Psychopathology: Abnormality Flashcards
what’s statistical infrequency?
abnormality is defined as behaviours or characteristics that are rare, uncommon or unusual.it occupies the extreme ends of the normal distribution curve. it uses up-to-date statistics. an example is IQ, low IQ is defined as an intellectual disorder.
what’s a strength of statistical infrequency?
real-life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder. there’s a place for statistical infrequency in thinking about what’s normal and abnormal. all assessments of patients include a measurement of the severity of their symptoms as compared to statisitical norms.
what’s a weakness of statistical infrequency?
unusual characteristics can be positive. for example, IQ scores over 130 are just as unusual as those below 70 but you wouldn’t consider super-intelligience as an undesirable characterisitic that needs treatment. the concept of statistical infrequency means it can’t be used alone to make a diagnosis.
what’s deviation from social norms?
all societies make a collective judgement about what counts as normal behaviour. any behaviour that doesn’t conform to the accepted standards is abnormal. norms vary from culture to culture.
how is devaition from social norms cultural relativism?
how can deviation from social norms lead to human rights abuse?
too much reliance can lead to systematic abuse of human rights. in historical examples, diagnosises may be made just to maintain control over a minority ethnic groups or women. the classification appears ridiculous now as our social norms have changed.
what’s failure to function adequately?
abnormality is an inability to cope with everyday living. Rosenhan + Seligman criteria (irrationality, observer discomfort). behaviours like not being able to hold a job, maintain a relationship, personal hygiene. it’s a failure to follow interpersonal rules.
what’s a strength of failure to function adequately?
it attempts to include the subjective experience of the patient. it’s not entirely satisfactory as it’s difficult to assess distress but it’s acknowledges their perspective. it’s a useful criterion for assessing abnormality.
what’s a weakness of failure to function adequately?
subjective judgement. when deciding whether someone is failing to function, someone has to judge whether the patient is distressed of distressing. some patients say they are distressed but may be judged for not suffering
what’s deviation from ideal mental health?
abnormality is the absence of criteria for good mental health, Jahoda proposed a criteria for optimal living. it includes: resistance to stress, positive view of self, lack of dependence. the more criterias that are absent, the more serious the abnormality.
what’s a strength of devaition from ideal mental health?
it’s a comprehensive definition. it covers a broad range of criterias for mental health. it covers most of the reasons someone would seek help from mental health services or be referred. it’s a good tool to use when thinking about mental health.
what’s a weakness of deviation from ideal mental health?
it sets unrealistically high standards for mental health. very few can attain all of Jahoda’s criteria and no one can keep them up and maintain them. therefore this approach would consider majority to be abnormal. however it does make it clear to patients how they could benefit from seeking treatments.
