Definitions of Abnormality

What is statistical infrequency?

To define something as normal or abnormal, it is down to the number of times we observe it

Statistical infrequency is when an individual has a less common characteristic e.g. being more depressed than most of the population

What is an example of statistical infrequency?

IQ is normally distributed.

Average IQ is 100

Most people have an IQ between 85 and 115, only 2% have a score below 70.

Score below 70 is seen as statistically rare (abnormal) and can be diagnosed with intellectual disability disorder (mental retardation)

What is deviation from social norms?

A social norm is a rule for behaviour based on moral standards.

When a person behaves in a way that is different from what we expect (social norm) they would be classed as abnormal.

What is an example of deviation from social norms?

Someone with OCD may have an obsession with germs and a compulsion to wash their hands.

They will do this hundreds of times and will not be able to live a normal life.

Thus, they are not fitting in with what we would expect from society (as the social norm would be to wash hands once)

What is failure to function adequately?

An individual’s behaviour will interfere in their functioning so they cannot meet the demands of day to day life.

For example, not maintaining basic standards of hygiene, healthy relationships or a job.

What study supports failure to function adequately?

Rosenhan and Seligman

What did Rosenhan and Seligman study?

Rosenhan and Seligman proposed additional signs that indicate failure to function adequately.

The more signs, more abnormal

• No longer conforms to interpersonal rules e.g. maintaining personal space

• Experiences personal distress

• Behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others

• Causes observer discomfort

What is an example of failure to function adequately?

Depression

Someone with depression may not do things that they used to do before e.g. getting out of bed or going to work

Thus, it is interfering with their functioning. This may lead them to experience personal distress or discomfort e.g. upset for friends and family

What is deviation from ideal mental health?

When someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health

What study supports deviation from ideal mental health?

Marie Jahoda

What did Marie Jahoda find?

Marie Jahoda suggested 8 criteria for ideal mental health:

• We have no distress/symptoms

• We are rational/ accurate perception of self

• We can self-actualise (reach potential)

• We can cope with stress

• We have a realistic view of the world

• We have good self esteem and lack guilt

• We are independent

• We can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure

Anyone with 1 or more of the criteria missing would be classed as abnormal

What is an example of deviation from ideal mental health?

Depression

Would have irrational self perception, not cope with stress and unrealistic view of the world

What is a strength of statistical infrequency?

Usefulness / Real world application

Used in clinical practice for formal diagnosis and as a way to assess the severity of an individual’s symptoms.

For example, a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder requires an IQ of below 70. An example of statistical infrequency used in an assessment tool is the Beck depression inventory. A score of 30+ is interpreted as indicating severe depression.

This shows that the value of the statistical infrequency criterion is useful in diagnostic and assessment processes.

What is a limitation of statistical infrequency?

Infrequent characteristics can be positive as well as negative.

For every person with an IQ below 70 there is another with an IQ above 130. Yet we would not think of someone as abnormal for having a high IQ. Similarly, we would not think of someone with a very low depression score on the BDI as abnormal. These examples show that being unusual does not make someone abnormal.

This means that although SI can form part of an assessment and diagnostic procedures, it is never sufficient as the sole basis for defining abnormality.

What is a strength of deviation from social norms?

Usefulness / Real world application

DFSN is used in clinical practice. For example, the key defining characteristic of antisocial personality disorder is the failure to conform to culturally acceptable ethical behaviour (recklessness, aggression). These signs of the disorder are all deviations from social norms.

Such norms also play a part in the diagnosis of schizoptypal personality disorder, where the term ‘strange’ is used to characterise the thinking, behaviour and appearance of people with the disorder.

This shows that the deviation from social norms criterion has value in psychiatry.

What is a limitation of deviation from social norms?

Variability between social norms in different cultures and even different situations. (Cultural and situational relativism)

A person from one cultural group may label someone from another group as abnormal using their standards rather than the person’s standards. For example, the experience of hearing voices is the norm in some cultures but would be seen as a sign of abnormality in UK.

Also, within one cultural context, social norms differ from one situation to another. For example, aggressive and deceitful behaviour in the context of family life is more socially unacceptable than in the context of corporate deal making.

This means that it is difficult to judge deviation from social norms across different situations and cultures.

What is another limitation of deviation from social norms?

Risk of human rights abuses

Using deviation from social norms to define someone as abnormal carries the risk of unfair labelling and leaving them open to human rights abuses.

For example, nymphomania (women’s excessive sexual desire) have been used to control women.

What is a strength of failure to function?

Represents a sensible threshold for when people need professional help

According to mental health charity Mind, around 25% of people in the UK will experience a mental health problem in any given year. But, many people only know severe symptoms. It tends to be only at the point that we cease to function adequately that people seek professional help or are noticed by others.

This criterion means that treatment and services can be targeted to those who need them most.

What is a limitation of failure to function?

Easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal.

It is hard to distinguish between failing to function or simply choosing to deviate from social norms. For example, not having a job or permanent address may seem like failing to function (and can be!). However, people with alternative lifestyles choose to live ‘off-grid’. Another example, is people who do unusual spiritual practices could be classed as irrational.

This means that people who make unusual choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal and their freedom of choice may be restricted.

What is another limitation of failure to function?

Failure to function may not be abnormal, Can’t generalise

There are some circumstances where most of us fail to cope for a time e.g. bereavement. It may be unfair to label someone as it could cause them future problems just because they react to difficult circumstances.

What is a strength of deviation from ideal mental health?

Highly comprehensive

Jahoda’s criterion means that an individual’s mental health can be discussed meaningfully with a range of professionals who might take different theoretical views.

For example, a medically trained psychiatrist might focus on symptoms whereas a humanistic counsellor might be more interested in self-actualisation.

This means that ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselves and others and discuss psychological issues with a range of professionals.

What is a limitation of deviation from ideal mental health?

Different elements are not equally applicable across a range of cultures (Culture bound)

Some of Jahoda’s criteria for ideal mental health are firmly located in the context of the US and Europe generally.

The concept of self-actualisation would be dismissed as self-indulgent in much of the world.

For example, in Europe there is quite a bit of variation in the value placed on personal independence e.g. high in Germany, low in Italy

What defines success is different in different cultures.

This means that it is difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another.

What is another limitation of deviation from ideal mental health?

Extremely high standards

Very few of us attain all of Jahoda’s criteria for mental health.

It can be disheartening to see an impossible set of standards to live up to.