Abnormalities

    Cards (10)

    • Failure to function adequately is defined as no longer being able to cope with the demands of everyday life. (unable to maintain basic standard of nutrition and hygiene)
    • (FFA): Rosenhan and Seligman looked at signs associated with FFA:
      • No longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules (eye contact)
      • Experience severe personal distress
      • Behaviour becomes irrational/dangerous to self and others
    • Deviation from social norm is defined as when a person behaves in a way tat is different to how we expect people to behave. 'acceptable' (some cultures see homosexuality as abnormal)
    • Statistical infrequency is defined as usual behaviour and unusual behaviour that can be reliably measured (intelligence):
      • uses a normal distribution curve to show if a behaviour is below average, average or above average
      • Diagnosed as abnormal if the mental condition is rare in a population
    • Deviation from ideal mental health: once we have a pic of how we should be psychologically healthy then we can begin to identify who deviates from this ideal.
    • (DIMH): Jahoda suggests we have a good mental health if e meet the following:
      • No symptoms or distress
      • Cope with stress
      • independent of other ppl
      • Rational/perceive ourselves accurately
      • Realistic view of the world
      • Successfully work, love and enjoy leisure
      • self-actualise
      • Good self-esteem/lack guilt
    • S of FFA: Sensible threshold for when people need professional help/treatment services can be targeted to people who need them the most
      W of FFA: Easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal (choosing to live off grid)
    • S of DSN: used in clinical practice - defining characteristics of certain disorders (schizophrenia personality disorder - 'strange' characterizes thinking, behaviour and appearance)
      W of DSN: Variability between social norms in different cultures
    • S of SI: used in clinical practice - way to asses severity of individual symptoms - usefulness
      W of SI: Being unusual at one end of psychology spectrum (high IQ) doesn't mean we are abnormal.
    • S of DIMH: Highly comprehensive - Jahoda's criteria covers most of the reasons why we may seek help with mental health
      W of DIMH: Very few achieve all of Jahoda's criteria - disheartening to see impossible set of standards to live up to
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