Psychopathology- Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards
What are the 4 definitions?
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from ideal mental health
Deviation from social norms
Statistical infrequency
A03 strengths for failure to function adequately?
Considers the impact of abnormality on everyday life
A03 strengths for deviation from ideal mental health?
It is a positive approach to defining abnormality
A03 strengths for deviation from social norms?
IRL application: can diagnose 152 anti-social personality disorders
A03 strengths for statistical infrequency?
There is measurement.
For clinical diagnosis there will be some form of measurement
A03 limitations for failure to function adequately?
Not always associated with an ability to cope with everyday life
Fails to take into account the situational context of the abnormality
Who judges if it is abnormal? SUBJ
Culturally relative
A03 limitations for deviation from ideal mental health?
What constitutes the ideal mental health?
Criteria is very hard to measure
Jahoda’s criteria is very western based, culturally relative.
A03 limitations for deviation from social norms?
Allows whoever is in charge to classify people as abnormal as they wish, opening up to the abuse of human rights.
Not always bad, suffragettes!
Determined by culture/time period.
A03 limitations for statistical infrequency?
What is too extreme, how far does someone have to deviate for it to be rare?
Not always a bad thing
No consideration of reason, very impersonal.
Not personal, the effects of the symptoms are not considered.
What are Jahoda’s 6 criteria?
Resistance from stress Accurate perception of reality Environmental mastery Positive attitude towards the self Independent of others Self-actualisation
What is the definition of failure to function adequately?
Cannot cope with everyday life
Causes distress to friends and family
What is the definition of statistical infrequency?
If a behaviour is statistically uncommon and not often seen in society then it is abnormal
What is the definition of deviation from ideal mental health?
If you cannot fulfil all of Jahoda’s 6 criteria then you are abnormal
What is the definition of deviation from social norms?
Not following the unwritten rules for society
