Abnormality Flashcards
(22 cards)
What is a Deviation from social norms?
It concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour is a community or society.
What is a Statistical Infrequency?
It occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic, for example being more depressed or less intelligent than most of the population.
What is failure to function adequatly?
It occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day-to-day living.
What is a Deviation from ideal mental health?
It occurs when someone does not meet a set a criteria for good mental health.
What is abnormality according to Rosenhan and Seligman (1995)
They believe that normality is merely an absence of abnormality. So, this means that defining abnormality is based around what is normal.
What is an example of social norms changing?
The DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual for mental disorders) classified same sex attraction as sexual deviation, because this deviated from the accepted norm of heterosexual attraction/relationships.
In 1974, homosexuality was removed from the DSM after gay activists protested their rights and was renamed as ‘sexual orientation disturbance’
In 2013, any reference to sexual orientation as a mental health disorder was removed from the DSM-5 (5th edition).
What is an evaluation of deviation from social norms in regards to cultural relevance?
P: A limitation of the deviation from social norms definition is that norms are situational, making them culturally relative.
E: This means that a behaviour that it seen as abnormal in one setting is regarded as normal in another. For instance, whilst being naked in the middle of a town is seen abnormal, it is regarded as normal on a nudist beach.
C: This suggests that behavioural norms vary across cultures.
What is an evaluation of deviation from social norms in regards to changes over time?
P: Another limitation is that what is considered normal and desirable behaviour changes over time.
E: The norms defined by society often relate to moral standards that vary over time as social attitudes change. An example of this is homosexuality where this was not removed from the internal classification of diseases of mental health until 1990.
C: This suggests that this definition lacks temporal validity.
What is an evaluation of deviation from social norms in regards to individual differnces?
P: A further limitation is that the deviation from social norms definition is that it does not take into account individual differences.
E: Those who do not conform to social norms may not be abnormal but merely individualistic or unusual and not problematic in any sense.
C: It can be argued that some modern abnormal classifications are abused of people’s right to be different.
Example of statistical infrequencies?
The average IQ is set at 100, most people have an IQ of 85-115 (normal distribution). Only 2% of people have a score below 70, these
individuals would be considered unusual or abnormal and may receive a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder.
What is an evaluation of statistical infrequency with regards to its real life application?
P: A strength of using statistical infrequency to measure abnormal behaviour, is that it has real-life application.
E: All assessment of patients with mental disorders includes some comparison to statistical norms. Intellectual disability disorder demonstrates how statistical infrequency can be used.
C: It is therefore a useful part in clinical assessment.
What is an evaluation of statistical infrequency with regards to its benefits/disadvantages of labelling?
P: However, a limitation is that not all unusual behaviours or people benefit from labelling.
E: When someone is living a happy and fulfilled life, there is no benefit to them being labelled as abnormal. Someone with a very low IQ who is not distressed or out of work would not need a diagnosis of an intellectual disorder.
C: Therefore, being labelled as abnormal may have a negative effect on the way others view them and the way that they see themselves.
What is an evaluation of statistical infrequency with regards to its views on unusual behavior as not being positive?
P: A further limitation is the view that unusual behaviour is not deemed as positive.
E: If very few people display a behaviour that makes the behaviour statistically abnormal but doesn’t mean the person requires treatment. IQ scores over 130 are just as unusual as those below 70.
C: This is a serious limitation of the concept of
statistical infrequency, it should never be used alone to make a diagnosis.
What are the features of the Global Assessment Functioning Scale?
Personal distress
Maladaptive behaviour
Unpredictability
Irrationality
Observer discomfort
Violation of moral standards
Unconventionality
What is an Evaluation with failing to function adequately in regards to subjectivity?
P: A limitation is that what defines or categorises someone as failing to function adequately is subjective.
E: Someone has to judge whether a patient is distressed but this may not be judged as
suffering. Methods are used for making judgements as objective as possible. Including the GAFS.
C: However, the principle remains whether a psychiatrist has the right to make this judgement.
What is an Evaluation with failing to function adequately in regards to subject experince?
P: A strength of failure to function adequately is that it does attempt to include the subjective experience of the individual.
E: Whilst it may not be an entirely satisfactory approach because it is difficult to assess distress, but the definition does acknowledge that the experience of a patient (and/or others) is important.
C: This means that the definition captures the experience of many of the people that need help, suggesting that failure to function adequately is a useful criterion for assessing abnormality.
What is an Evaluation with failing to function adequately in regards to definition overlap?
P: A further limitation of distinguishing when an individual is failing to function adequately or deviating from social norms, this is a definition overlap.
E: It can hard to say when someone is really failing to function or just deviating from social norms. People who have alternative lifestyles such as extreme sport could be seen as behaving maladaptively. Similarly, those
with religious or supernatural beliefs could be seen as irrational.
C: This can be an issue, if we treat these behaviours as ‘failures’ of adequate functioning, we risk limiting personal freedom and discriminating against minority groups.
What is Johoda’s criteria?
8 characteristics that individuals should exhibit in order to be normal.
An absence of any of these characteristics indicates abnormality- displaying deviation from ideal mental health.
What are the eight parts of Jahoda’s Criteria?
We have no symptoms of distress
We are rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
We self-actualise (reach our potential)
We can cope with stress
We have a realistic view of the world
We have good self-esteem and lack guilt
We are independent of other people
We can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure
What is an Evaluation with deviation from ideal mental health with regards to comprehension?
P: A strength of the definition for ideal mental health is that it is comprehensive.
E: The definition covers most of the reasons why someone would seek help from mental health services.
C: Therefore, this makes Jahoda’s criteria a practical tool for thinking about mental health.
What is an Evaluation with deviation from ideal mental health with regards to cultural relativeness?
P: However, a limitation is that what is considered to be ideally mentally healthy differs across cultures and is culturally relative.
E: Some of the ideas in Jahoda’s classification are specific to Western European and North American Cultures. This emphasis on personal
achievement (self-actualisation) would be considered self-indulgent to the rest of the world, as they focus on the community rather than oneself.
C: This means that this criteria is typical of individualistic cultures and are usually culturally specific.
What is an Evaluation with deviation from ideal mental health with regards to how realistic it is?
P: A limitation of ideal mental health is that it is unrealistic.
E: Very few people will attain all Jahoda’s criteria for mental health. Therefore, this approach would see most of us as abnormal.
C: However, it does make it clear to people the ways in which they could benefit from seeking help to improve their mental health.
