Psychopathology - Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards
How can abnormality be defined?
Statistics
Inability to cope with everyday activities / deviation from social norms
Deviation from ideal mental health
How can abnormality be defined numerically?
the person does a test and the results are compared to the normal distribution of the rest of the population
any person who falls 2 standard deviations from the mean are abnormal
How many people fall 2 standard deviations from the mean?
5%
How can inability to cope be used to define abnormality?
if a person is inable to cope with everyday activities or causes distress to others - they are abnormal
What is humanism?
the modern belief system that treats human experiences as the ultimate source of meaning
What approach does humanist healthcare use?
a ‘person-centered’ approach where the patients feelings matters the most
How does humanism account for cultural variation?
it considers the individual’s happiness above cultural expectations of normality
What are Jahoda’s 6 criteria for optimal living?
- Self Attitudes
- Self Actualisation
- Integration
- Autonomy
- Accurate perception of reality
- Mastery of the environment
How can deviation from ideal mental health be used to define abnormality?
if a person doesn’t meet the criteria for good mental health, they are classed as abnormal
the criteria are usually Jahoda’s criteria for optimal living
What is self actualisation according to Jahoda?
the extent to which an individual achieves their full potential
What is integration (according to Jahoda)?
the ability to cope with stressful situation
What is autonomy, according to Jahoda?
the ability to be independent and make your own decisions
What is an accurate perception of reality according to Jahoda?
perceiving the world in a non-distorted fashion and having an objective and realistic view on reality
What is the mastery of the environment according to Jahoda?
being competent in all aspects of life and being able to meet the demands of any situation
What are social norms?
the rules that a society has about what are acceptable behaviours, values and beliefs
What are some strengths of using deviation from ideal mental health to define abnormality?
the definition covers a wide range of criteria for ideal mental health
What are some disadvantages of using deviation from ideal mental health to define abnormality?
humanists reject using scientific attempts to generalise symptoms
most criteria are culturally based - eg achieving full potential is more present in individualistic cultures than collectivist
criteria too optimistic - according to Jahoda most people are abnormal
perceptions of reality change over time - eg having visions used to be considered good but now seen as a sign of schizophrenia
