norms?

Answer 2

We make a collective judgement as a society about what is right.
Norms are specific to the culture we live in.
Groups of people(social)choose to define behaviour and figure out whether it is normal or not depending on if it offends the norm.

Question 3

An example of deviation from social norms.

Answer 3

Anti social personality disorder- (psychopathy) we judge them based on if they follow or conform to our moral standards. If not, they’re seen as abnormal.

Question 4

Strength of deviation from social norms

Answer 4

Real life application- diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder.

Question 5

Limitations of deviation from social norms.

Answer 5

Social norms very tremendously from one generation/community to the other which causes culture relativism.

Can lead to human rights abuses, diagnoses were there to maintain control over minority ethnic groups.

Question 6

What is statistical infrequency?

Answer 6

(Definition of abnormality) A person’s trait, thinking or behavior is classified as abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual. With this definition it is necessary to be clear about how rare a trait or behavior needs to be before we class it as abnormal