Definitions of Abnormality

• What are social norms?

  Unwritten behavioural expectations that vary depending on culture , time and context
• What are social deviants?

  Individuals who break the norms of society and are seen as abnormal
• What are examples of behaviours showing high cultural specificity?

  Tolerance to homosexuality, religious experiences, public displays of emotions
• What is a strength of the definition of abnormality - deviation to social norms?

  Using social norms does not impose a Western view of abnormality on other non-western cultures. So, diagnosing abnormality according to social norms is not ethnocentric
• What is a limitation of - deviation from social norms

  Defining people who move to a new culture as abnormal according to new cultural norms = inappropriate. E.g people from an Afro-Caribbean background living in the UK are 7x more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia
• What does the definition 'failing to function adequately' mean?

  When individuals cannot cope with day to day challenges of daily life e.g maintaining persona hygiene.
• What are features of FTFA individuals?

  Rosenhan + Seligman = maladaptive behaviour, their irrational and unpredictable actions go against their long term best interests. Show personal anguish, observers feel discomfort in their presence.
• Strength of FTFA as definition of abnormality?

  Respects the individual and their own personal experiences, which deviation from social norms and statistical frequency cannot do.
• A limitation of FTFA as definition of abnormality?

  Only includes people who cannot cope, psychopaths can often function in society in ways that benefit them personally. Having lower empathy = success in business and politics.
• What does statistical frequency as a definition of abnormality explain?

  Someone is mentally abnormal if mental condition is very rare in population. Rarity of behaviour is judged objectively using statistics, comparing individual's behaviour to rest of population.
• What does a normal distribution curve show?

  A population's average spread of specific characteristics e.g one element of a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder (IDD) in the DSM5 is having 70 IQ points or lower. (Just over 2% of population)
• A strength of statistical frequency as a definition of abnormality?

  Individuals who are assessed as being abnormal according to statistical frequency have been evaluated objectively = better than other definitions that depend on subjective opinion of clinician
• A limitation of statistical frequency as a definition of abnormality?

  Not all statistically rare traits are negative - IQs of 130 are just as statistically rare as IQs of 70s. Also, there are common MH conditions like anxiety. NHS found 17% of people surveyed met criteria for common MH disorder
• What is deviation from ideal mental health as a definition of abnormality?

  Humanistic definition by Jahoda. Rather than defining abnormality, it defines features of IMH, and deviation from these indicate abnormality.
• What are the 6 features of ideal mental health according to Jahoda?

  SEARAP - self actualisation, environmental mastery, autonomy, resisting stress, accurate perspection of reality, positive attitude to self.
• A strength of DIMH

  It’s a holistic definition, as considers multiple factors of diagnosis and provides suggestions for personal development, DIMH doesn’t simply state what is wrong but also how to overcome problems
• A limitation of DIMH

  Its too strict a set of criteria to define mental health, as its challenging to achieve all requirements at any one time, most people would be defined as abnormal