Definitions of Abnormality

• What is statistical infrequency?

  Someone is mentally abnormal if their mental condition is very rare in the population. The rarity of the behaviour is judged objectively using statisitcs, comparing the individual's behaviour to the rest of the population
• What is a normal distribution curve?

  - shows a population's average spread of specific characteristics

  - the mean, median and model scores are all at the highest point (the most common behaviour)

  - at each end, there are fewer people with those behaviours

  - if we want to find abnormal behaviour, we can compare individuals to the population and identify those at the extreme ends
• What is a good example of a normal distribution curve?

  - intelligence - measured by IQ

  - The average IQ is 100, at this graph's highest point

  - someone with an IQ two standard deviations from the average on either side is abnormal

  - one element of a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder (IDD) in the DSM5 is having 70 IQ points or fewer

  - just over 2% of the population is in this low intelligence bracket
• STRENGTH of Statistical Infrequency: more objective than other definitions

  EVIDENCE - a positive evaluation of using statistical infrequency to define abnormality is those individuals who are assessed as being abnormal have been evaluated objectively and we can identify who is in most need of support

  EXP - this is better than other definitions that depend on the subjective opinion of a clinician

  EVAL - for example, deciding if the client is coping or not is a vague concept, and 2 observers may disagree
• WEAKNESS of Statistical Infrequency: what counts as 'rare' is subjective

  EVIDENCE - a criticism of statistical infrequency is the psychological community decides the cutoff for what is statistically rare enough to be defined as abnormal

  EXP - this is a subjective decision which has real implications and will affect a large number of people

  EVAL - for example, defining intellectual disability as 70 IQ and under means people with an IQ of just over 70 may be denied support
• WEAKNESS of Statistical Infrequency: some 'statistically infrequent' behaviour is desirable

  EVIDENCE - a criticism of statistical infrequency is not all statistically rare traits are negative

  EXP - this definition also includes those people at the higher end of intelligence as well as the lower end - IQs of 130 are just as statically rare as IQs of 70

  EVAL - a good definition of abnormality should not identify people with high intelligence as having a psychopathology and in need of additional support
• WEAKNESS of Statistical Infrequency: the definition isn't always appropriate

  EVIDENCE - another criticism is the range of common psychopathologies, such as depression and anxiety

  EXP - the NHS found 17% of people surveyed met the criteria for a common mental health disorder

  EVAL - therefore, this definition isn't appropriate when considering society's high incidence of mental health disorders
• What is failure to function adequately (FFA)?

  the individual is defined as abnormal if they cannot cope in their daily lives, including their ability to interact with the world and meet their challenges (people who do not meet these requirements). Ability to function is assessed using a questionnaire called WHODAS where a high score indicates poor functioning
• What were Rosenhan and Seligman's features of FFA?

  - maladaptive behaviour

  - personal anguish

  - observer discomfort

  - irrationality

  - unconventionality
• Features of Failure to Function: Maladaptive Behaviour

  Individuals behave in ways that go against their long term interests. This could include self harm, unhealthy patterns of eating or interacting with others in ways that damage relationships
• Features of Failure to Function: Personal Anguish

  the individual suffers from anxiety and distress as a result of their inability to cope with day-to-day life. They may want to interact with the world, but struggle to even get out of bed
• Features of Failure to Function: Observer Discomfort

  The individual's behaviour causes distress to those around them e.g. poor personal hygiene and not respecting others' personal space
• Features of Failure to Function: Irrationality

  It is difficult to understand the motivation behind the individual's behaviour. This is linked on unpredictability and unexpected behaviour. These issues can give the impression that these individuals cannot fully control their behaviour
• Features of Failure to Function: Unconventionality

  Behaviour doesn't match what is typically expected by society e.g. inappropriate behaviour at work, an unusual sense of dress or behaviour that simply doesn't match or would be expected of a person in a given situation
• WEAKNESS of FFA: the decision is subjective

  EVIDENCE - a criticism of the failure to function definition of abnormality is that the decision about whether someone is coping is subjective and based on the clinician's opinion

  EXP - this judgment may therefore be biased

  EVAL - this means that two observers (clinicians) might not agree on whether someone is managing
• WEAKNESS of FFA: abnormal behaviours can be functional for some individuals

  EVIDENCE - another criticism is that FFA only includes people who cannot cope, which excludes some people who would be considered abnormal, such as psychopaths

  EXP - psychopaths are often able to function in society in ways that benefit them personally e.g. having lower empathy can lead to success in business and politics

  EVAL - however, while they feel no distress themselves, psychopathy often has negative implications for the people around them
• WEAKNESS of FFA: Rosenhan and Seligman's features may not all be accurate perceptions of failure to function

  EVIDENCE - another criticism is that not all maladaptive behaviour indicates mental illness

  EXP - for example, taking part in extreme sports, eating unhealthy food and drinking alcohol all risk the individual's health, so they are arguably maladaptive

  EVAL - however, most people would disagree that these behaviours would indicate mental illness
• STRENGTH of FFA: sees the point of view of the person suffering, rather than from the point of view of others

  EVIDENCE - one positive aspect of the failure to function definition of abnormality is that it respects the individual and their own personal experience

  EXP - this is something that other definitions, such as statistical infrequency and deviation from social norms, cannot do

  EVAL - this is because these definitions of abnormality are based on what is normal in the rest of the population
• What is deviation from social norms?

  A social norm is an unwritten expectation of behaviour that can vary from culture to culture, and change over time. Additionally, what is acceptable in one context may not be acceptable in another, and people who deviate from these societal expectations may be seen as abnormal or social deviants
• Examples of norms that vary between cultures

  - acceptance of homosexuality

  - face and hair covering

  - acceptable food and how to eat it

  - level of modesty in clothing choices

  - public displays of emotion
• STRENGTH of deviation from social norms: is not affected by culture

  EVIDENCE - a positive evaluation of defining abnormality according to social norms is that it does not impose a western view of abnormality on other non-western cultures

  EXP - for this reason, it is argued diagnosing abnormality according to social norms is not ethnocentric

  EVAL - this means this definition respects the cultural differences between societies
• WEAKNESS of deviation from social norms: it can be inappropriate to define people who move to a new culture as abnormal according to the new cultural norms

  EVIDENCE - people from an Afro-Caribbean background living in the UK are 7x more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than people living in the UK or people who live in Afro-Caribbean nations

  EXP - this is due to category failure - a western definition of mental illness is applied to individuals not acting according to western cultural norms

  EVAL - in Afro-Caribbean cultures, hallucinations and conversations with angels may be considered part of a typical religious experience, so a doctor in the West Indies would be less likely to diagnose schizophrenia based on these symptoms than a doctor in the UK
• WEAKNESS of deviation from social norms: social norms change over time

  EVIDENCE - another criticism of using social norms to define abnormality is that it can be seen as punishing people who are trying to express their individuality and repressing people who do not conform to the repressive norms of their culture

  EXP - for example, the WHO declassified homosexuality as a mental illness in 1992 and transgender health issues in 2019

  EVAL - these recent changes may have followed social norms/ social acceptance
• What is deviation from mental health (DIMH)?

  Jahoda's definitions comes from a humanistic perspective, focusing on ways to improve and become a better person rather than dysfunction or deficit. Jahoda identified 6 features of ideal mental health and argues deviation from these indicates abnormality
• What are Jahoda's 6 features of ideal mental health?

  - environmental mastery

  - autonomy

  - resistance to stress

  - self-actualisation

  - positive attitude towards oneself

  - accurate perception of reality
• Features of ideal mental health: Environmental Mastery

  the ability to adapt and thrive in new situations
• Features of ideal mental health: Autonomy

  the ability to act independently and trust in one's own abilities
• Features of ideal mental health: Resistance to stress

  the internal strength to cope with anxiety caused by daily life
• Features of ideal mental health: Self-actualisation

  the ability to reach one's potential through personal growth
• Features of ideal mental health: Positive attitude towards oneself

  characterised by high self-esteem and self-respect
• Features of ideal mental health: Accurate perception of reality

  the ability to see the world as it is without being distorted by personal biases
• WEAKNESS of DIMH: ethnocentric

  EVIDENCE - one limitation of this definition comes from its basis in humanistic society, which may be culturally biased, reflecting a Western perspective on mental health (an emic construct)

  EXP - it is seen as problematic when a perspective from one culture (in this case, an individualistic western culture) is assumed to automatically apply/generalise to all people as universal (an imposed etic)

  EVAL - in many cultures, people may not place a high value on autonomy as it is not part of their cultural norms, and personal freedom is not seen as a necessary or positive aspect of life, instead, in collectivist societies, many people value playing a role in supporting a family or group, not focussing on individual success
• WEAKNESS of DIMH: difficult to fulfil the demanding criteria

  EVIDENCE - another criticism of this definition is the strictness of the criteria defining mental health

  EXP - it's very difficult for most people to achieve all the criteria for ideal mental health at any one time

  EVAL - this means this definition would define most people as abnormal at least at some point in their lives
• STRENGTH of DIMH: focuses on what is desirable rather than what is undesirable

  EVIDENCE - a positive evaluation of this definition is that it is a more constructive and holistic approach to mental health than other definitions

  EXP - DMIH considers multiple factors in diagnosis and provides suggestions for personal development - it does not simply state what is wrong, but also suggests how problems can be overcome

  EVAL - this definition respects the individual and their own experience, which is something that other definitions, such as statistical infrequency and deviation from social norms, does not do