Definitions of abnormality

• What should a definition of abnormality look like?

  • Must be objective -> cannot depend on opinions/POVs + should produce same result wherever applied
  • Must not be over or under-inclusive
• What are the 4 definitions of abnormality?

  • Statistical infrequency
  • Failure to function adequately
  • Deviation from social norms
  • Deviation from ideal mental health
• What is statistical infrequency?

  A behaviour/trait being characterised as abnormal because it is numerically rare and therefore statistically unusual

  • If a behaviour is more than 1 standard deviation away from the mean, it is classed as abnormal
  • Necessary for behaviour/trait to be clear in its rarity before being classed as abnormal -> cut-off point must be decided upon
• What are the A&E points for statistical infrequency?

  • Fails to include reference to desirability of a behaviour -> some rare characteristics are not necessarily negative, e.g. a very high IQ
  • Fails to include behaviours that should be classified as abnormal just because they're not numerically rare
• What is failure to function adequately?

  The inability to cope with the demands of everyday life + perform the behaviours necessary for day-to-day living, e.g. hygiene, holding down a job, interacting meaningfully with other people, etc

  • Key aspect = behaviours exhibited cause distress to either the individual or the people around them
• Who gave characteristics to define the failure to function adequately?

  Rosenhan + Seligman (1989)
• What are Rosenhan + Seligman's (1989) characteristics to define failure to function adequately?


  • Suffering
  • Maladaptiveness
  • Vividness + unconventionality
  • Unpredictability + loss of control
  • Irrationality/incomprehensibility
  • Causes observer discomfort
  • Violates moral/social standards
• What are the A&E points for failure to function adequately?

  • Doesn't consider context when determining if a behaviour is abnormal; some behaviour may be indicative of a disorder, but they don't 100% mean a person has that disorder (e.g. starving yourself -> may be a hunger strike rather than an ED)
  • Issue of cultural relativism -> not all cultures consider 'inadequate function' to be the same thing
• What is deviation from social norms?

  Violating unwritten rules about what is expected or acceptable behaviour in particular social group; behaviour may be incomprehensible to others/make people feel threatened/uncomfortable

  • Social behaviour varies between cultures, e.g. normal for Japanese people to stand very close together whereas it's normal for Americans to stand further away when talking
  • Important to consider degree to which norm is violated, importance of that norm + value attached by social group to different sorts of violation (e.g. rude, eccentric, criminal, etc.)
• What are the A&E points for deviation from social norms?

  • Explanation doesn't provide specific rules of what counts as disordered + social norms change over time, e.g. homosexuality used to be considered abnormal but is now often not because it no longer violates the social norm of heterosexuality to the same extent
  • BUT, it does allow for cultural relativism -> able to accept other cultures having different norms rather than imposing uniformity along with one culture
• What is deviation from mental health?

  • Mary Jahoda
  • Defining what is normal/desired + anything that differs from this is regarded as abnormal
  • Requires decision on characteristics we consider necessary to mental health
• What are Jahoda's characteristics to define ideal mental health?

  • Positive self-attitudes
  • Personal growth
  • Autonomy + independence
  • Accurate perception of reality
  • Environmental mastery
  • Integration

  Lacking any of these = abnormal
• What are the A&E points for deviation from ideal mental health?

  • Ethnocentrism of ideal mental health from which these abnormalities deviate -> based entirely on individualism + valuing the self = Western ideas -> indirectly classifies entire collectivist cultures as abnormal
  • BUT, it has changed discussions in psychology around mental health -> less about what's 'broken' and more about striving to achieve psychological health = access to therapy increased