Psychopathology

Definitions of Abnormality

Statistical Infrequency
Deviation from Social Norms
Failure to Function Adequately
Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Statistical Infrequency

Deviating from the statistical norm or average of a characteristic
Abnormal behaviours are 2 SD above or below mean

Statistical Infrequency: Example

IQ - lower or higher than average range
Average: 100
2% below 70 and qualify for diagnos9s of intellectual disability disorder

Statistical Infrequency: Evaluation

+ Useful in real world assessments

+ Cut offpoint is objective

- Doesn’t recognise many known disorders

I/D: Cultural Relativity

Deviation from Social Norms

Any behaviour that deviates from the norms that society sets

Deviation from Social Norms Example

Antisocial personality disorder
“Absence of prosocial standards associated with failure to conform …’
Abnormal as they don’t fit our moral standards

Deviation from Social Norms: Evaluation

+ Useful

- Deviance is related to context

I/D Cultural relativity

Failure to Function Adequately

Unable to live a ‘normal’ day to day life
Not possessing a ‘normal’ range of physical abilities, emotions or behaviours