abnormality

• the 4 definitions of abnormality

  statistical deviation, deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately, deviation from ideal mental health
• define statistical deviation definition of abnormality

  -a characteristic is abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual

  -rarity depends on normal distribution

  -most people will be around the mean and will be 'normally distributed'

  - people who fall outside of the 'normal distribution' (5% or beyond two standard deviations) are considered abnormal
• strengths of statistical deviation as a definition of abnormality

  -gives an objective assessment (good for assessing the level/strength/severity of a mental disability being experienced)

  - can have real-life application (eg intellectual disability disorder)
• limitations of statistical deviation as a definition of abnormality

  -some unusual characteristics can be positive eg, high iq (just because something is unusual doesn't mean it requires treatment)

  -when someone is already happy in life, they get no benefit from being labelled as abnormal (this diagnosis is likely to have a negative effect on them + how they and others view themselves)

  -cultural relativism, statistical infrequencies in one culture may be common in another, eg hearing voices for schizophrenia is uncommon in western cultures but common in some tribal cultures
• define deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality

  -a series of norms set by a society of what is and isn't acceptable in situations

  -behavior which challenges these norms is classified as abnormal
• examples of deviation from social norms

  -yelling when others are speaking

  -not wearing clothes (the naked rambler, has been arrested 40 times)

  -crawling on all fours
• strengths of deviations from social norms as a definition of abnormality

  -allows the definition to consider the desirability of the behavior

  -considers the effect a behavior has on others (as social rules are established in order to help people live together so transgressing these is damaging to others)

  -easy to spot so its easy to help eg, someone crawling is easy to spot and may have collapsed etc
• limitations of deviations from social norms as a definition of abnormality

  -abnormality is culturally relative, social norms are dominated by the norms of a white, male, western society eg, men wearing skirts is abnormal in england but normal in scotland (kilts) and some cultures think hearing voices is a gift to communicate with the spirit world

  -norms change over time, eg homosexuality was listed as a mental illness in the DSM

  -context is needed, eg dressing up as a fairy for charity while running a marathon is fine but otherwise would be abnormal

  -developmental norms and what is suitable for the age, toddlers can crawl and have temper tantrums but it is abnormal for an adult to
• define failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality

  -when you are not able to cope with life

  -maladaptive behavior (interferres with daily routine)

  -unpredictability

  -irrationality

  -observer discomfort

  -personal distress or suffering
• strengths of failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality

  -recognizes the subjective experience of the patient

  -has sensitivity and practicality

  -easy to judge because we can easily list behaviors eg not getting out of bed/going to the toilet etc as abnormal and therefore judge abnormality objectively
• limitations of failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality

  -what may be considered maladaptive may be functional to others, eg eating disorders get patients attention which can be good to draw attention to a deeper mental illness which is not noticable otherwise

  -some people are unaware they are functioning inadequately such as people with schizophrenia think they are fine as they lack insight into their condition

  -can be confused with 'acceptable eccentricity' aka, people are fine they are just eccentric such as a man living alone with 6 dogs

  -cultural relativism, diff cultures have diff norms
• define deviation from ideal mental health as a definition of abnormality

  Jahoda states there are 6 factors needed for ideal mental health

  - works to identify what is normal and not focusing on abnormal

  - eg whats right with you not whats wrong with you
• what are the 6 factors needed for ideal mental health

  1 high self esteem and strong sense of identity

  2 accurate perception of reality

  3 autonomy (decisions on your own)

  4 resistance to stress

  5 self actualization (working towards the best self you can be)

  6 environmental mastery, being able to adapt to situations accordingly
• strengths of deviation from ideal mental health as a definition of abnormality

  it is a positive approach

  - it has a humanistic positive approach to abnormality, this gives a different perspective than focusing on what is undesirable all the time
• limitations of ideal mental health as a definition of abnormality

  -it is difficult to achieve all of the criteria at once eg, if you are having a bad day and don't want to go for a run to be self acualising today you may be considered abnormal under this definition alone

  
  

  -many of the points are vague as to the cut-off point for how far someone needs to deviate from the criteria to be considered abnormal

  
  

  -it is culturally relative eg, collectivist societys strive for the greater good of their community and not themselves so No.5 self actualisation will not apply to them whilst individualist societies eg western ones strive for individual achievement

  
  

  -people may not have the funds to try to better themselves all the time

  
  

  -the criteria is vague and hard to measure, eg no one is completely resistant against stress it is relative to what you have experienced before