Psychopathology Flashcards
(5 cards)
Define Statistical Infrequency.
A mathematical approach to defining abnormality. A person’s traits, think or behaviour would be considered abnormal if it was statistically rare (lies within the top or bottom 2.5% of the population).
Define Deviation from Social Norms.
A person is considered abnormal according to this definition when their behaviour goes against the written and unwritten rules and expectations of a society or culture. When behaviour breaks social norms, this is an indication that the behaviour is abnormal.
Define Failure to Function Adequately.
Abnormality is judged as an inability to deal with the demands of everyday life. Rosenhan and Seligman identified 7 features of failing to function adequately: maladaptive behaviour, unpredictability, personal distress, irrationality, unconventionality, observer discomfort and violation of moral standards. The Global Assessment of Functioning has also been designed to measure how well individuals function in everyday life.
Define Deviation from Ideal Mental Health.
This definition uses the absence of signs of good mental health to judge abnormality. Jahoda proposed 6 criteria that can be used to assess a person’s mental health: having an accurate perception of reality, personal growth and self-actualisation, being able to integrate and resist stress, a positive attitude towards self, autonomy and environmental mastery. The less criteria an individual meets the more abnormal they are.
Outline and Evaluate the Statistical Infrequency definition of Abnormality (8 marks).
The statistical infrequency (SI) approach is a mathematical approach to defining abnormality. According to the definition, A behaviour, trait or way of thinking is considered abnormal when it is statistically rare. This definition is based on the fact that all characteristics and traits (e.g. height) fall into a normal distribution graph. According to the definition, if a certain trait lies beyond 2 standard deviations of the average (within the top or bottom 2.5% of the population), it is considered abnormal.
A strength of statistical infrequency approach is that it provides an objective means of making judgements about abnormal behaviour. For example, in the DSM IV a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder (IDD) would primarily result from a score of less than 70 on an IQ test. This is a strength of SI as it does not involve the subjective judgements required by other definitions (for example, failure to function adequately). This means the approach may lead to greater consistency in diagnosis between practitioners. However, by focussing solely on behaviour that is statistically rare, common issues, such as depression, would not be classified as abnormal. This suggests that SI alone may not be an appropriate reference point alone and other definitions should be considered in conjunction.
A further limitation of this definition is that it does not take into account the desirability of the traits. This is demonstrated in the example of a person who’s IQ score is above 130. This puts them in the top 2.5% of the population meaning, according to this definition they would be classified as abnormal.Furthermore, an individual may have an abnormally low IQ and be happy and functioning well in their area of work (e.g. creative arts) and not in need of diagnosis
