Definitions of Abnormality

Question 1

What are the 4 definitions of abnormality?

Answer 1

• Statistical infrequency
• Deviation from social norms
• Failure to function adequately
• Deviation from ideal mental health

Question 2

What is statistical infrequency?

Answer 2

• when an individual has a less common characteristic based on stats
• examples include IQ scores and intellectual disability disorder

Question 3

What is a strength and a limitation of statistical infrequency?

Answer 3

• strength of real world application, used in many formal diagnosis’s, IQ of below 70 is intellectual disability disorder
• limitation that infrequent characteristics can be positive too, IQ of above 130 is considered abnormal by this definition, lacking in application for all statistics

Question 4

What is deviation from social norms?

Answer 4

• involves behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society
• norms are specific to the culture we live in and change with time e.g homosexuality was previously seen as abnormal
• examples include antisocial personality disorder

Question 5

What is a strength and a limitation of deviation from social norms?

Answer 5

• strength of real world application, used in formal diagnosis’s of antisocial personality disorder so has value in psychiatry
• limitation of cultural differences of norms like aggression means its difficult to judge deviation from social norms across cultures - lacking application

Question 6

What is failure to function adequately?

Answer 6

• occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of everyday life
• Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) proposed additional signs that make it easier to tell if someone is functioning including: personal distress, irrational behaviour and lack of personal space

Question 7

What is a strength and a limitation of failure to function adequately?

Answer 7

• strength that it provides a threshold for help as those who are properly failing to function are the ones who then ask for help - so it allows those who need it to get the help they need
• limitation of discrimination and social control as someone could be assumed to be failing to function when they have actually just chosen to deviate from social norms - ethically poor

Question 8

What is deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 8

• when someone doesn’t mean the criteria for ideal mental health proposed by Jahoda (1958)
• this includes no symptoms of distress, good self esteem, independent, successful, realistic, self actualise and rational

Question 9

What is a strength and limitation of deviation from ideal mental health?

Answer 9

• strength that is provides a comprehensive definition which allows an individuals mental health to be meaningfully discussed with a professional and we can asses ourselves - applicable
• limitation that it may be culture bound as the concept of self actualisation is very western and in other parts of the world it could be seen as being self indulgent - limited generalisability