Failure to function Adequately

• This is a way of defining abnormality which focuses on how well the person is able to function. In other words, they are abnormal if they cannot meet the demands of every day life
• What are the 5 Features of Behaviour (Failure to Function Adequately) 


  Observer Discomfort - The behaviour makes others feel distressed or uncomfortable

  Unpredictability - Unexpected behaviour, or behaviour that does not seem to fit the situation

  Irrationality - Behaviour that does not make sense to others

  Maladaptiveness - Potentially harmful behaviours, or behaviour that hinder functioning

  Personal Suffering and Distress - The individuals awareness of psychological suffering/distress
• Evaluation of 'Failure to Function Adequately' definition

  • It ignores the context of behaviour
  • For example, on the surface, a person refusing to eat is likely to cause observer discomfort, is irrational and maladaptive. However if this in context is a hunger strike to raise awareness of a political situation this is likely to change our perception of how 'abnormal' the behaviour is.
  • This is important because it that despite reaching elements of the 5 features of behaviour, the person is not abnormal. Therefore this definition is flawed.
• Evaluation of 'Failure to Function Adequately' definition

  • Not all maladaptive behaviour is and indicator of mental illness
  • For example, adrenaline chasing activities like base jumping and skydiving is a personal choice that many cannot understand (irrationality) and which carries high risk of injury (maladaptive).
  • However assuming that everyone who makes a choice to base jump/skydive has a mental disorder/is abnormal, is somewhat judgemental.
• Evaluation of 'Failure to Function Adequately' definition


  • We cannot assume that anyone who is not coping/functioning well has a mental disorder.
  • Sometimes is it perfectly normal not to cope/function. For example, following the loss of a family member or the end of a relationship it may be more worrying if a person did not appear to have some problems with normal functioning
  • This is important because this definition does not take into account personal situations a person may be going through, so is flawed.
• Evaluation of 'Failure to Function Adequately' definition


  • A final problem with this definition is that some abnormal people can function perfectly well
  • Arguably some of the most abnormal people are psychopaths, who can be high functional and successful, e.g Harold Shipman. He was a doctor convicted of murdering dozens of patients.
  • This is important because cases like Harold Shipman, are not described as abnormal by this definition. However it is obvious that he was abnormal. Meaning this definition cannot always be used for assessing abnormality