definitions of abnormality (2) Flashcards
(13 cards)
describe failure to function adequately
personal can no longer cope with demands of everyday life
who devised signs that can be used to determine whether someone isn’t coping
rosenhan & seligman (1989)
rosenhan & seligman (1989) criteria
- unpredictability
- maladaptive behaviour
- irrational
- observer discomfort
- violation of moral standards
- unconventionality
- personal distress
example of failure to function adequately
= intellectual disability disorder
- one of criteria for diagnosis is very low IQ
- diagnosis only be given if individual failing to function adequately
describe deviation from ideal mental health
deviates from idea of someone who is psychologically healthy
who devised a criteria for ‘ideal mental health’
jahoda (1958)
criteria by jahoda (1958) - 6
- positive attitudes towards ones self
- self actualisation
- autonomy
- cope with stress
- accurate perception of reality
- environmental mastery
failure to function adequately - AO3 (+) represents threshold for help
P: represents sensible threshold for when people need professional help
E: eg. mental health charity ‘mind’ says ~25% of people in UK will experience mental health problem in any given year. many people don’t access help even when experiencing fairly severe symptoms. its often at the point that people function inadequately when they seek professional help or are noticed/referred to help.
T: criterion means treatments & services can be targeted to those who need them most
failure to function adequately - AO3 (-) discrimination & social control
P: easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal
E: it can be hard to say when someone is truly failing to function or when they’ve chosen to deviate from social norms eg. being unemployed/not having a permanent residence may simply be living ‘off-grid’ but others may view it as failing to function. also, those who enjoy high-risk leisure activities or unusual spiritual practices may be classed as irrational or a danger to self.
T: means that people who make unusual choices may be labelled abnormal & their freedom of choice may be restricted
EXTRA failure to function adequately - AO3 (-) failure to function may not be abnormal
P: some circumstances where many fail to cope for time eg. bereavement
E: it may not be fair to label them as failing to function which may cause them future problems due to their reaction to different circumstances
E/T: on the other hand, failure to function isn’t any less clear just because cause is obvious. also, some need professional help to adapt to circumstances like bereavement
deviation from ideal mental health - AO3 (+) comprehensive definition
P: criterion is highly comprehensive
E: covers most of reasons why we may seek/be referred for help with mental health. this means an individuals mental health can be discussed with range of professionals who may obtain different theoretical views eg. medically trained psychiatrist focus on symptoms v. humanistic counsellor focus on self-actualisation
T: provides checklist which we can assess ourselves/others & discuss psychological issues with range of professionals
deviation from ideal mental health - AO3 (-) may be culture bound
P: criterion’s different elements aren’t equally applicable across range of cultures
E: some of jahoda’s criteria located in context of US & europe. for example, concept of self-actualisation may be dismissed as self-indulgent in other countries. even within europe, there’s a lot of variation upon person independence eg. high value in germany v. low in italy. in addition, what defines success in our social, working & love lives varies across different cultures.
T: difficult to apply concept of ideal mental health to other cultures = culture bound
EXTRA deviation from ideal mental health - AO3 (-/+) extremely high standards
P: very few people obtain all of jahoda’s criteria for ideal mental health & many don’t achieve all at same time/maintain them
E: it can be disheartening to see an impossible set of standards
E: on the other hand, having a comprehensive set of criteria for mental health which people can work towards might have practical value to someone who wishes to understand/improve their mental health
