Psychopathology - definitions of abnormality

• Psychopathology


  The study of abnormal thoughts, behaviours and feelings
• Norm


  Standard behaviour accepted by society.

  Can be desirable/undesirable
• Deviation


  Deviant, antisocial or undesirable behaviour
• Explicit behaviour


  Accepted standards of behaviour - sometimes written as part of the law
• Implicit behaviour


  Generally accepted but not legally binding
• Deviation from social norms

  Deviant, antisocial, undesirable behaviour
• Margaret Mead study of tribes in New Guinea

  Arapesh: gentle, cooperative, everyone had both feminine and masculine characteristics

  Mundugumo: ex cannibals, assertive, aggressive, dislike matters related to childbearing/rearing
• Failure to function adequately

  Failure to cope with everyday life
• Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (FTFA)

  0-100 scale

  Used to assess an individual and see if they are functioning adequately
• Rosenham and Seligman 5 structures to indicate FTFA

  -irrationality

  -unpredictable behaviour

  -maladaptive behaviour

  -unconventionality

  -observer discomfort
• Harold Shipman (FTFA)


  english doctor who murdered 250 of his patients by drugging them with painkillers
• Deviation from ideal mental health

  A picture/ idea created of what is psychologically healthy and those who don’t match it are considered abnormal
• Jahoda‘s criteria for ideal mental health

  1. self esteen
  2. Self actualisation
  3. Autonomy
  4. integration
  5. Perception of reality
  6. Mastery of environment
• Self esteem


  Positive view of self
• Self actualization

  Motivation to develop talents
• Autonomy


  Ability to make own decisions and be independent
• Integration


  Resisting things that cause stress and striving to fix challenges
• Perception of reality


  Able to see the world without distortion
• Mastery of environment


  Can adapt to different circumstances
• Statistical infrequency


  Abnormality should be based on frequency

  if it occurs rarely then it is abnormal