Psychopathology - Defining Abnormality Flashcards
How can you define abnormality?
- statistical infrequency
- deviation from social norms
- failure to function adequately
- deviation from ideal mental health
How do you define abnormality in terms of statistics?
The most obvious way to define anything as ‘normal’ or ‘abnormal’ is in terms of the number of times it is observed. Statistics is about analysing numbers.
How does abnormality link to behaviour?
Any relatively ‘usual’, or often seen, behaviour can be thought of as ‘normal’.
Any behaviour that is different, or rare, is ‘abnormal’, i.e. a statistical infrequency.
Give an example of statistical infrequency.
IQ is normally distributed. The average IQ is 100. Most people have an IQ between 85 and 115, only 2% have a score below 70. Those individuals scoring below 70 are statistically unusual or ‘abnormal’ and are diagnosed with intellectual disability disorder.
How is abnormality based on social context?
When a person behaves in a way that is different from how they are expected to behave they may be defined as abnormal. Societies and social groups make collective judgements about ‘correct’ behaviours in particular circumstances.
How are norms specific to the culture we live in?
There are relatively few behaviours that would be considered universally abnormal therefore definitions are related to cultural context.
This includes historical differences within the same society. For example, homosexuality is viewed as abnormal in some cultures but not others and was considered abnormal in our society in the past.
Give an example of deviation from social norms.
One important symptom of antisocial personality disorder (formerly psychopathy) is a failure to conform to ‘lawful and culturally normative ethical behaviour’.
In other words, a psychopath is abnormal because they deviate from social norms or standards. They generally lack empathy.
How is the inability to cope with everyday living seen as abnormal?
A person may cross the line between normal and abnormal at the point that they cannot deal with the demands of everyday life - they fail to function adequately.
For instance, not being able to hold down a job, maintain relationships or maintain basic standards of nutrition and hygiene.
What did Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) propose as the signs of failure to cope?
- Suffering and personal distress is a common feature of abnormality but not always present.
- Maladaptiveness is when a behaviour neither helps an individual or the groups they belong to.
- Irrationality and incomprehensibility is when behaviour seems to have no rational meaning.
- Unpredictability and loss of control: we expect people to be consistent, predictable and in control of themselves.
- Vividness and unconventionality refers to behaviours that stand out and shock us (may be irrational or dangerous).
- Observer discomfort refers to behaviour that makes us feel uncomfortable because it breaks some unwritten rules about how we behave.
- Violation of ideal and moral standards: the rules we think people should live by.
- They no longer conform to interpersonal rules, e.g. maintaining personal space.
Give an example of failure to function adequately.
Having a very low IQ is statistical infrequency but diagnosis would not be made on this basis alone. There would have to be clear signs that, as a result of this, the person was not able to cope with the demands of everyday living. So intellectual disability disorder is an example of failure to function adequately.
How can you change the emphasis to identify ‘abnormal’ people?
A different way to look at normality and abnormality is to think about what makes someone ‘normal’ and psychologically healthy. Then identity anyone who deviates from this ideal.
What did Marie Jahoda (1958) suggest as the 8 criteria for ideal mental health?
- We have no symptoms of distress.
- We are rational and perceive ourselves accurately.
- We self-actualise.
- 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.
How is there an inevitable overlap between definitions?
Someone’s inability to keep a job may be a sign of their failure to cope with the pressures of work (failure to function). Or as a deviation from the ideal of successfully working.
What are the strengths of the definitions of abnormality?
- statistical infrequency has real-life application
- failure to function adequately recognises the patient’s perspective
- deviation from ideal mental health is comprehensive
What are the weaknesses of the definitions of abnormality?
- unusual characteristics can also be positive
- not everyone unusual benefits from a label
- deviation from social norms is not a sole explanation of abnormality
- social norms are culturally relative
- the definition could lead to human rights abuses
- failure to function is the same as deviation from social norms
- this is a subjective judgement
- definition of ideal mental health may be culturally relative
- unrealistically high standard for mental health
- how is it measured?
How is statistical infrequency having real-life application a strength?
All assessment of patients with mental disorders includes some comparison to statistical norms. Intellectual disability disorder demonstrates how statistical infrequency can be used. Statistical infrequency is thus a useful part of clinical assessment.
How is failure to function adequately recognising the patient’s perspective a strength?
This may not be an entirely satisfactory approach because it is difficult to assess distress.
However, the definition acknowledges that the experience of the patient (and/or others) is important. It captures the experience of many people who need help and is useful for assessing abnormality.
How is deviation from ideal mental health being comprehensive a strength?
The definition covers a broad range of criteria for mental health. It probably covers most of the reasons someone would seek help from mental health services or be referred for help. The sheer range of factors discussed in relation to Jahoda’s criteria make it a good tool for thinking about mental health.
How are unusual characteristics also being positive a weakness?
If very few people display a behaviour, that makes the behaviour statistically abnormal but doesn’t mean the person requires treatment. IQ scores over 130 are just as unusual as those below 70, but not regarded as undesirable and requiring treatment. This is a serious limitation of the concept of statistical infrequency and means it should never be used alone to make a diagnosis.
How is not everyone benefiting from a label a weakness?
When someone is living a happy and fulfilled life, there is no benefit to them being labelled as abnormal. Someone with a very low IQ who was not distressed or out of work etc. would not need a diagnosis of intellectual disability. Being labelled as abnormal might have a negative effect on the way others view them and the way they see themselves.
How is deviation from social norms not being a sole explanation of abnormality a weakness?
Antisocial personality disorder (APD) shows there is a place for deviation from social norms in thinking about what is abnormal. However, there are other factors to consider, e.g. distress to other people due to APD. So in practice, deviation from social norms is never the sole reason for defining abnormality.
How are social norms being culturally relative a weakness?
A person from one cultural group may label someone from another group as abnormal using their standards rather than the person’s standards. For example, hearing voices is socially acceptable in some cultures but would be seen as a sign of abnormality in the UK. This creates problems for people from one culture living within another cultural group.
How is deviation from social norms leading to human rights abuses a weakness?
Too much reliance on deviation from social norms to understand abnormality can lead to systematic abuse of human rights.
Drapetomania (black slaves trying to escape) and nymphomania (women attracted to working-class men) are examples of how diagnosis was used for social control. Such classifications appear ridiculous but some psychologists argue that some modern abnormal classifications are abuses of people’s right to be different.
How is failure to function being the same as deviation from social norms a weakness?
It can be hard to say when someone is really failing to function or just deviating from social norms. People who live alternative lifestyles or do extreme sports could be seen as behaving maladaptively. If we treat these behaviours as ‘failures’ of adequate functioning, we may limit freedom.
