SI Flashcards
Statistical infrequency definition is objective and sometimes appropriate
strength of the statistical infrequency definition is that once a way of collecting data about a
behaviour and a ‘cut off point’ has been agreed, it becomes an objective way of deciding who is abnormal, and then it can be used in the diagnosis of disorders, for
example it can be used to define and diagnose somebody as suffering from intellectual
disability disorder (IDD). (People who have an IQ in the range from 85-115 are viewed as normal, only 2% have a score below 70. Those individuals scoring below 70 are rare and are therefore labelled as having IDD). All assessment of patients with mental disorders includes some kind of measurement of how severe their symptoms are as compared to statistical norms (as distinct from social norms). Therefore, this suggests that the Statistical infrequency definition is a useful part of clinical assessment
Focuses on FREQUENCY of behaviour, NOT its desirability
limitation of the statistical
infrequency definition is that there are many abnormal behaviours that are actually infrequent but quite desirable. For example, a very low IQ is, statistically just as abnormal as
a very high IQ, but it is desirable to have a high IQ; very few people have an IQ over 150, yet we would not want to suggest that having such a high IQ is undesirable. Equally, there are some normal behaviours that are frequent but undesirable. For example, experiencing depression is relatively common, yet it is undesirable. Therefore, using statistical infrequency to define abnormality means that we are unable to distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviours. In order to identify behaviours that need treatment, there needs to be a means of identifying infrequent AND undesirable behaviour
