Psychopathology: L1-4

Question 1

Deviation from social norms

Answer 1

• Looks at the impact of an individuals behaviours upon other people
• Deviating from social norms can be viewed as abnormal & undesirable
• Rules may be explicit eg laws or implicit, such as codes of conduct
  Can be used to determine if a person is suffering from a mental disorder, if they deviate from how they are expected to behave

Question 2

Strengths of deviation from social norms

Answer 2

• Distinguishes between desirable & undesirable behaviours as well as aiming to protect the public from the effects of abnormal behaviour & the damaging consequences it may have eg it is abnormal for someone to wear no clothes on the high street, and if someone was to carry out this behaviour then it would be damaging and disturbing. Therefore highlighting that this behaviour is abnormal can minimise it the protect the public

Question 3

Weaknesses of deviation from social norms

Answer 3

• Psychologists must be careful when making judgements as the definition does not always clearly indicate if a person is suffering from a psychological abnormality or if they are eccentric. For example, a person who might streak may be eccentric but not mentally disturbed
• Context must be taken into account. For example, a person being naked on the high street is abnormal, however it is completely normal on a nudist beach. Therefore context is required when making judgements

Question 4

Failure to function adequately

Answer 4

• A person is unable to cope with day to day life, impacting their personal, social & occupational life
• If a person cannot fulfil their obligations then this may be in indicator of psychological distress or discomfort
• Uses the GAF scale to assess suffering, higher number = more abnormal
• Allows psychologists to determine the degree to which someone is suffering
  7 Criteria: SUMOVIV

Question 5

Strengths of failure to function adequately

Answer 5

• Using the GAF then psychologists can accurately assess the degree of abnormality & how well the patient is/isn’t coping with daily life. If the patient is not functioning adequately then this could be a sight of abnormality

Question 6

Weaknesses of failure to function adequately

Answer 6

• Abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction. Some with abnormalities still lea normal lives and do not posses any of the 7 criteria. For example, Harold Shipman appeared to function adequately but was in fact a mass murderer. However some may appear to be functioning inadequately, however they may just be having a bad day
• The 7 criteria may be very problematic as it is very difficult to measure & analyse. For instance, it is difficult to measure how much a person is suffering as well as being very subjective. There are also conditions where some of the criteria should be adhered to, for instance if someone is grieving then it would be acceptable to show signs of suffering

Question 7

Statistical infrequency

Answer 7

• Occurs when an individual possesses a less common characteristic than most of the population eg an IQ above 130
• Any relatively unusual behaviour may be considered abnormal
• Data can be displayed using a normal distribution curve

Question 8

Strengths of statistical infrequency

Answer 8

• Some statistically infrequent behaviours may be beneficial and desirable, for example an IQ over 130 is as infrequent as one under 70, however an IQ over 130 is viewed as quite positive
• Judgements are based on objective, scientific and unbiased data that can indicate abnormality through tests that can show wether someone needs psychological help and assistant

Question 9

Weaknesses of statistical infrequency

Answer 9

• It involves labelling people as abnormal which is not beneficial. A person with an IQ under 70 may be labelled in a negative manner by others, which in turn affects how they view themselves. This could affect their self confidence & self esteem which may cause further problems
• There is a subjective cutoff between normality and abnormality, for example an IQ of 70 is abnormal, but 71 would be considered normal

Question 10

Deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 10

• Stems from the humanist approach which focuses on motivation and self development
• Abnormality is related to a lack of contented existence
• The goal that people strive towards should be self actualisation
  For a person to be viewed as normal they must fulfil the 6 criteria: APPIES

Question 11

Strengths of deviation form ideal mental health

Answer 11

• Can be viewed as positive and productive. It focuses on ideal or optimal criteria that should be strived toward to be viewed as psychologically healthy. Self actualisation is a positive trait all should strive towards
• Highlights and targets areas of dysfunction that a patient can work on to improve their life. This is important when treating different types of disorders, for instance, people who do not posses ‘self attitudes’ may show signs of depression. This can therefor highlight the areas of dysfunction for the patient & psychologist

Question 12

Weaknesses of deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 12

• The 6 principles are based on abstract concepts and ideals and are difficult to measure and define. For instance, how much ‘environmental mastery’ must a person display to not be considered abnormal
• It can be problematic as people cannot achieve all 6 criteria at any one given Tim, therefore the majority of people would be considered abnormal, causing ‘abnormal’ to become ‘normal’. To meet and sustain all 6 criteria would be very difficult