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psych (attachment, psychopathology) > definitions of abnormality > Flashcards

definitions of abnormality Flashcards

1
Q

4 definitions of abnormality

A
  1. deviation from social norms
  2. failure to function adequately
  3. statistical infrequency
  4. deviation from ideal mental health
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2
Q

what is statistical infrequency (as a definition for abnormality) ?

A
  • when a behaviour is seen as abnormal if it is statistically rare in society
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3
Q

what is standard deviation ?

A

a measure of dispersion which shows the extent to which values in a data set differ from the mean

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4
Q

strength of statistical infrequency

A
  • it is an objective measure of abnormality (since data used is real & unbiased) which compares favourably with the other 3 definitions for abnormality which are subjective
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5
Q

give 2 weaknesses of statistical infrequency

A
  1. it fails to distinguish between rare desirable & rare undesirable behaviour & doesn’t include the severity & frequency of an individual’s symptoms (so doesn’t recognise each individual’s unique experience)
  2. someone has to decide on a cut-off point for abnormality making statistical infrequency, to an extent, subjective
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6
Q

example of a rare desirable behaviour

A

IQ over 130

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7
Q

example of a common undesirable behaviour

A

depression

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8
Q

give an example of why we have to decide on a cut-off point for abnormal behaviours

A

we can only administer treatment to a limited number of individuals so we must choose those who we believe are in need of it most

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9
Q

what is deviation from social norms

A

when a behaviour is seen as abnormal if it doesn’t conform to social norms set by a particular society/culture (i.e. anti-social/socially undesirable behaviours)

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10
Q

what are social norms

A
  • implicit/explicit standards of acceptable behaviours, values & beliefs
  • set by the social group for its members (e.g. morals & expectations of how people should think)
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11
Q

why do social norms exist

A

to maintain social order

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12
Q

give 2 examples of types of social norms

A
  1. social norms on etiquette
  2. social norms on more serious moral issues (e.g. what is acceptable in sexual behaviour)
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13
Q

give an example of an individual who deviates from social norms

A

an individual with antisocial personality disorder

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14
Q

give 3 characteristics of an individual with antisocial personality disorder

A

impulsivity, aggressiveness & irresponsibleness

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15
Q

give a strength for deviation from social norms (as a definition for abnormality)

A

most mental disorders involve some social deviance (e.g. social phobia & major depressive disorder)

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16
Q

why do social phobics deviate from social norms ?

A

they are scared of social situations so try their best to avoid such happenings

17
Q

give 2 limitations for deviations from social norms (as a definition of abnormality)

A
  1. cultural relativism is present leading to the discrimination of people from different cultures/subcultures due to differential diagnosis rates
  2. it is too much of a surface definition (as it over-emphasises the importance of observable behaviour which subsequently de-emphasises what is going on inside individuals)
18
Q

why is cultural relativism present in definitions for abnormality ?

A

classification systems (e.g. the DSM) are usually based on the dominant culture in the West so the same criteria (e.g. Western social norms) is applied to different subcultures in the West

19
Q

what is the dominant culture in the West ?

A

white middle-class individuals

20
Q

what did Cochrane (1977) find about the differential diagnosis rates due to cultural relativism ?

A

what did Cochrane (1977) find about the differential diagnosis rates due to cultural relativism ?

21
Q

what is failure to function adequately (as a definition for abnormality) ?

A

behaviour that causes personal distress/anguish or an ability to cope with the demands of everyday life (e.g. eating regularly, keeping up with hygiene, maintaining friendships etc.)

22
Q

what did Rosenhan & Seligman propose regarding failure to function adequately (as a definition for abnormality) ?

A

7 characteristics of abnormal behaviour

23
Q

what 7 characteristics of abnormal behaviour did Rosenhan & Seligman propose which are related to failure to function adequately (as a definition for abnormality) ?

A
  1. suffering
  2. maladaptive behaviour
  3. vivid & unconventional behaviour
  4. unpredictable & uncontrolled behaviour
  5. irrational & incomprehensible behaviour
  6. observer discomfort (due to one’s behaviour)
  7. violation of moral & ideal standards
24
Q

why may an individual with major depressive disorder fail to function adequately ?

A

due to apathy & inertia, a depressed individual may fail to get up in the morning let alone hold down a job (which may also affect their relationships & family life)

25
Q

what is psychopathology ?

A

the scientific study of psychological disorders

26
Q

give a strength for failure to function adequately (as a definition for abnormality)

A
  • it recognises an individual’s unique experience as well as acting as an objective tool to measure abnormality
  • tojudge abnormality and necessitate treatments for each individual
27
Q

give 2 weaknesses for failure to function adequately

A
  1. cultural relativism is present leading to the discrimination of people from different cultures/subcultures (due to differential diagnosis rates)
  2. sufferers who would be considered abnormal (according to the other definitions for abnormality) may function adequately (e.g. individuals with anxiety & psychopaths)
28
Q

what do differential diagnosis rates lead to & why ?

A

lower-class & non-white patients are more often diagnosed with mental disorders (as their lifestyles are non-traditional according to the dominant Western view)

29
Q

what is deviation from ideal mental health (as a definition for abnormality) ?

A

when an individual’s behaviour doesn’t meet Jahoda’s criteria for psychological wellbeing

30
Q

who devised the deviation from ideal mental health definition for abnormality ?

A

human psychologists

31
Q

what 6 ideal characteristics did Jahoda pinpoint that in the absence of, behaviour is considered abnormal according to the deviation from ideal mental health definition for abnormality ?

A
  1. self-attitudes (i.e. high self-esteem & a strong sense of self)
  2. personal-growth & self-actualisation
  3. resistance to stress (by using effective copying strategies)
  4. autonomy (i.e. being independent & able to self-regulate)
  5. perception of reality & ability to show empathy & social sensitivity
  6. environmental mastery
32
Q

give a strength for the deviations from ideal mental health (as a definition for abnormality)

A

it doesn’t stigmatise mentally-ill patients as the majority of us aspire to an ideal state of mental health (& this compares favourably with the deviation from social norms definition for abnormality which depicts the mentally ill as social outcasts)

33
Q

give 2 limitations for the deviations from ideal mental health (as a definition for abnormality)

A
  1. it is an idealistic & unrealistic definition (as according to its criteria, most of us are abnormal)
  2. cultural relativism is present leading to the discrimination of people from different cultures/subcultures (due to differential diagnosis rates) (Heine et al.)
34
Q

what did Heine et al. find out about culture relativism present in the deviations from ideal mental health

A

European-Canadians rated self-confidence as the trait they would most like to possess whereas the Japanese rated it as the trait they would least like to possess

35
Q

what study did Heine et al. conduct regarding culture relativism present in deviations from ideal mental health definition for abnormality ?

A

a study in which European-Canadian & Japanese students ranked 20 traits in terms of how much they would ideally like to possess them

36
Q

give an example of culture relativism present in deviations from ideal mental health definition for abnormality

A
  • an individualist society (e.g. the US) would prefer traits like personal growth & self-actualisation whereas a collectivist society (e.g. China) would strive for traits that better the community
  • so according to this definition for abnormality, the Chinese would differ from ideal mental health
37
Q

maladaptiveness

A

behaviour that gets in the way of a person’s daily activities/ability to adjust to & participate in particular settings

38
Q

when is an individual seen as more abnormal according to the deviation from ideal mental health

A

when they fail to meet more of Jahoda’s characteristics

39
Q

what does statistical frequency (as a definition for abnormality) rely on ?

A

up to date reliable statistics

psych (attachment, psychopathology) (14 decks)

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