Definitions of Abnormality

• describe deviation from social norms

  • social norm is an unwritten rule about what is acceptable within a particular society
  • according to the definition, a person is seen as abnormal if their thinking or behaviour violates these unwritten rules about what is acceptable
• limitations of deviation from social norms (1)

  • cultural relativism: Social norms differ between cultures and what is considered normal in one culture may be abnormal in another. The result of this is that there is no global standard for defining behaviour as abnormal and therefore abnormality is not standardised.
  • social norms change over time which raises an issue known as hindsight bias.This means that, historically, reliance on the deviation from social norm definition of abnormality may have resulted in violations of human rights where people, by today’s standards, are deemed ‘abnormal’.
• limitations of deviation from social norms (2)

  • How far an individual deviates from a social norm is mediated by the degree of severity and the context. As a consequence, this definition fails to offer a complete explanation in its own right since it is related to degree and context.
• describe failure to function adequately

  • a person is considered abnormal if they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life and live independently in society.
  • Furthermore, to be classified as abnormal, a person’s behaviour should cause personal suffering and distress because of their failure to cope.
  • However, they may also cause distress or discomfort to other people who observe their behaviour.
• strength of failure to function adequately

  • is considers the subjective personal experiences of the patient. This definition considers the thoughts and feelings of the person experiencing the issue and does not simply make a judgement without considering the personal sufferer viewpoint . This suggests that the failure to function definition is a useful model for assessing psychopathological behaviour.
• limitations of failure to function adequately

  • stems from individual differences. For example, OCD may exhibit excessive rituals that prevent them from functioning adequately, whereas, another person may suffer from the same excessive rituals, but find time to complete their rituals. Therefore, despite the same psychological and behavioural symptoms, each person would be diagnosed differently thus questioning the validity of this definition.
• limitations of failure to function adequately (2)

  • often confusion with distinguishing between failure to function adequately and deviation from social norms. On occasion, a behaviour which appears to be a failure to function adequately, may in fact also be a deviation from the social norm should that person be choosing to live an alternative lifestyle out of the common system for that society. It is therefore difficult to ascertain if this behaviour should be considered maladaptive. By labelling individuals who make such choices as ‘failing’, personal freedom is being quashed.
• describe statistical infrequency

  • a behaviour is seen as abnormal if it is statistically uncommon or not seen very often in society. Therefore, abnormality is determined by looking at the distribution of a particular behaviour within society.
  • A normal distribution curve can be used to represent the proportions of the population who share a particular characteristic.
• strength of statistical infrequency

  • only definition that produces quantitative data that can be statistically analysed and compared
• limitation of statistical infrequency (1)

  • One problem with the statistical infrequency definition of abnormality is the issue of misdiagnosis. Certain behaviours are statistically common; for example, approximately 10% of the population will experience depression at some point making this behaviour ‘normal’, technically. where as high IQ – are statistically uncommon and therefore considered abnormal despite their desirable nature. This is drawback of adopting the statistical infrequency definition in explaining abnormality and perhaps should not be used in isolation when making a diagnosis.
• limitation of statistical infrequency (2)

  • A further issue with the statistical infrequency definition of abnormality is that labelling an individual as abnormal can be unhelpful. This is especially true, for example, of someone with a low IQ since they will be able to live quite happily without distress to themselves or others. Such a label may contribute to a poor self‐image or become an invitation for discrimination. This means that being labelled as statistically infrequent could cause the person more distress than the condition itself.
• limitations of statistical infrequency (3)

  • Some statistically infrequent behaviours labelled as abnormal could, in fact, be desirable traits. For example, having a very high IQ is very unusual, yet this characteristic could be hugely celebrated. Conversely, depression is known to be experienced by many people at some point in their lives and as such is considered common, but not desirable. Statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality therefore needs to identify those behaviours which are both infrequent and undesirable to avoid this pitfall.
• describe deviation from ideal mental health

  • Jahoda (1958) took a different approach to defining abnormality, suggesting that abnormal behaviour should be defined by the absence of particular (ideal) characteristics
  • Therefore, if an individual does not demonstrate one of these criteria, they would be classified as abnormal according to this definition.
• what are some of Jahoda's criteria?

  • Having a positive view of yourself (high self‐esteem) with a strong sense of identity
  • Being capable of personal growth and self‐actualisation
  • Being independent of others (autonomous) and self‐regulating
  • Having an accurate view of reality
  • Being able to integrate and resist stress
  • Being able to master your environment (love, friendships, work, and leisure time)
• strength of deviation from ideal mental health

  • that it takes a positive and holistic stance. Firstly, the definition focuses on positive and desirable behaviours, rather than considering just negative and undesirable behaviours. Secondly, the definition considers the whole person, taking into account a multitude of factors that can affect their health and well‐being. Therefore, a strength of the deviation from ideal mental health definition of abnormality is that it is comprehensive, covering a broad range of criteria.
• limitations of deviation from ideal mental health (1)

  • the unrealistic criteria proposed by Jahoda. There are times when everyone will experience stress and negativity, for example, when grieving following the death of a loved one. However, according to this definition, these people would be classified as abnormal, irrespective of the circumstances which are outside their control. With the high standards set by these criteria, how many need to be absent for diagnosis to occur must also be questioned.
• limitations of deviation from ideal mental health (2)

  • An issue with Jahoda’s definition of abnormality is cultural relativism. Some of the criteria for ideal mental health could be considered Western in origin. For example, her emphasis on personal growth and development may be considered overly self‐centred in other countries of the world who favour community over individualism. Likewise, independence within collectivist cultures is not fostered thus making the definition culture bound.
• limitation of deviation from ideal mental health (3)

  • Ethnocentricity is another issue with defining abnormality, especially regarding Jahoda’s criteria for ideal mental health. For example, ‘being independent applies particularly to individualistic societies wherein independence is valued as a quality, which might not be the case in collectivist societies who favour working together more.