psychology aqa

what are the four different types of abnormality

statistical infrequency

deviation from social norms

failure to function adequately

deviation from Ideal mental health

what is statistical infrequency

traits, thinking or behaviour classified as abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual

what is the average IQ

100

what percentage of people have an IQ with the Range 85 to 115

68%

what percentage of people have an IQ below 70 (intellectual disability disorder)

2%

strengths of statistical in frequency

it has a real life application
in clinical assessment of patients with mental disorders it includes the kind of measurements to show how severe the symptoms are compared to statistical norms

limitation of statistical infrequency (IQ)

IQ scores over 130 adjust as unusual as those below 70 but you wouldn't think that being very smart is an undesirable characteristic that needs treatment to be 'normal' meaning statistical infrequency would not be used alone to make a diagnosis

limitation of statistical infrequency

when someone is living a happy fulfilled life there are no benefits for them being labelled as abnormal, it could have a negative effect on the way they see themselves and others view them

What is deviation from social norms?

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

limitation of deviation from social norms

social norms vary depending on situation and culture e.g homosexuality

strength of deviation from social norms

Real world application, it's useful in being able to determine anti social personality disorder and can therefore be used in clinical practice

limitation of deviation from social norms

it cannot be used alone to diagnose someone as abnormal it should be used with statistical in frequency and failure to function

limitation of deviation to social norms

flying on deviation to social norms to understand why can lead to systematic abuse of human rights for example is clear in the past the diagnosis was really used to maintain control over minority ethnic groups and women

what is failure to function adequately?

when someone is unable to cope with the ordinary demands of day-to-day living e.g. getting out of bed, brushing teeth

faliure to function study (rosenhan and seligman)

there found signs that can be used to determine when there's someone who is not coping these include :

when someone no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules for example eye contact and respecting personal space

a person experiences severe distress
when a person's behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others

unpredictability

example of failure to function adequately (IQ)

intellectual disability disorder
statistical in frequency show that the one criteria for this disorder was a very low IQ
however a diagnosis would not be made without the person also failing to function adequately

strength of failure to function adequately

acknowledges the experience of the patient so its a useful method for assessing abnormality

limitations of failure to function adequately

it's difficult to judge when someone is failing to function adequately
people choose alternative lifestyles such as new age travellers if these behaviours are treated as failures of adequate functioning it risks limiting personal freedom and discriminating against minority groups

when deciding someone is failing to function adequately someone has to judge whether a patient is distressed. some patients say they are distressed but they may not be judges suffering using subjective judgements can lead the people not accessing the right treatment

what is deviation from Ideal mental health

when someone does not meet the set criteria for good mental health

what is the sack right area for mental health (6)

positive view of self \= high self-esteem

personal growth \= achieve their full potential

autonomy \= making own decisions being in control
accurate perception of reality \= view of the world must not be distorted in any way

adaptation to environment \= ability to love and solve problems

resistances stress \= able to deal with regular stresses and strains of life

strength of deviation from Ideal mental health (jahoda)

it covers a broad range of criteria for mental health covering most reasons someone would seek help from mental health services or be referred for help

Limitation of deviation from ideal mental health (2)

jahoda's classification is specific to Western European and North American cultures meaning the research is culturally relative

the criteria for mental health or unrealistically high and not many people achieve all of them

depression: behavioural characteristics, emotional characteristics and cognitive characteristics

a mental illness characterised by low mood

b. reduce levels of energy withdrawal problems with sleep

e. lowered mood anger low self-esteem

c. biased towards unhappy events

phobias: behavioural characteristics, emotional characteristics and cognitive characteristics

a mental disorder characterised by excessive fear and anxiety

b. panic, avoidance

e. anxiety

c. selective attention to the phobic stimulus

ocd: behavioural characteristics, emotional characteristics and cognitive characteristics

a mental disorder characterised by obsessions and or compulsions

b.repeated actions e.g handwashing, tidying to reduce anxiety and avoidance

e.anxiety irrational guilt and disgust

c. obsessive thoughts unaware of the irrationality and catastrophic thinking.

what are the three types of phobias?

specific phobias, social phobias, agoraphobia

what is specific phobia?

anxiety is provoked by exposure to a feared object or situation (e.g. animals, heights, injections). Most cases begin in childhood.

what is social phobia (social anxiety)?

fear of social situations such as public speaking or parties

What is agrophobia?

Phobia of being outside or in a public place

what is the two process model? (mowrer)

1 acquisition by classical conditioning

2. maintenance by operant conditioning

classical conditioning studies (2)

little albert - watson and raynor

pavlovs dogs

what is maintenance by operant conditioning

reinforcing the conditioning as responses by classical conditioning tends to decline over time