Psychopathology- Definitions Of Abnormality Flashcards
How many definitions of abnormality are there?
4
Statistical Infrequency
Failure To Function Adequately
Deviance from social norms
Deviance from ideal mental health
Define satistical infrequency
Some is mentally abnormal if their mental behaviour is considered very rare when compared to population
This rarity is judged objectively and compares individual’s behavior to rest of population..
Normal Distribution Curve
Peak of graph= average
2 STANDARD DEVIATIONS ABOVE OR BELOW= ABNORMAL
Evaluation points if using statistical infrequency to define abnormality
✅-those individuals who are assessed as abnormal have been evaluated OBJECTIVIELY
❌-Psychological community decides cut-off for what is ‘statistically rare enough’ to be abnormal= SUBJECTIVE DECISION - those just under= denied medical support
❌-not all statistically rare traits are negative
Failure To Function Adequately
=An individual is defined as abnormal if they fail to cope in their daily lives- including ability to interact and meet their challenges
Who created the features of Failure To Function
Rosehan and Seligman
What were Rosehan and Seligman’s features of Failure To Function
MY PERSON ICKS U
Maladaptive behaviour-acting against LONGER-TERM INTEREST.
Personal anguish-suffering from anxiety & distress
Irrationality- unpredicted behaviour
Unconventionality- behavior does not match what is typically expected by society
EVALUATION of Failure To Function Adequately
✅- respects individual and their own experiences and circumstances
❌-decision about whether or not an individual is coping is SUBJECTIVE
❌-Does not consider those that can cope- psychopaths can cope and tend to thrive
❌-not all maladaptive behaviour indicates mental illness e.g unhealthy eating, drinking etc.
Define deviation from social norms
=people who stray from societal expectations may be seen as abnormal
societal norms are dictated and vary from individuals and cultures and etc
EVALUATION for deviation from social norms
✅- NOT ETHNOCENTRIC-represnts cultural diffs between societies- does not impose WESTERN view of abnormality on other NON-WESTERN societies
❌- can be difficult to define people who move to a new culture as abnormal according to new cultural norms. =CATEGORY FAILURE
E.G PEOPLE FROM AFRO-CARRIBEAN CULTURES 7X TIMES MORE LIKELY TO BE DIAGNOSED W/ SCHIZOPHRENIA IN UK AS IN A-C CULTURES HALLUCINATIONS AND CONVERSATIONS W/ ANGELS SEEN AS ‘TYPICAL RELIGIOUS’ EXPERIENCES.
❌-Can be seen as punishing people who are trying to express their individuality and repressing people who do not conform to their repressive norms of their culture.
E.G WHO DECLASSIFIED HOMEOSEXUALITY AS A MENTAL ILLNESS IN 1992 AND TRANSGENDER HEALTH ISSUES IN 2019 = RECENT CHANGES MAY HAVE FOLLOWED SOCIAL ACCEPTANCE.
Which psychologist is linked with deviation from ideal mental heal?
Marie Jahoda
Define deviation from ideal mental health
=Marie Jahoda’s definition stems from a hUMANISTIC APPROACH - focusing on ways to improve and become a better person rather than dysfunctional.
Jahida identified 6 features of ideal mental health EAR SPA
Jahoda’s 6 features of ideal mental health
EAR SPA
ENVIRONMENT MASTERY-ability to thrive in new sitch
AUTONOMY-ability to act independently
RESISTANCE TO STRESS-coping skills for stress and anxiety
SELF-ACTUALISATION- ability to reach potential
POSITIVE ATTITUDE TOWARDS ONESELF- characterised by high self-esteem
ACCURATE POV OF REALITY- see world w/o distortion of personal beliefs
EVALUATION of deviation from ideal mental heal
✅-more CONSTRUCTIVE AND HOLISTIC APPROACH TO MENTAL Health- also teaches how to overcome
❌-criteria of J’s 6 features TOO STRICT -most people would be defined as abnormal according to DIMH
❌- stems from humanistic psych- which may be culturally biased reflecting western pov in mental health (emic construct)- imposed etic
