psychopathology

• Statistical infrequency [AO1]

  behaviour or characteristics that are rare/uncommon/unusual occupies the extreme ends of a normal distribution curve

  • only 2% of the population in the UK has an IQ of 70 or lower
  • low IQ is defined as intellectual disability disorder

  relies on the use of up-to-date statistics
• Failure to function adequately (FFA) [AO1]

  → abnormality that prevents/inability of the person from carrying out the range of behaviours that society would expect from them

  → inability to cope with demands of daily life

  • getting out of bed each day
  • holding down a job
• Failure to function adequately (FFA) [AO1]


  Marbled pigs often irritate uncle
• Failure to function adequately (FFA) [AO1]


  • Maladaptive behaviour
  • Personal anguish
  • Observer discomfort
  • Irrationality and unpredictability
  • Unconventionality
• Deviation from social norms [AO1]

  → all societies make collective judgments about what counts as ‘normal’/usual/typical behaviour → any behaviour that does not conform to accepted/expected standards is abnormal → norms vary from culture to culture

  → deviating from/going against unstated social rules; from what is expected and accepted in society

  • shouting on the tube
  • Nigeria’s federal penal code imposes a penalty of 14 years of imprisonment because of homosexuality
• Deviation from ideal mental health [AO1]

  → abnormality due to the inability to reach the standards of "ideal mental health"

  → Marie Jahoda (1958) uses humanist principles in not defining abnormality but defining six features of ideal mental health, suggesting that deviation from these features would indicate an abnormality (PIMS AA)
• Deviation from ideal mental health [AO1]

  1. Personal growth and self actualisation (capability for growth and development)
  2. Integration (able to cope with stressful situations)
  3. Mastery of the environment (ability to meet the varying demands of day-to-day situations)
  4. Self-attitudes (positive view of the self) i.e low self esteem and self hatred
  5. Autonomy (being independent and self-regulating)
  6. Accurate perceptions of reality
• Failure to function adequately (FFA) [AO1]

  1. Maladaptive behaviour- when individuals behave in ways that are against their long-term interests (i.e: self-harm or unhealthy eating patterns)
  2. Personal anguish- suffering from anxiety and distress because of their inability to cope
  3. Observer discomfort- person’s behaviour causes distress to the people around them (i.e: poor personal hygiene or not respecting personal space)
  4. Irrationality and unpredictability- behaviour that is hard to understand and/or seems uncontrolled
  5. Unconventionality- behaviours go against normal expectations
• Statistical infrequency [AO3] - Objective definition

  objective definition as quantitative data used so more scientific and statistical comparisons can be made - less judgemental as abnormal behaviour is not seen as wrong but simply less frequen
• Statistical infrequency [AO3] - Desirable vs undesirable

  • not all common behaviour is normal such as anxiety which we should still treat (67% of people in England experience a common mental health condition such as anxiety or depression in any given week)
  • not all rare behaviour is undesirable such as a high IQ which is desirable so not sufficient on its own