Definitions Of Abnormality Flashcards
What is psychopathology?
Psychopathology is a term which refers to either the study of mental illness/distress or the display of behaviours and experiences which may suggest mental illness or psychological impairment.
What does psychopathology study?
It is part of a clinical psychology and is concerned with abnormal behaviour; it studies mental health disorders.it seeks to define what makes a behaviour abnormal. By doing this the disorder can be diagnosed and in turn treated. There are disagreements on the causes of abnormal behaviour depending which approach is favoured.
What are the 4 definitions of abnormality?
•Statistical infrequency
•Deviation from social norms
•Failure to function adequately
•Deviation from ideal mental health
Statistical infrequency
This definition says that abnormal behaviours are those that are extremely rare i.e. found in very few people
This is therefore a mathematical method for defining abnormality.
Any human attribute that can be reliably measured (IQ, height, weight) falls into a normal distribution (mean, median and mode all fall at the same point) within the population. This means that there is a central average and the rest of the population falls symmetrically above and below that average.
What does the standard deviation tell us?
The standard deviation. Tells us how far scored fall on either side (above or below) from the mean
What is the normal distribution?
•68% of the population fall within one standard deviation (above and below) from the mean
•95% of the population fall within two standard deviation (above and below) from the mean.
•99.7% of the population fell within three standard deviation (above and below from the mean)
Deviation from social norms
Abnormality is when a behaviour does not fit in with what is socially acceptable.
The definition of abnormality of clearly dependent on the culture in which behaviour occurs. The social norms across societies are not the same and therefore what is abnormal in one culture is not defined abnormal in another. It is important to consider how deeply entrenched the norm is embedded within the culture and how culturally important it is. Slight deviations from a norm may not be regarded as abnormal if the social norm is not considered important by society
Examples of social norms
In the UK it is a social norm to queue at a shop to wait your turn. If someone came in and past the queue and went straight to the till then it would be classed as abnormal behaviour
Another social norm is politeness. Impolite people are behaving in a socially deviant way because others find it difficult to interact with them.
Others: not laughing at a funeral,
Paedophilia is defined as abnormal because it deviates from both an implicit social rule about behaviour and is against the law.
Failure to function adequately
States the abnormal behaviour is when an individual is not able to cope with everyday life. It acknowledges that people may act differently but if they have a basic inability to manage in everyday life their behaviour is abnormal
The seven sections - ability to cope/ function by Rosenhan and Seligman
1) unpredictability
2) maladaptive behaviour
3) personal distress
4) irrationality
5)observer discomfort
6)violation of moral standards
7)unconventionality
GAF
The global assessment of function scale is a method of measuring how well individuals’ function in everyday life and it considers the seven sections and occupational functioning
failure to function adequately example
Schizophrenia is defined as abnormal because schizophrenic behaviours (hallucination and delusions) are distressing to others even if they are not personally distressing. An individual must be failing to function adequately before a diagnosis is given
Deviation from mental health
Abnormality is defined as deviating from an ideal of positive mental health, defined in terms of Jahoda’s (1958) criteria of ideal mental health. The absence of the criteria for positive mental health indicates abnormality and a potential mental disorder.
Jahoda suggested that there were 6 criteria that needed to be fulfilled for ideal mental health (‘normality) and that if some are not fulfilled the person will experience difficulties.
Jahoda’s 6 criteria’s to achieve the ideal mental health
1) Positive attitude towards the self - This is linked to the individual’s level of self-esteem.For ideal mental health, the positive attitude should be at a good level, so that the individual feels happy with themselves.
2) Self-actualisation - Self-actualisation is being in a state of contentment, feeling that you have become the best you can be.
3) Autonomy - This is having independence and self-reliance. The ability to function as an individual and not depending on others.
4) Resistance to stress - An individual should not feel under stress, and they should be able to handle stressful situations competently.
5) Environmental mastery - A person can adapt to new situations and be at ease at all situations in their life.
6) Accurate perception of reality - This criterion is focused on how the individual sees the world around them and to achieve ideal mental health they should have a perspective that is like how others see the world. This is focused very much on the distortions of thinking that some people, e.g., people with schizophrenia, may experience.
