Psychopathology - Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
1
Q
A
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

How can abnormality be defined?

A

Statistics

Inability to cope with everyday activities / deviation from social norms

Deviation from ideal mental health

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

How can abnormality be defined numerically?

A

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 well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

How many people fall 2 standard deviations from the mean?

A

5%

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

How can inability to cope be used to define abnormality?

A

if a person is inable to cope with everyday activities or causes distress to others - they are abnormal

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What is humanism?

A

the modern belief system that treats human experiences as the ultimate source of meaning

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What approach does humanist healthcare use?

A

a ‘person-centered’ approach where the patients feelings matters the most

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

How does humanism account for cultural variation?

A

it considers the individual’s happiness above cultural expectations of normality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

What are Jahoda’s 6 criteria for optimal living?

A
  1. Self Attitudes
  2. Self Actualisation
  3. Integration
  4. Autonomy
  5. Accurate perception of reality
  6. Mastery of the environment
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

How can deviation from ideal mental health be used to define abnormality?

A

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

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is self actualisation according to Jahoda?

A

the extent to which an individual achieves their full potential

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What is integration (according to Jahoda)?

A

the ability to cope with stressful situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What is autonomy, according to Jahoda?

A

the ability to be independent and make your own decisions

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is an accurate perception of reality according to Jahoda?

A

perceiving the world in a non-distorted fashion and having an objective and realistic view on reality

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What is the mastery of the environment according to Jahoda?

A

being competent in all aspects of life and being able to meet the demands of any situation

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What are social norms?

A

the rules that a society has about what are acceptable behaviours, values and beliefs

17
Q

What are some strengths of using deviation from ideal mental health to define abnormality?

A

the definition covers a wide range of criteria for ideal mental health

18
Q

What are some disadvantages of using deviation from ideal mental health to define abnormality?

A

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