Definitions of Abnormality

Question 1

What are the 4 measurements of abnormality

Answer 1

• Statistical Infrequency
• Deviance from Social Norms
• Failure to Function Adequately
• Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Question 2

Outline and explain the definition of statistical infrequency and give an example.

Answer 2

Statistical infrequency occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic. This means that any relatively usual behaviour or characteristic can be thought of as ‘normal’ and any behaviour that is different from this in ‘abnormal’. For example, being more depressed or less intelligent than the normal distribution of the population will mean the individual will be regarded as abnormal.

Question 3

Evaluate statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality.

Answer 3

• A strength is that it has a real-life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorders. It acts as a scale that can be used to compare the severity of individuals’ symptoms with statistical norms which is why it is used in all assessments of patients with mental disorders. Statistical infrequency is a useful part of clinical assessments.
• However, just because a certain behaviour is statistically abnormal, this does not mean it requires treatment or that the individual is abnormal. For example, having an IQ higher than the normal distribution would be seen as a desirable characteristic. This is a serious limitation to statistical infrequency and means that it will never be used alone to make a diagnosis.
• Another limitation of statistical infrequency is that, where someone is living a happy fulfilled life, there is no benefit of them being labelled as abnormal, regardless of how unusual they are.

Question 4

Outline and explain the definition of deviation of social norms and give an example.

Answer 4

Deviation from social norms concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society. Social norms are different for every generation and culture, so this means that there are very few behaviours that are considered ‘universally abnormal’ on the basis that they breach social norms. An example is homosexuality, it is still seen as abnormal in some cultures including in Brunei, where it is punishable by stoning to death.

Question 5

Evaluate deviation from social norms a definition of abnormality.

Answer 5

• A strength is that it has a real-life application in the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. However, even in this case, other factors are considered such as whether distress is caused to other people. So, deviation from social norms is never the sole reason for defining abnormality.
• Strength is that distinguishes between desirable and undesirable characteristics.
• Limitation is that it is culturally relative due to the fact that social norms differ between generations, as well as different cultures. This means that person from one culture could label someones else from another culture as abnormal according to their own standards of normality instead of the standards of the other person. For example, speaking to oneself would be seen as socially accepted in some African culture but would be seen as a sign of mental abnormality in the UK.
• Another limitation is that too much reliance on deviation from social norms to understand abnormality can also lead to the systematic abuse of human rights. For example, black slaves running away was diagnosed as a disorder called drapetomania.

Question 6

Outline and explain the definition of failure to function adequately and give an example.

Answer 6

Failure to function adequately occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day to day living. Rosenham and Seligman proposed some signs that indicate that a person is not coping e.g
-no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules
-experiences severe personal distress
-behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others
(For example, not maintaining basic standards of nutrition or hygiene, unable to hold down job or maintain relationships around them).

Question 7

Evaluate failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality.

Answer 7

• Strength is that it attempts to include the subjective experience of the patient. Therefore, failure to function adequately definition captures the experience of many people who need the help which suggests this is a useful criterion for assessing abnormality.
• Limitation is that it can be difficult to distinguish whether an individual is actually failing to function adequately or just deviating from social norms. For example, New Age Travellers can’t hold down a job because their lifestyle involves them constantly travelling not because they are failing to function adequately. Therefore, this definition fails to consider niche lifestyles.
• Another limitation is that it requires subjective judgements to be made. For example, when deciding when a person if failing to function adequately, although the patient may claim to be distressed, it will be the judge that will decide whether this is the actual case. Although, there are methods in ensuring that judgements are objective as much as possible, the principle of someone else deciding still remains.

Question 8

Outline and explain the definition of deviance from ideal mental health and give an example.

Answer 8

Deviance from ideal mental health occurs when someone does not meet Jahoda’s set of criteria for good mental health. Jahoda’s criteria include:

• having no symptoms or distress
• being rational and perceiving ourselves accurately
• self-actualising
• coping with stress
• having a realistic view of the world
• having good self-esteem
• being independent of other people
• successfully working, loving and enjoying our leisure

Question 9

Evaluate deviance from ideal mental health as a definition of abnormality.

Answer 9

• A strength is that this definition is very comprehensive. It covers most of the reasons a person would seek help from mental health services or be referred for help.
• Limitation is that it is culture-bound as the criteria is very eurocentric. For example, it emphasises individual achievement in the concept self-actualisation which is favoured in individualist cultures but not as much by cultures that value community.
• Limitation is that it sets an unrealistically high expectation of ideal mental health, as most of us do not keep all of them up at the same time or for a long time. So, this would view most people as abnormal. This is beneficial because it could make it clear to people how they could benefit from counselling to improve their mental health. But on the other hand, this definition does not make clear which individuals would benefit from treatment against their will.