A03 Definitions of Abnormality

• Evaluation of Definitions of Abnormality - PART 1

  Statistical Infrequency:

  • +Real life application
  • -Not everyone benefits from a label
  • -Unusual characteristics can be positive

  Deviation from Social Norms:

  • -Social norms are culturally relative
  • -definition could lead to human rights abuse
  • social norms is not a sole explanation of abnormality
• Evaluation of Definitions of Abnormality - PART 2


  Failure to Function adequately:

  • +Recognises patients perspective
  • -Same as deviation from social norms
  • -subjective judgement

  Deviation from ideal mental health:

  • + Comprehensive
  • -Culturally relative
  • Unrealistic high standard for mental health
• Real life application - statistical deviation A03 - definitions of abnormality A03


  P: A strength of the statistical definition is that it has a real life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder. All assessment of patients with mental disorders include some comparison to statistical norms.

  E:Statistical deviation is thus a useful part of clinical assessment - in clinical practices to diagnose

  E: Can diagnose an IQ disability disorder (IQ of 70 or below is abnormal)

  L:Therefore it is useful in diagnosis
• Unusual characteristics may be positive - statistical infrequency A03 - Definitions of abnormality PART 1


  P: if few people display a behaviour it makes behaviour statistically abnormal but doesn't mean person requires treatment.

  E: IQ over 130 just as unusual as those below 70 but not regarded as undesirable & needing treatment - high intelligence is not always considered 'abnormal'

  E:So can't distinguish between desirable & undesirable behaviours
• Unusual characteristics may be positive - statistical infrequency A03 - Definitions of abnormality PART 2

  L: this limitation of concept of statistical infrequency & means it should never be used alone to make a diagnosis. Thus we struggle to diagnose/identify infrequent & undesirable behaviours with this alone
• Not everyone benefits from a label - statistical infrequency A03 - Definitions of abnormality 


  P: When someone is loving a happy and fulfilled life, there is no benefit to them being labelled as abnormal

  E:Someone with a very low IQ who was not distressed or out of work etc would not need a diagnosis of intellectual disability

  L: Being labeled as abnormal may have a negative effect on the way others view them and the way they see themselves
• Statistical infrequency limitation = some issues not abnormal anymore e.g. anxiety
• Deviation from social norms
• Deviation from social norms not a sole explanation of abnormality - deviation from social norms - definition of abnormality A03

  P: Antisocial personality disorder (APD) shows there is a place for deviation from social norms in thinking about what is abnormal

  E: However there are other factors to consider e.g. distress to other peole due to APD

  L: So in practice deviation from social norms is never the sole reason for defining abnormality
• Social Norms are culturally relative - deviation from social norms - definition of abnormality A03 - PART 1

  P: Social norms vary from cultures & situation to another.

  E: Means person from 1 cultural group may label someone from another group as behaving abnormally according to their social norms/standards rather than person's standards

  E: E.G. hearing voices socially acceptable in some cultures but seen as sign of mental abnormality in UK (seen as being spoken to by God)
• Social Norms are culturally relative - deviation from social norms - definition of abnormality A03 - PART 2


  L: This creates problems for people from one culture being compared within another cultural group (ethnocentrism) esp for people from one culture living within another cultural group.
• Definition could lead to human rights abuses - deviation from social norms - definition of abnormality A03 - PART 1

  P: Too much reliance on deviation from social norms to understand abnormality can lead to a systematic abuse of human rights.

  E: e.g. Drapetomania (used to describe Black slaves trying to escape) and nymphomania (women attracted to working-class men) are examples of how diagnosis was used for social control.
• Definition could lead to human rights abuses - deviation from social norms - definition of abnormality A03 - PART 2

  E: It is clear that these diagnosis were devised to maintain order over different ethnic groups.

  L: As our social norms have changes, such classifications appear ridiculous. but some radical psychologists argue that some modern abnormal classifications/categories are abuses of people's right to be different.
• Failure to function adequately
• Recognises patient's perspective - Failure to function adequately - def of abnormality A03


  P: A strength of failure to function adequately is that is does attempt to include a sensible threshold for people who need professional help.

  E: It may not be an entirely satisfactory approach because it is difficult to assess distress.

  E: However at least this definition acknowledges that the experience of the patients is important.

  L: This suggests that failure to function adequality is useful criterion for assessing abnormality. Since it captures the experience of many people who need help.
• Subjective - Failure to function adequately - def of abnormality A03

  P: Someone has to judge whether a patient is distressed or distressing. Some patients may say they are distressed byt nay be judged as not suffering

  E: There are methods for making such judgements as objective as possible e.g. checklists like the Global Assessment of Functioning Scale

  E: However, the principle remains whether someone, e.g. a psychiatrist has the right to make this judgement
• Its the same as deviation from social norms - Failure to function adequately - def of abnormality A03- PART 1


  P: Negative of failure to function adequality is its easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal. Its hard to say when someone is failing to function or just deviating from social norms.

  E: Some people choose to deviate from social norms e.g. those who live alternate lifestyles or do extreme sports could be seen as behaving maladaptively.
• Its the same as deviation from social norms - Failure to function adequately - def of abnormality A03- PART 2

  E: E.g, base jumpers who seek adrenaline & this is seen as a non-standard lifestyle choice

  L: Suggests that its subjective & can wrongly label someone as abnormal, also too similar to another def, weakening this definition.
• Deviation from ideal mental health
• Comprehensive - deviation from ideal mental health - def of abnormality A03


  P: A strength of deviation from ideal mental health is that it is very comprehensive (but vague).

  E: It covers a broad range of criteria for mental health.

  E: In fact it probably covers most o the reasons someone would seek help from mental health services or be referred for help.

  L: This suggests the sheer range of factors discussed in relation to an individual's ideal mental health (Jahoda's criteria) makes it a good tool for thinking about mental health.
• Culturally Relative - deviation from ideal mental health - def of abnormality A03

  P: Weakness of deviation from ideal mental health is that its not applicable to different cultures (ethnocentric)

  E: coz some cultures struggle to have these things. e.g. some cultures not independent coz they are a collectivist culture meaning they do everything together.

  L: This suggests that its not generalisable to other cultures which reduces its population validity. Thus, we have to compare every culture in isolation. Suggests DfIMH definition is too self indulgent as a definition for abnormality.
• Unrealistically high standard for mental health - deviation from ideal mental health - def of abnormality A03

  P: Very few people will attain all Jahoda's criteria for mental health. Therefore, this approach would see most of us as abnormal.

  E: On the positive side, it makes it clear to people the ways in which they could benefit from seeking help to improve their mental health.

  L: However, it is probably of no value in thinking about who might benefit from treatment against their will.
• Culturally Relative - deviation from ideal mental health - def of abnormality A03 - PART 1

  P: Weakness of deviation from ideal mental health is that its not applicable to different cultures (ethnocentric). Some of the ideas in Jahoda's classification of ideal mental health are specific to Western European & North American cultures.

  E: E.G. emphasise on personal achievement (self-actualisation) would be considered self indulgent in much of the world where the focus is on community rather than oneself. Such traits are typical of individualist cultures and are culturally specific.
• Culturally Relative - deviation from ideal mental health - def of abnormality A03 - PART 2

  E: Some cultures not independent coz they are a collectivist culture meaning they do everything together.

  L: Suggests that its not generalisable to other cultures which reduces its population validity. Thus, we have to compare every culture in isolation. Suggests DfIMH definition is too self indulgent as a definition for abnormality.