Psychopathology

Question 1

define abnormality

Answer 1

when a behaviour does not fit in with whats socially acceptable

Question 2

what are the 3 definitions of abnormality

Answer 2

• Deviation from social norms
• Failure to function adequately
• Statistical infrequency

Question 3

Deviation from social norms AO1

Answer 3

Every society has set standards according to which it expects its members to behave. These standards are called social norms (what is acceptable in a particular society)

Question 4

Deviation from social norms AO3

Answer 4

Weakness: cultural relativism- social norms differ between cultures, what is considered abnormal in one culture may be normal in another, e.g. homosexuality illegal in 75 countries (abnormal) but is considered normal in the rest the world.

Weakness: social norms change over time- homosexuality was regarded as a mental illness in the UK until 1973 resulting in institutionalisation but no is considered normal behaviour

Weakness: how far an individual deviates from a social norm depends on the severity and the context e.g. someone topless on the beach is normal but someone topless in an office is abnormal (indication of mental health problem) therefore this definition fails to offer a complete explanation as its related to degree and context.

Question 5

Define failure to function adequately

Answer 5

when someone is unable to cope with the demands of everyday life and live independently in society e.g. someone with depression struggles to get out of bed and go to work in the morning

Question 6

Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) failure to function adequately

Answer 6

behaviour can be judged on the basis of 7 criteria, any of the following may indicate the presence of a psychological disorder

1) personal distress
2) maladaptiveness
3) irrationality etc

when is someone abnormal when someone can’t cope with the demands of everyday life i.e. if they’re showing a combination of the criteria proposed by Rosenham and Seligman

Question 7

Failure to function adequately A03

Answer 7

Weakness: stems from individual differences- e.g. OCD hax exhibit excessive rituals that prevent them from functioning adequately however others with OCD may suffer from the same rituals but still manage to attend work on time. Therefore questions validity as each person would be diagnosed differently to this definition

Strengths: considers the subjective personal experiences. This definition considers the person’s thoughts and feelings instead of making judgements. Looks at their perspective so if the person is struggling they’ll be deemed abnormal and get treatment. Suggests failure to function adequately is a useful model for assessing psychopathological behaviour.

Question 8

Statistical infrequency AO1

Answer 8

if behaviour is seen as statistically uncommon, it’s seen as abnormal e.g IQ (low IQ or high IQ is abnormal because they’re statistically uncommon)

Question 9

Statistical infrequency AO3

Answer 9

Weakness: some behaviours labelled as abnormal may be desirable traits e.g. having high IQ however depression is not a desirable train

Weakness: no consideration of cultural differences- variances between cultures. Abnormality could be widespread in one culture because of its comparison with the rest of the world

Question 10

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression

Answer 10

Activity levels: reduced energy, tired, withdrawal from work
Disruption in sleeping and eating: insomnia or hypersomnia, appetite can increase or decrease
Aggression/self-harm: verbally and physically aggressive can harm themselves