KED - Defining Abnormality

1. Deviation from Social Norms.

Behaviour that is different from the expected standards of behaviour in a community or society.

Repeatedly breaking the 'unwritten rules' may indicate an underlying mental health condition. Eg. Not wearing clothes in public places.

Issues with the definition - 'deviation from social norms'.

• - Cultural relativism, social norms differ between cultures.

• Hindsight bias, social norms change over time.

• Not a sole explanation, it is subjective and weak, the definition also doesn't take into account the context and severity of the action.

2. Failure to Function adequately.

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

Eg. Cannot maintain basic hygiene, nutrition, hold down a job or relationships.

David Rosenhan and Martin Seligman (1989) proposed signs to determine when someone is not coping.

1. When a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules, for example maintaining eye contact and respecting personal space.

2. When a person experiences severe personal distress.

3. When a person's behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others.

Strengths and weaknesses of the definition - 'Failure to Function Adequately'.

Strength - Considers the subjective personal experience therefore is a more holistic model (covers everything) for assessing abnormality.

Weakness - Is it just simply deviation from social norms, the definition doesn't take into account those who want to live their lives differently to the 'normal'.

3. Statistical Infrequency (sometimes called Statistical Deviation).

When an individual has a less common characteristic, for example being more depressed or less intelligent than most of the population.

Abnormality is determined by looking at the distribution of a particular behaviour. A normal distribution curve can be used to represent the proportions of the population who share a particular characteristic.

Strengths of the definition - ‘Statistical Infrequency’.

Strengths -

• Labelling could be beneficial to an individual and help them success. For example, certain access arrangements for exams.

• It does have real-life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder. Eg. If a patient presented with symptoms of multiple conditions, statistical infrequency may be used to determine which is the most significant and most demanding of treatment. Therefore it is a useful tool part of clinical assessment.

Weaknesses of the definition - ‘Statistical Infrequency’.

• Misdiagnosis, just because very few people display certain behaviours does not necessarily mean the individual requires treatment.

• Unusual / abnormal traits may not need treating (eg. High IQ) and may be desirable, and the opposite – depression (at 16% of the population) is considered normal but should be treated for it.

• Labelling an individual as abnormal can be unhelpful regardless of how statistically unusual they are. Labelling could be unhelpful and damaging to the individual’s self esteem etc. Being labelled as statistically infrequent could be more damaging than the condition itself.

Therefore Statistical Infrequency should not be used in isolation to diagnose.

4. Deviation from ideal mental health = Johoda’s criteria (1958).

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

Principles of ideal mental health (2 examples) :

• Having a positive view of yourself (high self-esteem) with a strong sense of identity.

• Being able to master your environment (love, friendships, work and leisure time.)

Strengths of the definition - ‘Deviation from ideal mental health’.

• Takes a positive and holistic stance, the criteria focusses on desirable behaviours rather than just considering negative ones. It is comprehensive, covering a broad range of criteria.

Weaknesses of the definition - ‘Deviation from ideal mental health’.

• Unrealistic criteria, too high standards for mental health. Everyone experiences stress and negativity at some point in their lives, for example grieving the death of a loved one.

• Cultural relativism, some of the criteria could be considered Western in origin and thus not appropriate for Eastern cultures. Eg. The emphasis of personal growth and development may seem over self-centred in countries who favour community over individualism. Therefore the definision is not universal and lacks a global standard (very culture-bound definition), reducing its credibility and effectiveness.