Abnormality

Define deviation from social norms

Concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society

How do we as a society decide if behaviour is abnormal

On the basis if it offends their sense of what is 'acceptable' or the norm

How are norms specific to the culture we live in

• Social norms may be different for each generation and every generation, so there are few behaviours that would be considered universally abnormal on the basis that they breach social norms

• For example, in the UK, homosexuality is not considered abnormal - but in other countries/cultures it is (illegal in others)

  • Brunei 2019 - sex between men is punishable by stoning to death

Evaluate the strengths of deviations of abnormality

Real world application

• DOSN is useful for clinical practices

• E.g the key defining characteristic of anti-social personality disorder is the failure to conform to culturally acceptable ethical behaviour (recklessness or aggression)

• These signs are all DOSN

• This shows that the DOSN has value in psychiatry

Improves safety of others

• Social norms are in place to ensure that societies are harmonious and run smoothly:

• Identifying socially deviant behaviour is one way of protecting members of a society from distressing or harmful acts committed by others

Evaluate the limitations of deviations of abnormality

Cultural and situational realism

• Deviation from social norms is not generalisable across cultures; the same behaviour may be viewed as normal in one culture and abnormal in another culture

• E.g in some cultures, a person hearing voices is the norm in some cultures (a message from ancestors) but would be seen as an abnormality in most parts of the UK

• Also within one cultural context - social norms differ from one situation to another

  • Aggression and deceitful behaviour is more socially unacceptable than in the context of corporate deal making

• This means it's difficult to judge deviations from social norms across differing situations and cultures

What are the 4 definitions of abnormality

• Statistical infrequency

• Failure to function adequately (FTFA)

• Deviation from Social Norms

• Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

Define Statistical Infrequency

Occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic from the rest of the population

Outline Antisocial personality disorder - in relevance to DFSN

• They are aggressive, impulsive and irresponsible

• According to the DSM-5, they have an 'absence of prosocial internal standards associated with the failure to conform to lawful and culturally normative behaviour

• Not conforming to moral standards that the majority possess

Outline IDD in relevance to Statistical Infrequency

• Avg IQ of the population is 100 in a normal distribution (68%)

• Those with <70 (2%) are very unusual/abnormal and likely to receive a diagnosis of IDD

Evaluate the strengths of Statistical Infrequency

Real world application

• Useful

• Used in clinical practice as a diagnostic tool to assess severity of symptoms

  • E.g IDD diagnosis profile

• This shows the value of the statical infrequency criterion is useful in diagnostic and assessment processes

Evaluate the limitations of Statistical infrequency

Unusual characteristics can be positive

• Infrequent characteristics can be positive and negative

• We would not think of someone with an IQ of 130 to be abnormal

• Being one end of a psychological spectrum doesn't necessarily make someone abnormal

• Although Statistical Infrequency can form part of a diagnostic procedure it is never sufficient for being the sole basis of definition of abnormality

Define Failure to Function Adequately

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

What did Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) propose as additional signs that someone isn't functioning adequately

• When a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules

• Experiencing severe personal distress

• A person's behaviour becomes irrational and a danger to themselves or others

Evaluate the strengths of FTFA

Represents a threshold for help

• This measure of abnormality provides clear guidelines for the classification and diagnosis of abnormality as it is focused on observable signs that an individual is not coping e.g. lack of hygiene, clear behavioural distress signals

• 25% of people in the UK will experience a problem with their mental health in any given year

• These observable signs allow for the individual to receive help

Evaluate the limitations of FTFA

Discrimination and social control

• Easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal

• Hard to say when someone is failing to function of deciding to deviate from social norms (high-risk leisure, unusual spiritual activities) may be unnecessarily classed as irrational or danger to self

• People who make unusual lifestyle choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal ad their freedom of choice may be restricted

Define Deviation from Ideal Mental Health (DFIMH)

When someone doesn't meet a set of criteria for good mental health

Who suggested the model for mental health

Jahoda 1958

Who proposed the criteria if someone is failing to function adequately

Rosenhan and Seligman 1989

What was Jahoda's 1958 criteria for having a good mental health

• No symptoms of distress

• We self-actualise

• We can cope with stress

• We have a realistic view of the world

• We have good self-esteem and lack gui

Evaluate the strengths of DFIMH

A comprehensive definition

• Jahoda's criteria for ideal metal health is highly detailed and includes a range of criteria for distinguishing mental health from disorder

• An individual's mental health can be discussed with a range of professionals who might take different theoretical views (psychiatrist vs psychologist)

• Thus, ideal metal health provides a checklist against which we can asses ourselves and others and discuss psychological issues with a range of professionals

Evaluate the limitations of DFIMH

May be culture bound

• The criterion has different elements that aren't equally applicable with all cultures

• Some of Jahoda's criterion are firmly located in the context of the US and Europe

  • self-actualisation might be considered indulgent in some parts of the world

• Even in Europe there is much variation in values placed on personal independence

  • high in Germany, low in Italy

• Difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another