F2FA

• According to the Failure to Function Adequately (FFA) definition, a person is considered abnormal if they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life and live independently in society.
• Furthermore, to be classified as abnormal, a person’s behaviour should cause personal suffering and distress because of their failure to cope.
• However, they may also cause distress or discomfort to other people who observe their behaviour.
• Personal distress: The person may suffer as a result of their condition. For example; anxiety disorders or depression.
• Maladaptive behaviour: any behaviour that prevents a person achieving their goals. For example; agoraphobia, that stops a person from going out to work.
• Unpredictability: When a person's behaviour is unpredictable, for example; mood swings
• Irrationality: Any behaviour that is irrational/illogical or confusing to an onlooker.
• Observer discomfort: When the observer, not the individual experiencing the issue makes someone else feel uncomfortable.
• Violation of moral standards: When a person deviates away from the moral standards and expectations of society; 60 years ago, pregnancy in an unmarried woman was considered evidence of abnormality. 
• Unconventionality: When the behaviour is not expected in the context that it occurs.
• P- One weakness of the failure to function adequately definition stems from individual differences.
• E- For

  example, one person with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) may exhibit excessive rituals that

  prevent them from functioning adequately, as they constantly miss work; whereas, another person

  may suffer from the same excessive rituals, but find time to complete their rituals and always attend

  work on time.
• L-  Therefore, despite the same psychological and behavioural symptoms, each person

  would be diagnosed differently according to this definition, thus questioning the validity of this

  definition.
• P- One strength of the failure to function adequately definition is that is considers the subjective personal

  experiences of the patient.
• E- This definition considers the thoughts and feelings of the person

  experiencing the issue and does not simply make a judgement without taking the personal viewpoint of

  the sufferer into consideration.
• L-  This suggests that the failure to function definition is a useful model for

  assessing psychopathological behaviour.
• P- An issue with FTFA as a definition of abnormality is that it could lead to the labelling of alternative lifestyles as abnormal.
• E- For example, Rosenhan’s criteria would suggest that people engaging in activities that cause observer discomfort such as base jumping or dangerous sports are failing to function
• L-  This is a limitation because it could lead to people being inappropriately labelled as a danger to themselves or others.