Definitions of abnormality

• Define statistical infrequency


  -something is abnormal if it is statistically rare

  -means that behaviours that occur in a small number of people are statiscally rare

  -an example is Intellectual disability disorder as only 2.5% of the population have an IQ of less than 70 (abnormal)
• What is a weakness of statistical infrequency(desirability)

  -doesn't take into account the desirability of behaviour just it's frequency

  -e.g high IQ is just as abnormal as low IQ whereas low IQ is undesirable

  -This means SI may wrongly label individuals with positive traits as mentally abnormal, reducing the validity of the definition.
• What is another weakness of SI(no distinction)

  -There is no distinction between rare slightly odd behaviour and rare psychologically abnormal behaviour

  -Therefore, the definition may over-pathologise individuals, especially when used in isolation from other diagnostic criteria.
• Another weakness of SI(common disorders)

  -Some behaviours that are considered psychologically abnormal are quite common e.g mild depression

  -Hasset and White argue that many disorders exist on a spectrum and may not be rare statistically. This shows that SI cannot be used universally as a diagnostic tool, as it fails to account for the frequency of common disorders
• Define Deviation from Social norms

  -social norms are implicit or explicit standards of acceptable behaviour set by a social group

  -someone is seen as abnormal if thy break social norms and not doing what is expected or accepted in any given situation

  -e.g antisocial personality disorder
• what is a weakness of social norms(human rights abuses)

  -can lead to human rights abuses

  -some historic examples include rules for women and ethnic minorities which were encouraged and endorsed due to the social norms of the time

  -however it can be argued that these social norms were there to control others
• what is another weakness of social norms(cultural relativism)

  -cultural relativism

  -social norms greatly differ depending on the culture and what is classed as abnormal in one may be normal in the other e.g hearing voices

  -This means the definition risks misdiagnosing people from different cultural backgrounds, reducing its cross-cultural validity.
• what is another weakness of SN(acceptance over time)

  -what is considered acceptable or normal can change over time

  -e.g up until recently homosexuality was in the DSM as a disorder

  -this diagnosis was later dropped as it was found to not be a frequent as previously thought and also due to the change in social norms

  -This shows how the definition can reflect social control rather than objective criteria, raising ethical concerns.
• define failure to function adequately


  -someone is classed as abnormal if they are no longer able to cope with the demands of every day life
• what is the criteria for failure to function adequately

  -not being able to maintain basic hygiene, nutrition, paid employment or relationships with those around them

  -a problem with this is agoraphobia which is an extreme irrational fear of entering open or crowded places or leaving ones home

  -you cannot maintain interpersonal standards if you do not interact
• A weakness of FTFA(simply a deviation from social norms)

  -is that it can be argued it is simply deviation from social norms

  -people who practice extreme sports can be seen as behaving in a maladaptive way while those with supernatural or religious beliefs can be seen as irrational

  -if we treat these behaviours as "failures" to function adequately we risk limiting personal freedoms and persecuting minority group
• what is a strength of FTFA


  -It takes into account patient perspective

  -it may not be entirely satisfactory as it is difficult to assess distress but it acknowledges the actual experience of the patient

  -this means it is useful criteria for assessing abnormality in patients
• A weakness of FTFA(subjective judgements)

  -subjective judgements

  -when deciding whether someone is failing to function adequately someone has to judge whether someone is distressed

  -a patient may say they are but be deemed as not suffering

  -Global assessment of functioning scale is used to assess this.
• define deviation from ideal mental health and jahodas six conditions


  -positive self attitude

  -self actualisation

  -resistance to stress

  -personal autonomy

  -accurate perception of reality

  -adaptation to the environment

  -abnormality is the absence of this criteria
• What is a strength(broad range)

  -very comprehensive and covers a broad range of criteria

  -this means it is an effective tool for diagnosing mental health
• what is weakness(unrealistic)

  -sets an unrealistic standard of mental health

  -none of us achieve them all at the same time or keep them up for very long

  -this would mean that to some extent we are all abnormal and this is not necessarily the case
• what is a weakness(cultural relativism)

  -cultural relativism

  -some cultures it is considered abnormal to have such a heavy emphasis on personal achievement in the concept of self actualisation as it is considered self indulgent

  -this is an example of an individual cultures