Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards
(34 cards)
What is the DSM-5 used for?
To classify and diagnose mental health disorders.
What does DSM-5 stand for?
Diagnostic and Statistcial Manual of Mental Disorders.
When was the current version of the DSM-5 published?
2013.
List the four major groups that the DSM-5 classifies mental disorders into.
- Depressive Disorders.
- Anxiety Disorders.
- Obsessive-compulsive and related Disoders.
- Feeding and Eating Disorders.
List the four definitions of abnormality.
- Statistical Infrquency.
- Deviation from Social Norms.
- Failure to Funtion Adequatley.
- Deviation from Ideal Mental Health.
What is meant by the term ‘statistical infrequency’?
Thinking about what behaviour is ‘normal’.
What characteristics does this statistical approach (statistical infrequency) work best with? Give an example of one.
Characteristcs that can be measured e.g IQ.
List the 3 evaluation points for statistical infrequency.
- Unusual characteristics can be positive.
- Not everyone benefits from diagnoses.
- Real life applications.
What is meant by the evaluation point ‘unusual characteristics can be positive’?
Just because some is not the statistical norm, does not mean that the condition needs treatment.
What is meant by evaluation point ‘not everyone benefits from diagnoses’?
Labelling someone is not always beneficial.
E.g Low IQ labelling may affect how people are percieved - negative impacts on that individual.
What is meant by the evaluation point ‘real life applications’?
List 2 occassions that it is helpful to use this definition.
- When diagnosing condition such as intellectual disabilites.
- Where severity is measured by comparing them to statistical norms.
What is meant by the term ‘deviation from social norms’?
When a person behaves in a way that is different to how we expect people to behave.
How do people choose to define behaviour as abnormal?
When the behaviour goes against their sense of what is ‘acceptable’ or the ‘norm’.
Why are there very few behaviours that are seen to be universally abnormal?
Norms vary based on the culture and generations making the judgement.
List the 3 evaluation points for ‘deviation from social norms’.
- Not a sole explanation.
- Cultural Relativism.
- Can lead to human rights abuse.
What is meant by the evaluation point ‘not a sole explanation’?
There are many other factors that must be considered when diagnosing - therefore, this should not be the only reason for defining abnormality.
What is meant by the evaluation point ‘cultural relativism’ in regards to ‘deviation from social norms’?
The view that behaviour cannot be soley judged properly unless it is viewed in the context of the culture in which it originates.
What is meant by the term ‘failure to function adequately’?
A person may be considered ‘abnormal’ when they cannot cope with the demands of everyday life.
Who propsed signs that can be used to determine when someone is not coping?
Give the year.
David Rosenhan + Martin Seligmann (1989).
List the 3 signs proposed that someone is not coping.
- Severe personal distress.
- A person’s behaviour is dangerous.
- A person a longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules.
Give examples of ‘standard interpersonal space’.
- Eye contact
- Respecting personal space
List the 3 evaluation points for ‘failure to function adaquately’.
- Patients’ perspective.
- Subjective judgements.
- Simple deviation from social norms.
What is meant by the evaluation point ‘patients’ perspective’?
This definition attempts to include the subjective experience of the patient - acknowledges that what the patient is experiencing is important.
What is meant by the evaluation point ‘subjective judgements’?
Someone has to judge whether a patient is distressed when deciding whether they are failing to function adequately - some patients may say that are distressed but not be judged as suffering.
