Definitions of abnormality

• The four definitions of abnormality are statistical infrequency, deviation from social norms, deviation from ideal mental health, and failure to function adequately.
• Statistical infrequency

  
  

  • looks at behaviours through statistics - mathematical method of defining abnormality
  • behaviour is seen as abnormal if it is statistically uncommon
  • behaviour seen as normal if it is statistically common
• Statistical infrequency: example

  • when measuring intelligence (IQ), we can find that most people cluster around the average
  • the further we go above or below the average, the fewer people will attain that score (standard deviation - those attaining these scores are viewed as abnormal)
  • this is called the normal distribution
• A strength of statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality is that it is objective. This is because it is a mathematical method for defining abnormality, so the data is unbiased. This means that it is clear what is defined as abnormal and what is not as there is no opinion involved. This strengthens the definition because it means that different mental health workers can view behaviour in the same way and reduce confusion caused by subjectivity.
• A strength of statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality is that it has real-life application. This is because it is used in the assessment of patients with mental disorders by measuring how severe their symptoms are as compared to statistical norms. Through this comparison, mental health workers can determine how severe their mental disorder is and provide the best help to alleviate their symptoms. This is therefore a strength of this definition as it is a useful part of the clinical assessment.
• A weakness of statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality is that abnormal characteristics can be desirable. For example, above average IQ deviates from the 'normal' as it is uncommon in society. However, having above average IQ is beneficial as it allows people to achieve more in life and is therefore seen as desirable to many. This therefore limits this definition of abnormality as it has difficulty distinguishing between desirable and undesirable qualities so cannot be used on its own to make a diagnosis.
• A weakness of statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality is that abnormal behaviours can occur infrequently. For example, during 2019, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, rates of depression rose meaning that depression became an increasingly common characteristic. This means that according to statistical infrequency, depression is now 'normal' as it is more common among the population. This therefore limits this definition of abnormality because it might miss the opportunity to treat people if it views a characteristic as normal just because it is common in society.
• Deviation from social norms

  • behaviour that deviates from accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society is viewed as 'abnormal'
  • groups of people choose to define what is normal or abnormal on the basis of what offends their sense of what is acceptable (norm).
  • We make a collective judgement as a society about what is right either explicitly through laws, or implicitly through etiquette.
• Norms are specific to cultures and sometimes even generations. Few behaviours relatively would be considered universally abnormal. For example, homosexuality was considered abnormal in Western culture in the past and continues to be viewed as abnormal, even illegal in some cultures.
• A strength of deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality is that it is highly flexible. This is because it is dependent on the situation, age, culture, gender and time to define what is abnormal and what isn't. For example, it is a societal norm to wear a bikini to a beach because it suits the situation, but it would be seen as abnormal to wear a bikini to school as it doesn't fit the situation. This strengthens the definition as it means that only behaviour that is offensive and disruptive to society's accepted standards is viewed as abnormal.
• A strength of deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality is that it helps society. This is because it is concerned with behaviour that is different from accepted standards of behaviour of society. This means that the population defines what is abnormal based on what deviates from their standards, allowing social norms to be specific to that population. Therefore, this strengthens this definition as it allows people in a society to recognise what behaviour is acceptable or not, and allows society to become orderly by adhering to social norms.
• A weakness of deviation from social norms is its cultural relativism. This is because it considers cultural differences and defines what is abnormal based on what is offensive to a culture. This means that the definition is highly subjective and biased as it is based on the opinions of others and has no empirical data to support it. Therefore, this weakens the definition as it can be argued that its subjective nature means that is unclear what is abnormal or not within a culture.
• A weakness of deviation from social norms is that it can lead to human rights abuses e.g. in some cultures, homosexuality is seen as a deviation from social norms, leading to wrongful persecution of individuals. This is because it considers any behaviour that is different from norms, as abnormal and therefore offensive to society, which in the case of homosexuality is untrue: it doesn't directly harm anyone. This limits the definition because labelling any behaviour that is different from accepted as abnormal, could harm individuals though their behaviour doesn't necessarily disrupt society.
• Failure to function adequately

  • a person is considered to be abnormal if they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life and live independently in society
• When is someone failing to function?

  • when a person can't cope with day-to-day life
  • when a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules e.g. eye contact and respecting personal space
  • when a person's behaviour becomes irrational or danger to themselves or others
• The Global Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF) is a method of measuring how well individuals function in everyday life and it considers Rosenham and Seligman's sections plus occupational functioning.
• A strength of failure to function adequately as a definition for abnormality is that it is measurable. This is because the Global Assessment of Functioning scale measures how well an individual is functioning in everyday life considering Rosenham and Seligman's sections. This strengthens the definition as it means that the decision on whether a person is abnormal or not can be made in a relatively objective way, meaning they can get the right support.
• A strength of failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality is that it considers the person's (patient's) perspective. This is because one of characteristics that Rosenham and Seligman devised that a person who is failing to function adequately experiences is extreme distress or suffering. At times, when a person is suffering or in distress, this may not be obvious to others or the person may be good at masking it. So, by considering the patient's perspective, this strengthens the definition as they can seek help themselves, rather than waiting for others to notice.
• A weakness of failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality is that it attempts to limit free will. One of Rosenham and Seligman's section for failure to function adequately is maladaptiveness. This means that those who partake in extreme sports that are risky, are seen as maladaptive. Therefore, they are seen as failing to function adequately and abnormal according to this definition. This then weakens the definition as it tries to restrict people by labelling anyone who engages in risky behaviour as abnormal, even if they are aware of the dangers.
• A weakness of failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality is that abnormality doesn't always stop a person from functioning. For example, a person may seem like they are coping on the outside and be able to function in society, however, they may be suffering from irrational thoughts that can't be observed by others. So using this definition, they wouldn't be considered as abnormal and this weakens the definition as it means that some people may not get the help they need.
• Deviation from ideal mental health

  • occurs when someone does not meet a set criteria for good mental health
  • psychologists define what normal/ideal mental health is, and anything that deviates from this is regarded as abnormal
• What does ideal mental health look like?

  Marie Jahoda suggested that there are 6 characteristics an individual should display if they have ideal mental health:

  • accurate perception of reality
  • self-actualisation
  • positive attitude towards oneself
  • environmental mastery
  • autonomy
  • resistance to stress
• A strength of deviation from ideal mental health is that it is focused. This is because the definition allows us to distinguish what is ideal mental health from Jahoda's criteria and then from this, we can identify if a person has ill mental health if they fail to meet all 6 of Jahoda's criteria, so is therefore seen as 'abnormal'. This makes it easy for mental health workers to identify why an individual is struggling with their mental health from the clear targets set by Jahoda. This strengthens the definition as it allows an individual who is 'abnormanl' to get targeted support.
• A strength of deviation from ideal mental health as a definition for abnormality is that it is a positive definition. The definition focuses on what is helpful and desirable for an individual through Jahoda's criteria. This then allows an individual to focus on the positive if they are struggling with their mental health. This strengthens the definition as it allows clear goals to be set for an individual to work towards to achieve ideal mental health.
• A weakness of deviation from ideal mental health as a definition from ideal mental health is that it sets unrealistically high standards for mental health. This is because to be mentally healthy and therefore 'normal' you have to meet all 6 of Jahoda's criteria, which is practically impossible to achieve in reality. This means that individuals who only lack maybe 1 or 2 of Jahoda's criteria may be labelled as 'abnormal' even though they may not necessarily be struggling with their mental health. This therefore weakens the definition as it is quick to label people as 'abnormal'.
• A weakness of deviation from ideal mental health is its ethnocentrism. Jahoda's criteria were based on research on white individuals and Western culture, which are individualistic, while Eastern cultures tend to be more collectivist. This means that the criteria of autonomy may not apply to Eastern cultures as they encourage contributing to one's society, so many in the Eastern world would be labelled as abnormal using this definition, as their lack of autonomy deviates from ideal mental health. This weakens the definition as it is harder to generalise it to non-Western cultures.