Psychology - Psychopathology

• What is the definition of abnormality based on statistical infrequency?


  Abnormality is defined as infrequency; if it occurs rarely, then it is abnormal.
• How does the statistical infrequency definition relate to human attributes?


  Human attributes fall into a normal distribution within the population.
• What does the normal distribution imply about the population's scores?


  It implies that there is a central average, or mean, with scores falling symmetrically above and below that mean.
• What statistical measure informs us how far scores fall from the mean?


  Standard deviation.
• In a normal distribution, what percentage of the population falls within one standard deviation from the mean?


  68% of the population.
• What percentage of the population falls within two standard deviations from the mean?


  95% of the population.
• If the mean IQ is 100 and the standard deviation is 15, what IQ scores represent the range for 68% of the population?


  Scores between 85 and 115.
• What IQ scores indicate abnormality according to the statistical infrequency definition?


  Scores below 70 and above 130.
• What are the strengths of the statistical infrequency definition of abnormality?


  • Intuitive: Aligns with common understanding of abnormality.
  • Objective: Clear criteria without bias.
  • Useful overview: Considers the entire population for insights.
• What are the weaknesses of the statistical infrequency definition of abnormality?


  • Inflexible: Doesn't account for behaviors deemed abnormal by diagnostic manuals.
  • Frequent abnormal behaviors: Some abnormal behaviors occur commonly, like depression.
  • Cultural considerations: Lacks consideration for cultural differences in defining abnormality.
• OCD


  Recurring unwanted thoughts (obsessions) + repetitive behaviors (compulsions) to alleviate anxiety