Definitions of Abnormality

• Deviation from social norms

  Behaviour is Abnormal when a person behaves in a way that is DIFFERENT from how we EXPECT people to behave (BEHAVIOUR CAN GO AGAINST WRITTEN OR UNWRITTEN RULES AND EXPECTATION OF SOCIETY.)
• Social norms


  • VARY IN EACH SOCIETY, they are a SET of UNRWITTEN RULES TO FOLLOW
• Abnormal behaviour


  Goes AGAINST OUR SOCIETAL NORMS, there is a clear DISTINCTION BETWEEN DESIRABLE AND UNDESIRABLE BEHAVIOURS [SOCIALLY DEVIANT]
• Social norms are often SPECIFIC to the CULTURE we currently LIVE IN and are often DIFFERENT for GENERATIONS and CULTURES
• Homosexuality


  • Was deemed abnormal in our culture in the past in the UK, but today it is accepted, and homophobia is a crime. However, it is still seen as abnormal and illegal in some cultures.
• Antisocial personality disorder (Psychopaths)

  DON'T CONFORM TO OUR MORAL STANDARDS, they deviate from SOCIAL NORMS, they are IMPULSIVE, AGGRESSIVE, IRRESPONSIBLE
• One of the DSM-5 symptoms is that they have an 'ABSENCE OF PROSOCIAL INTERNAL STANDARDS associated with FAILURE TO CONFORM to LAWFUL AND CULTURALLY NORMATIVE ETHICAL BEHAVIOUR'
• There a relatively FEW BEHAVIOURS that are considered UNIVERSALLY abnormal (across the whole world) as social norms CAN CHANGE ACROSS GENERATION AND IN DIFFERENT CULTURES
• Behaviour is abnormal if it is DIFFERENT, UNEXPECTED and/or OFFENDS OTHERS in the social/cultural group
• Failure to function adequately


  Individuals should be classified as abnormal when their behaviour suggests that they CANNOT COPE WITH EVERYDAY LIFE → i.e. from NORMAL TO GO ON TO DEVELOP A MENTAL DISORDER.
• Individuals CANNOT COPE WITH EVERYDAY LIFE, people may be defined as ABNORMAL if they can NOT take CARE OF THEMSELVES, people with psychological disorders often experience an INABILITY to COPE with EVERYDAY LIFE
• Rosenhan and Seligman's 7 criteria for failure to function adequately

  1. Violation of moral standards, 2. Unconventionality, 3. Observer discomfort, 4. Unpredictability, 5. Personal distress, 6. Maladaptive behaviour, 7. Irrationality
• Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale


  A MORE OBJECTIVE measure that can also be used to determine whether someone is failing to function adequately, clinicians use it to rate a patient's level of social, occupational, and psychological functioning, scored on a scale of 1-100 (1 = SEVERELY IMPAIRED, 100 = EXTREMELY HIGH FUNCTIONING)
• Abnormality


  Labels individuals who make unusual life choices
• Abnormal individuals


  • Those who complete unusual spiritual activities
  • Base jumpers
• The definition of abnormality discriminates against different cultures who make different life choices, such as Travellers
• The "failure to function adequately" definition is insufficient and invalid in truly identifying behaviours that may be considered abnormal
• The "failure to function adequately" definition does not consider when it is normal to behave abnormally
• Normal reactions to difficult circumstances

  • Loss of a loved one
  • Divorce
  • Taking exams
• The "failure to function adequately" definition can lead to over-diagnosis and pathologizing of normal human experiences
• The "failure to function adequately" definition may fail to identify individuals with dangerous personality disorders who can effectively mask their abnormal behaviour
• Individuals with dangerous personality disorders

  • Psychopaths
  • Harold Shipman, a respected doctor who murdered over 200 patients
• Statistical infrequency


  A behaviour is seen as abnormal if it is statistically uncommon, or not seen very often in society
• Statistical infrequency definition of abnormality

  • Abnormal behaviour deviates from the statistical average
  • The less frequently a behaviour occurs in people, the more likely it is to be abnormal
  • Abnormal behaviour is that which is rare/uncommon/anomalous
  • The judgement of whether a behaviour is statistically infrequent is based on normal distribution
  • Anyone who falls outside of the normal distribution, beyond two standard deviations of the mean, is abnormal
  • Normal distributions are bell-shaped curves, with 68% of the population falling within 1 standard deviation of the mean, and 95% falling within 2 standard deviations
  • 5% of the population that fall more than 2 standard deviations from the mean are considered abnormal
• Statistically infrequent behaviours


  • IQ below 70
  • IQ above 130
• IQ between 70 and 130 is considered normal
• Strengths of the statistical infrequency definition

  • It is a reliable measure of abnormality, allowing for consistent and objective diagnosis by professionals
  • It is useful in clinical practice, such as in the Beck Depression Inventory assessment tool
• Weaknesses of the statistical infrequency definition

  • It does not consider the desirability of behaviour, failing to account for statistically rare but desirable behaviours, as well as statistically normal but undesirable behaviours
  • It does not account for abnormal behaviours that are statistically normal, so lacks validity
  • The decision for the cut-off point between normal and abnormal is subjective, making it difficult to justify where the line is drawn
• Deviation from ideal mental health

  An individual is abnormal if they do not achieve one of the six of Jahoda's ideal mental health criteria: resistance to stress, accurate perception of reality, positive attitude towards the self, personal autonomy, adapting and mastering the environment, and self-actualisation and personal growth
• Jahoda's ideal mental health criteria

  • Resistance to stress: the individual should not feel under stress and should be able to handle stressful situations competently
  • Accurate perception of reality: the individual should have a perspective similar to how others see the world, conforming to social norms and moral standards
  • Positive attitude towards the self: the individual should have a good level of self-esteem and a positive mindset about themselves
  • Personal autonomy: the individual should have independence and self-reliance, the ability to function as an individual without depending on others
  • Adapting and mastering the environment: the individual should be able to adapt to new situations and cope competently in all situations in their life
  • Self-actualisation and personal growth: the individual should be in a state of contentment, feeling that they have become the best version of themselves physically and mentally
• Strengths of the deviation from ideal mental health definition

  • It is a positive approach that gives people an ideal target to aim for, rather than just stating what makes them abnormal
  • It uses a holistic approach, considering the individual's physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being as a whole person
• Weaknesses of the deviation from ideal mental health definition

  • The criteria are too demanding, and it is difficult for anyone to meet all of them, as most people will be lacking in at least one area
  • The criteria are based on Western ideals and the values of individualistic cultures, making them biased against other cultures where different values may be prioritized