definitions of abnormality

• statistical infrequency

  occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic, for example being more intelligent and having a high IQ
• statistical infrequency evaluation strengths

  it is almost always used in the clinical diagnosis on mental health disorders as a comparison with a baseline or 'normal' value, it assesses the severity of the disorder
• statistical infrequency evaluation limitation

  it makes the assumption that any abnormal characteristics are automatically a negative thing which isn't always the case
• deviation from social norms

  concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society
• deviation from social norms evaluation strength

  it is used in clinical diagnosis and has value in psychiatry
• deviation from social norms evaluation limitations

  social norms in different cultures are very different so what is acceptable in one culture may not be in another meaning its difficult to judge different cultures/situations
• failure to function adequately

  occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day to day living
• failure to function adequately evaluation strengths

  it takes into account the persons perspective so the final diagnosis will be comprised of the patients subjective self reported symptoms and the psychiatrists objective opinion leading to a more accurate diagnosis
• failure to function adequately evaluation limitations

  failure to function can be a normal reaction to some situations so it can be hard for psychologists to decide what is failure to function
• deviation from ideal mental health

  occurs when someone does not meet a set criteria for good mental health:

  -no symptoms of distress

  -are rational and perceive ourselves accurately

  -we self actualise

  -can cope with stress

  -have a realistic view of the world

  -good self esteem and lack of guilt

  -independent of other people

  -can successful work, love and enjoy our leisure
• deviation from ideal mental health evaluation strengths

  we are able to assess ourselves against this checklist
• deviation from ideal mental health evaluation limitation

  the criteria may be culture bound as different elements are not applicable across a range of cultures