abnormality evaluations

• Evaluation of deviation from social norms

  Strengths

  • Using deviation from social norms is a useful tool for assessing behaviour, e.g.:
  • someone who constantly behaves in an anti-social manner could be termed socially deviant:
  • their socially deviant behaviour may in fact be symptoms of schizophrenia thus a proper course of treatment can be prescribed for them
  • Social norms are in place to ensure that societies are harmonious and run smoothly:
  • Identifying socially deviant behaviour is one way of protecting members of a society from distressing or harmful acts committed by others
• Evaluation of deviation from social norms

  Limitations

  • Some behaviours which appear 'socially deviant' may simply be an example of eccentricity which means that this definition of abnormality does not account for individual differences
  • Deviation from social norms is not generalisable across cultures; the same behaviour may be viewed as normal in one culture and abnormal in another culture e.g.:
  • Hsieh-ping (ghost sickness) is a Chinese/Taiwanese culture-bound syndrome in which the sufferer believes that they are possessed by an ancestral ghost
  • People experiencing hsieh-ping may go into a brief trance-like state, become delirious, experience tremors, hallucinations, crying and laughing
  • In Chinese culture hsieh-ping has positive connotations, but the syndrome would be viewed as deviating from social norms in Western cultures and likely result in a diagnosis of mental illness
• evalution of ideal mental health

  Focused: A strength is that this definition allows for an individual who is struggling to have targeted intervention if their behaviour is not ‘normal’. For example, their distorted thinking could be addressed to help their behaviour become normal, as if their thinking is biased then their behaviour will be too.

  Positive: This definition focuses on what is helpful and desirable for the individual, rather than the other way round

  Achievement of goals: This idea allows for clear goals to be set and focused upon to achieve ideal mental health, and, in Jahoda’s opinion, to achieve normality.
• evalutaion of ideal mentaltjh health

  Weaknesses of the definition

  Feasibility: The criteria outlined by Jahoda makes ideal mental health (normality) practically impossible to achieve. This means that the majority of the population, using this definition, would be abnormal.

  Ethnocentrism: The criteria of autonomy makes the collectivist cultures, where the greater good and helping / relying on others is encouraged, seem abnormal. As most western cultures are individualist the criteria outlined by Jahoda seem a reasonable fit, but non-western cultures cannot relate to the criteria she outlines. This means that the definition is not global.

  Subjectivity: The criteria that Jahoda stipulates are vague and are therefore very difficult to measure. This makes the decision as to whether someone fulfils the criteria difficult to make.
• evaultion of FFA

  Strengths of the definition

  Consideration of how the individual feels: This definition is focused on the individual and how they are managing in everyday life from their perspective, so if someone feels as though they are struggling they will be deemed abnormal and get help.

  Measurable: The GAF (see above) is a scale and allows for the extent of the failure to function to be measured. This means that the decision of whether a behaviour is abnormal or not can be made in a relatively objective way.

  Behaviour is observable: Failure to function adequately can be seen by others around the individual because they may not get out of bed on a morning, or be able to hold a job down. This means that problems can be picked up by others and if the individual is incapable of making a decision or helping themselves others can intervene.
• evaluation of FFA

  Weaknesses of the definition

  Too much focus on the individual: It is argued that abnormal behaviours may not be a problem for the individual, but may be for others around them. For example, someone may be abnormally aggressive and not be worried by it, but their family and friends may feel it is excessive.

  Abnormality does not always stop the person functioning: The focus on how someone is coping of this definition may mean that some abnormal behavior is missed. People may appear fine to others as they fit into society and have jobs and homes, but they may have distorted thinking which is causing them inner distress that they hide.

  Everyday life varies: The ability to cope with everyday life depends on what is seen as normal everyday life. This varies within and across cultures. And some behaviors are normal such as grief those who dont display this would be abnormal This means that the definition is not clear.
• strengths of deviation from statistical norms

  • Real life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder - therefore it is a useful part of clinical assessment
  • Helps give cut off point in terms of diagnosis
  • Objective due to the mathematical nature - no bias
• weakness of DSN

  • Unusual characteristics can be positive - someone who has a higher IQ than average is not seen to be abnormal and in need of treatment
  • Someone may be living a happy and fulfilled life does not benefit from having a label of being abnormal e.g. someone with a low IQ may not feel any distress and may have a good job and therefore would not benefit from a label
  • The cut off point of 'abnormality' such as IQ - why is someone with 69 IQ abnormal whereas someone with 70 is normal
  • No consideration of cultural differences