definitions of abnormality

• statistical infrequency

  any behaviour that is usual is 'normal' and any behaviour that is unusual is 'abnormal'

  occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic

  e.g. being more depressed or less intelligent than most of the population.
• example of statistical infrequency - IQ and intellectual disability disorder.

  average IQ is 100.

  most people score between 85 to 115

  2% of people have a score below 70.

  people who score below 70 are liable to receive a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder
• strength of statistical infrequency - real-world application

  is used in clinical practice as a part of formal diagnosis and as a way to assess the severity of an individual's symptoms.

  e.g. used as an assessment tool in Beck's depression inventory.

  shows usefulness in the real world
• limitation of statistical infrequency - positive

  infrequent characteristics can be positive as well as negative

  as well as IQ below 70, an usual characteristic is an IQ above 130 but do not think of them as abnormal.

  so insufficient as sole basis for defining abnormality
• deviation from social norms

  when a person behaves in a way that is different from how we expect people to behave.

  concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in society

  social norms differ between cultures and generations
• example of deviation from social norms - antisocial personality disorder

  make the social judgement that psychopaths are abnormal because they don't conform to our moral standards.
• strength of deviation from social norms - real-world application

  used in clinical practice.

  behaviour which are signs of disorders are deviations from social norms.

  e.g. antisocial personality disorder fail to conform to ethical behaviour.

  shows deviation from social norms has value in psychiatry.
• limitation of deviation from social norms - cultures and situations

  there is variability between social norms in different cultures and different situations.

  a person from one culture may label someone from another group as abnormal using their standards.

  e.g. hearing voices is abnormal in the UK but is the norm in some countries
• failure to function adequately

  occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day to day living.

  -> unable to maintain basic standards of nutrition and hygiene

  -> when a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules (e.g. maintaining eye contact)

  -> when a person experiences severe personal distress

  -> when a person's behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others.
• strength of failure to function - represents threshold for help

  represents sensible threshold for when people need professional help.

  tends to be at the point when we cease to function that people seek professional help or are noticed.
• limitation of failure to function - discrimination and social control

  easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal.

  in practice it is hard to say when people are really failing to function and that they haven't simply chosen to deviate from social norms.

  e.g. people who favour high leisure activities would be classed as irrational and a danger to self.
• deviation from ideal mental health

  occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health

  -> we have no symptoms or distress

  -> we are rational and can perceive ourselves accurately

  -> we self-actualise

  -> we can cope with stress

  -> we have good self-esteem and lack guilt

  -> we are independent of other people

  -> we can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure.
• strength of deviation from ideal mental health - comprehensive

  it has a highly comprehensive definition.

  includes a range of criteria for distinguishing mental health from mental disorder.

  it provides a checklist which we can assess ourselves and others and discuss psychological issues with a range of professionals.
• limitation of deviation from ideal mental health - culture bound

  different elements aren't equally applicable across a range of cultures.

  e.g. self-actualisation would probably be dismissed as self-indulgent in much of the world. independence is high in Germany and low in Italy.

  means it is difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another.