Definitions of abnormality

• what does it mean to be abnormal?

  deviating from the average (norm).
• what is statistical infrequency?

  a behaviour/characteristic that is statistically unusual then it's classed as abnormal.
• what is a deviation of social norms?

  ways of behaving that are not socially accepted.
• how can social norms differ?

  for different generations and cultures.
• what did rosenhan and seligman (1989) propose?

  failure to function adequately- some signs that can be used to determine that someone isn't coping:

  • person can no longer conform to interpersonal rules.
  • person experiences severe distress.
  • person's behaviour becomes irrational/dangerous to themselves/others.
• what did jahoda (1958) propose?

  ideal mental health: absence of the criteria indicates abnormality and potential mental disorder.
• what is the cirteria for ideal mental health?

  • self attitudes= positive self-esteem and a strong sense of identity.
  • personal growth/self actualisation= the extent to which an individual reaches their full potential.
  • intergration= ability to cope with stress.
  • autonomy.
  • accurate perception of reality.
  • mastery of the environment.
• what are the strengths of deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality?

  • allows a distinction between desriable and undesirable behaviours.
  • social dimension- definition gives a social dimension to the idea of abnormality, which offers an alternative to the isolated 'sick-in-the-head' individual.
  • protects society- the definition helps defend society from the effects of an abnormal person's behaviour on others.
• what are the weaknesses of deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality?

  • subjective- social norms change over time, e.g. homosexuality was once defined as abnormal.
  • social norms change w/age across situations and cultures.
  • social control- szasz (1960): sees labelling 'mental illness' as a form of social control.
• strengths of failure to function adequately definition?

  • observable behaviour- allows judgement by others whether individuals are functioning properly.
  • personal perspective- recognises the personal experience of sufferers and thus allows mental disorders to be regarded from the perception of the individuals suffering them.
  • checklist- definition provides a pratical checklist individuals can use to assess their level of abnormality.
• weaknesses of failure to function adequately definition?

  • distress to others- althought a person's behaviour may cause distress to others, it may not cause distress to the individual at all, e.g. wearing a duck on their head.
  • subjective- although GAF measures levels of functioning, it doesn't consider behaviour from an individual's perspective. what is normal for an accentric, it abnormal for an introvert, e.g.
  • normal dysfunction- sometimes it's normal and healthy to experience and display distress, e.g. grieving over the death of a loved one.
• strengths of deviation from ideal mental health definition?

  • holistic- considers an individual as a whole person rather than focusing on individual areas of their behaviour.
  • target areas of dysfunction- allows targetting of which areas to work on when treating abnormality.
  • positivity- emphasises positive achievements rather failures and distress. stresses a positive approach to mental problems by focusing on what is desirable, not undesirable.
• weaknesses of deviation from ideal mental health definition?

  • ideal self is unattainable- most people don't meet the criteria all the time.
  • changes over time- perceptions of reality change over time. e.g. seeing 'visions' used to be linked to religion, now would be percieved as a sign of SZ.
  • cultural variation- criteria used to judge mental health are culturally relative and should not be used to judge others of dif cultures.
• strength of statistical infrequency as a definition?

  • obective- not using subjective criteria to deem people as abnormal.
  • no value judgements- no judgements made. e.g. homosexuality which used to be defined as a mental disorder, is not under this definiton as 'unacceptable' or 'wrong' but merely less frequent than heterosexuality.
  • can be appropriate- in some situations, statistical criterion can define abnormality, e.g. mental retardation.
• weaknesses of statistical infrequency as a definition?

  • not all infrequent behaviours are abnormal- some rare behaviours and characteristics are desirable rather than undesirable, e.g. being highly intelligent is statistically rare but desirable.
  • not all abnormal behaviours are infrequent- some statistically frequent 'normal' behaviours are actually abnormal. about 10% of people will be chronically depressed at some point in their lives, suggests depression is so common as to not be seen as abnormal under this definition.
  • where to draw the line- not clear how far behaviour should deviate from the norm to be seen as abnormal. disorders like depression vary greatly between individuals in terms of their severity.