Definitions of Abnormality

• Statistics


  Collection of methods for planning experiments, obtaining data, organizing, summarizing, presenting, analysing, interpreting, and drawing conclusions based on data.
• Statistical Infrequency


  Abnormality is defined as those behaviours that are extremely rare

  
• Normal distribution


  A function that represents the distribution of variables as a symmetrical bell-shaped graph.

  
• IQ


  Intelligence quotient
• Intellectual disability disorder


  - Having a very low IQ is a statistical infrequency but diagnosis would not be made on this basis alone.

  - There would have to be clear signs that, as a result of this, the person wasn't able to cope with the demands of everyday living.

  - So intellectual disability disorder is an example of failure to function adequately
• Strength of statistical infrequency

  Real-life application

  - An example of statistical infrequency used in an assessment tool is the Beck depression inventory.
• Limitation of statistical infrequency

  Unusual characteristics can be positive

  - We would not think of someone with a very low depression score on the BDI as abnormal.
• Deviation from social norms


  Concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society

  
• Norm


  - An understood rule for accepted and expected behaviour.

  - Norms prescribe "proper" behaviour.
• Social norms


  The implicit or explicit rules a group has for the acceptable behaviours, values, and beliefs of its members

  
• Antisocial personality disorder


  - A personality disorder in which the person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members.

  - May be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist.

  
• DSM-5


  Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

  
• Prosocial


  Acting in ways that tend to benefit others

  
• Strength of deviation from social norms

  Real-world application

  - Norms play a part in the diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder.
• Limitations of deviation from social norms

  - Might be a cultural or religious thing, transferring from one into another, look out of place in the new one

  - Vague, hard to identify if someone has deviated enough to be classed as abnormal.

  - Subjective.

  - Doesn't consider influence of alcohol/drugs (assuming they aren't addicted)

  - Context bound; effect of context could mean someone defined as abnormal when they're actually normal

  - Some people's behaviour causes discomfort e.g. extreme sports or body modifications; doesn't mean they're mentally ill
• Failure to function adequately


  Occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day-to-day living.

  
• When is someone failing to function adequately?

  Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) proposed signs that can be used to determine when someone is not coping:

  
  

  1. no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules, for example maintaining eye contact, personal space.

  
  

  2. severe personal distress.

  
  

  3. behavior is irrational or dangerous to themselves or others.

  
• Strength of failure to function adequately

  - Sensible threshold for when people need professional help, 25% of people in the UK experience symptoms of mental health in a year.

  - This criterion means treatments and services can be targeted to those who need them most
• Limitation of failure to function adequately

  Many psychologically normal people may have done things that fall under one of the categories at some point in their life, but this does not make them abnormal.
• Deviation from ideal mental health


  Occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health
• What does ideal mental health look like?

  Jahoda (1958)

  1. no symptoms or distress

  2. rational and perceive ourselves accurately.

  3. self actualise

  4. cope with stress

  5. realistic view of the world

  6. good self esteem and lack guilt

  7. independent of other people

  8. successful work, love and enjoy our leisure.
• Self-actualise


  To do this, people must have positive self regard, which stems from the unconditional positive regard from others
• Self-esteem


  One's feelings of high or low self-worth

  
• Strength of deviation from ideal mental health

  It is a comprehensive definition

  - Can easily be applied and the criteria are wide.
• Limitation of deviation from ideal mental health

  It may be culturally relative and it is an unrealistically high standard for mental health