Psychopathology: definitions of abnormality

Question 1

What are the four definitions of abnormality?

Answer 1

Statistical infrequency (SI), Failure to function adequately (FFA), Deviation from social norms (DSN), Deviation from ideal mental health (DIMH)

Question 2

What is statistical infrequency?

Answer 2

This definition defines someone as abnormal based on how common or uncommon a particular characteristic of theirs is, they are statistically infrequent if they fall within a very small percentage of people

Question 3

What are some positives of the SI definition?

Answer 3

• can apply to a range of situations
• people are able to get diagnosed easily
• helps them get the support they need

Question 4

What are some negatives of the SI definition?

Answer 4

• unusual characteristics can be positive (high IQ)
• being statistically unusual doesn’t always mean someone is psychologically abnormal
• being labelled as abnormal may create social stigma

Question 5

What is failure to function adequately?

Answer 5

Someone may be defined as failing to function adequately if they cannot cope with the demands of everyday life: not conforming to standard interpersonal rules, experiencing severe personal distress, displaying irrational or dangerous behaviour

Question 6

What are some positives of the FFA definition?

Answer 6

• it represents a clear threshold for help, as there can sometimes be a blurred lie between mild symptoms and genuinely failing to function
• it means that treatment and services can be targeted towards those who need it most

Question 7

What are some negatives of the FFA definition?

Answer 7

• it is easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal
• there may be situations where people temporarily fail to function (bereavement)
• being labelled as abnormal may cause someone future problems

Question 8

What is deviation from social norms?

Answer 8

This defines someone as abnormal based on how strongly they conform to the expected behaviours of society

Question 9

What are some positives of the DSN definition?

Answer 9

• can be used in clinical practices to identify symptoms of disorders
• the symptoms of Schizotypal personality disorder are all deviations from social norms

Question 10

What are some negatives of the DSN definition?

Answer 10

• there is huge variation in social ‘norms’ across different cultures and situations
• this means it’s difficult to judge whether somebody’s behaviour is violating social norms, as it may depend on their background
• risk of unfair labelling

Question 11

What is deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 11

this definition ignores the issue of what makes someone abnormal, and focuses on what makes them normal instead
Marie Jahoda suggested a set of criteria for ideal mental health

Question 12

What are the criteria for ideal mental health?

Answer 12

• no symptoms or distress
• rational and can perceive oneself accurately
• self-actualisation (striving to reach our potential)
• can cope with stress
• realistic view of the world
• good self esteem and lack guilt
• independent of others
• can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure

Question 13

What are some positives of the DIMH definition?

Answer 13

• large range of criteria
• provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselves
• comprehensive
• could help someone wanting to improve their mental health

Question 14

What are some negatives of the DIMH definition?

Answer 14

• some elements aren’t applicable across cultures (independence, what defines success)
• very few people attain all of Jahoda’s criteria
• difficult to keep the criteria up for extended periods