Defining Abnormality

Examples of deviation from social norms

1. All societies have their standards of behaviour and attitudes. Deviating from these can be seen as abnormal

2. But cultures vary, so there isn’t one universal set of social ‘rules’

3. One problem with defining abnormality as deviation from social norms is that it can be used to justify the removal of ‘unwanted’ people from society. For example, people opposing a particular political regime could be said to be abnormal

4. Another limitation of defining abnormality as deviation from social norms is that what is considered acceptable or abnormal can change over time. For example, as recently as 1974, homosexuality was classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as a disorder. However, the diagnosis was dropped because it was found that homosexuality wasn’t as infrequent as previously thought and that homosexuals don’t differ from heterosexuals in terms of psychological well-being

What are definitions of abnormality?

• Deviation from social norms

• Failure to function adequately

• Statistically infreqeunt

• Deviation from ideal mental health

What is deviation from social norms?

This perspective suggests that behaviours, thoughts, or emotions that significantly differ from the accepted standards of a society are considered abnormal. Factors such as culture, context, and historical time must be taken into account when determining what constitutes a norm.

What is failure to function adequatly?

Abnormality is where a person is considered abnormal if they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life, leading to significant personal distress or discomfort. This means they struggle to manage basic tasks like personal hygiene, eating, work or school, and socialising

What does statistically infrequent mean?

This approach says that behaviours that are significantly rare or less common than the majority may indicate abnormality. However, it is essential to distinguish between behaviours that are simply uncommon and those that truly disrupt day-to-day functioning or indicate a mental disorder.

What is deviation from ideal mental health?

This concept suggests that if an individual strays too far from what is considered as optimal psychological functioning, such as possessing positive self-esteem, personal growth, and harmonious relationships, this can be interpreted as a sign of abnormality. It emphasises the importance of evaluating mental health according to a standard of well-being rather than merely identifying deficits.

Limitation of Social Norms

1. It doesn’t take account of the desirability of behaviour, just its frequency. For example, a very high IQ is abnormal, as is a very low one, but having a high IQ is desirable whereas having a low IQ is undesirable

2. There’s no distinction between rare, slightly odd behaviour and rare, psychologically abnormal behaviour

3. There’s no definite cut-off point where normal behaviour becomes abnormal behaviour

4. Some behaviours that are considered psychologically abnormal are quite common, e.g. mild depression. Using the statistical infrequency idea, some disorders would not be classed as anything unusual

Change in Social Norms

Acceptability Over Time

Abnormality

Deviation from Statistical Norms

Statistical Infrequency

Refers to behaviours or characteristics that occur at the extreme ends of a distribution, falling outside the normal range of occurrence in a population.

Failure to Function Adequately

You can’t cope with the demands of day-to-day life

Criteria to diagnose with an abnormality (failure to function)

1. Dysfunctional behaviour- Behaviour which goes against the accepted standards of behaviour

2. Observer discomfort- Behaviour that causes other individuals to become uncomfortable

3. Unpredictable behaviour- Impulsive behaviour that seems to be uncomfortable

4. Irrational behaviour- Behaviour that’s unreasonable and illogical

5. Personal distress- Being affected by emotion to an excessive degree

Jahoda's Conditions for Ideal Mental Health

1. Positive self-attitude

2. Self-actualisation (realising your potential, being fulfilled)

3. Resistance to stress

4. Personal autonomy (making your own decisions, being in control)

5. Accurate perception of ability

6. Adaption to the environment

Subjectivity of Jahoda's Conditions

The criteria that Jahoda stipulates are vague and are therefore very difficult to measure. This makes the decision as to whether someone fulfils the criteria difficult to make.

Symptoms Associated with Mental Illness

1. Impairment of intellectual functions, such as memory and comprehension

2. Alterations to mood that lead to delusional appraisals of the past or future, or lack of any appraisal

3. Delusional beliefs, such as persecution or jealously

4. Disored thinking- the person may be unable to appraise their situation or communicate with others