definitions of abnormalities

Question 1

what is statistical infrequency

Answer 1

This occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic compared to the population e.g a low score on an IQ test.

Question 2

evalutations of statistical infrequency

Answer 2

• It has a real life application in diagnosing intellectual disability disorder.It is useful in clinical assessments.
• Unusual characteristics can be positive and desirable for example scoring high on an IQ test.
• It can result in labels which can cause distress to people

Question 3

deviation from social norms

Answer 3

This concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a society.

Question 4

evaluation of deviation from social norms

Answer 4

• It has a real life application in diagnosing antisocial personality disorder.
• Cultural relativism > what may be regarded as abnormal to one culture may be considered normal in another culture.
• It can lead to human rights abuses.

Question 5

Failure to function adequately

Answer 5

This occurs when someone is unable to cope with the ordinary demands of day to day life.This may cause distress to others.

Question 6

evaluation of failure to function adequately

Answer 6

It is subjective to patient experience so consider their distress even though it is difficult to measure distress.

Question 7

Deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 7

This occurs when an individual does not meet the set criteria for good mental health.

Question 8

evaluation of deviation from ideal mental health

Answer 8

• It sets an unrealistically high expectation of ideal mental health.
• Cultural relativism-Jahoda’s criteria meet more of a western demand than other cultures.