Definitions of Abnormality Flashcards
(29 cards)
How would you define psychopathology?
Psycho- study of the mind
Pathology- study of causes of disease
What are the two diagnostic manuals used for?
The ICD 11- the World Health organisation manual for diagnosing mental disorders
The DSM 5- the American manual for diagnosing mental disorders (nearly 300 disorders listed)
What are the 4 definitions of abnormality?
-Statistical deviation
-Deviation from social norms
-Failure to function adequately
-Deviation from ideal mental health
Why is it hard to define normal for psychologists?
-Defining someone as abnormal implies something undesirable
-Psychologists need methods for distinguishing ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’
-It is more difficult to diagnose a mental illness than a physical illness
-It is harder to find cause of a mental illness
-It is harder to agree on symptoms
What is statistical infrequency?
When an individual has a characteristic that is rare enough to be classed as abnormal
What does statistical infrequency assume in terms of human characteristics?
Human characteristics that can be measured will form a normal distribution curve
Most scores will cluster around the mean and then reduce in frequency the further away from the mean we go
Give an example of a disorder that may be diagnosed using statistical deviation
Intelligence using IQ scores
How is it a limitation that some statistically rare behaviours can be desirable?
Some statistically rare behaviours can be desirable, and some common characteristics can be undesirable. For example, Albert Einstein was a genius with a statistically rare IQ of 145, yet we wouldn’t class him as abnormal as it was a very good thing rather than being a psychological problem. On the other hand, obesity is very common, so wouldn’t be statistically infrequent, but is undesirable.
This is a limitation because the definition of abnormality assumes that any statistically rare behaviour is problematic, which is not always the case
This may mean that statistical infrequency is not the most effective way to define abnormality, as it does not apply in every case
How is it a strength that statistical infrequency has useful applications?
Statistical infrequency has useful applications.
For example, through using statistical infrequency we can diagnose people with an IQ under 70 with an intellectual disability disorder, as they are three standard deviations below the average IQ score
This means that this definition is useful in clinical practice, as through being diagnosed as abnormal a person with an intellectual disability can get help or special considerations for their condition.
This means that statistical infrequency has real-world application, and therefore is a strong definition of abnormality
Why is it a limitation of statistical infrequency that there is no consideration of cultural or gender differences?
There is no consideration of cultural differences, as IQ tests were developed to only test boys.
This means that these tests of abnormality aren’t representative of the whole population, so we cannot possible generalise people based on these behaviours
What is failure to function adequately?
A person is no longer able to cope with the ordinary demands of day-to-day living and live independently in society
Give three examples of failing to function
-Unable to maintain basic hygiene
-Unable to keep a job
-Unable to maintain relationships
What does FFA cause in themselves and others?
Personal distress and suffering and observer comfort
What are Rosenhan and Seligman’s characteristics of FFA?
-No longer conforming to standard interpersonal rules (eg eye contact or personal space)
-Experiences severe personal distress
-Behaviour is irrational or dangerous to themselves/others
How is it a strength that FFA considers the individual?
It is the only definition to consider patient’s subjective experience. The individual may be happier with a diagnosis.
However, 2 people could have the same symptoms and get different diagnoses, showing it has poor validity in defining abnormality
How is it a strength that FFA has face validity?
FFA offers a clear threshold for help most can agree with. 1 in 4 annually suffer with a psychological disorder, but it is the point at which they can no longer cope that they get help.
However, this may only be short term, as someone may not be able to cope post-bereavement but not have depression
How is it a limitation that FFA has cultural relativism?
A criteria of how people should cope in the UK may not be valid for everyone as the UK is predominantly based on white, middle class males.
For example, having a siesta may be classed as failing to function in the UK but normal in other cultures.
Additionally, more working class and BAME people are diagnosed with psychological disorders, imposing a white middle class British idea of functioning on diverse population
What are social norms?
Expectations from a group about acceptable behaviours
What is deviation from social norms?
Behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviours in a community
What does implicit mean?
We make a collective judgement as a society what is right
Give an example of a behaviour that can be defined using deviation from social norms
-Wearing a coat in summer
-Bringing your own food in a restaurant
How is it a strength that deviation from social norms is culture, time and context specific?
If it is culture dependent, this means many behaviours that deviate from social norms in our country would be acceptable in other countries.
However ASPD is an example of a universal abnormal behaviour
If it is time dependent, many behaviours were previously illegal but are now accepted as normal
If it is context dependent, some behaviours are acceptable in some contexts but not others (eg wearing a bikini to the shops vs the beach)
This is a strength as it is flexible, accepts different cultures have different standards and it is able to account for shifts in beliefs over time periods
How is culture, time and context specific a limitation of deviation from social norms?
It is a subjective definition so it is open to interpretation. It is also difficult to compare abnormality across cultures and it is harder to quantify
How is it a strength that deviation from social norms has real world application?
It is a useful definition as it is used to diagnose people with psychological disorders. For example, APSD and Schizotypal Personality Disorder where the term strange is used to characterise behaviour
