2. AQA A-Level Psychology Key Content

what is the third definition of ideal mental health

failure to function adequately (FFA)

what is failure to function adequately

when a person is unable to live a normal daily life, e.g. conventionally people wake up in the morning, wash their face and brush their teeth, if they don’t do this they are considered abnormal

who developed the 5 indicators of failing to function adequately

Rosenhan and Seligman

what are the 5 indicators of failing to function adequately

Observer discomfort

Personal distress

Irrational behaviour

Unpredictable behaviour

Maladaptive-ness / dysfunctional behaviour

what is Maladaptive-ness/dysfunctional behaviour

behaving in a way that interferes with a persons ability to lead a persons typical daily life e.g. eating and working

what is personal distress

being unable to function due to emotional instability E.G. DEPRESSION

what is observer discomfort

causing upset and discomfort to others e.g. schizophrenia and OCD

what is unpredictable behaviour

behaving in an unexpected way e.g. suicide attempt after failing driving test

what is irrational behaviour

behaving in a way that makes no sense to others e.g. schizophrenic painting room black and taping curtains shut

what does it mean if a person has more than 1 of these behaviours

more likely that the person will be considered abnormal

why are subjective definitions an issue (FFA limitation)

in order to use this definition subjective judgements are still required for each of the main indictors of FFA e.g. one person may see observer discomfort whereas another person may not

why are situational factors an issue (FFA limitation)

people may be unable to function properly which can be caused by temporary situations e.g bereavement or exams, can lead to symptoms e.g. withdrawal

why is cultural relativity an issue (FFA limitation)

standards for adequate functioning vary across cultures e.g. normal is abnormal is a different country

why is adaptive behaviour an issue (FFA limitation)

some behaviours can be seen as FFA but in reality may be adaptive and helpful to the individual

what are the practical applications of FFA (strength)

used in real life clinical practices to determine whether someone needs support and treatment and focuses on how a person copes with everyday life

what is meant by a patient centred and humane approach in FFA (strength)

FFA considers the individuals subjective experiences, including distress and suffering, avoiding labelling someone as abnormal

why is FFA considering everyday functioning important (strength)

looks at whether behaviour interferes with everyday life and therefore makes the definition more realistic

what is statistical infrequency

an idea based on behaviours that are statistically rare and so are considered to be abnormal. A normal distribution shows how measurements of human behaviour are distributed in the general population, if a person scores at an extreme end they are considered abnormal

how do you draw a distribution curve

draw an upside down u shape where ends of the u shape are thinner and draw a straight line down the highest point, draw horizontal lines across to represent what % of the population are part of that section

what is the issue with the extreme sections of the curve (statistical infrequency limitation)

definition fails to distinguish between undesirable behaviours with are problematic and need treatment and behaviours that are unproblematic and desireable e.g. high IQ

what is the issue with the cut off point for abnormal behaviours (statistical infrequency limitation)

not clear how far along behaviour should be in order to be considered abnormal, e.g. if 70 is abnormal then how is 69 not?

what is the benefit of the statistical infrequency definition (statistical infrequency strength)

practical applications - has been used by clinicians as a formal diagnosis as it helps assess symptoms by severity

what is cultural relativism

a central limitation to the statistical infrequency definition

how is cultural relativism an issue in the statistical infrequency definition

behaviours that are rare/common change overtime and are different in different countries so has low generalisability

how is the DSM definition culturally relative

homosexuality used to be classed as a mental disorder but overtime has became more common

how is the FFA definition culturally relative

what is considered part of daily functioning life varies per country e.g. stay at home mums may be usual in one country but usual in another

how is the DIMH definition culturally relative

collectivism cultures may not agree with Jahoda’s criteria of autonomy or personal growth therefore making it unapplicable to them