Psychopathology Revision Notes
Definitions of Abnormality
The behaviour could be considered abnormal because few people show this behaviour.
As the behaviour is rare it may indicate the presence of a mental disorder.
Statistical EXAMPLE: Intellectual Disability Disorder
Infrequency
- Average IQ is set at 100. Only 2% of people fall below 70. Because a low IQ, such
as this, is infrequent individuals may be diagnosed with this disorder
The behaviour could be considered abnormal because other people would find it
unacceptable. As the behaviour goes against the implicit and explicit rules of society it
may indicate the presence of a mental disorder.
Deviation from EXAMPLE: Antisocial Personality Disorder
Social Norms
- When a person is impulsive and often aggressive, pleasing only themselves. One
important symptom is an absence of prosocial internal standards and a failure to
conform to lawful or culturally ethical behaviour.
The behaviour could be considered abnormal because it impacts on the individual’s
ability to carry out their day-to-day activities. This disruption to their daily functioning
may be a change in their behaviour and may indicate the presence of a mental disorder.
Failure to
Function EXAMPLE: Schizophrenia
Adequately
- When a person can have disturbing hallucinations which can lead to bizarre
behaviour; they experience DISTRESS, and they can be IRRATIONAL and
UNPREDICTABLE around other people.
The behaviour could be considered abnormal if it is not part of the criteria for good
mental health. These criteria include being rational, reaching our potential, being
independent of others and successful in work, love, and leisure.
Deviation from
Ideal Mental EXAMPLE: Depression
Health
- Illustrates this definition as sufferers generally have low self-esteem, they can
struggle to make decisions and they experience high levels of stress concerning
their low mood condition.
,Evaluation:
STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY:
Strength
• Statistical infrequency is used in clinical practice, both as part of formal diagnosis
and as a way to assess the severity of an individual’s symptoms therefore the value
of statistical infrequency criterion is useful in diagnostic and assessment processes as
it allows for an objective, value free assessment.
Limitations
• Not all infrequent behaviours are abnormal and can actually be viewed as positive.
Some rare behaviours and characteristics are desirable for example high intelligence
is statistically rare but desirable.
• Not all abnormal behaviours are infrequent as some statistically ‘frequent’
behaviours are ‘abnormal’. For example, depression is experienced by around 10% of
the population which suggests depression is so common as to NOT be seen as
abnormal under this definition.
DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL NORMS:
Strength
• Deviation from social norms allows the consideration of the social dimensions of
a behaviour; meaning it allows for our understanding that a behaviour may be
normal in one situation but not another.
Limitations
• Norms change over time. This means that we cannot truly define any certain act
as ‘abnormal’ because as norms change so must our beliefs about what
constitutes ‘abnormal’ behaviour.
• The variability between social norms in different cultures and even different
situations. For example, a person from one cultural group may label someone
from another group as abnormal using their standards rather than the person’s
standards. Even within one cultural context social norms differ from one
situation to another.
, FAILURE TO FUNCTION ADEQUATELY:
Strength
• Failure to function adequately allows the assessment of the DEGREE of abnormality.
The more symptoms the sufferer shows the more abnormal they are, and therefore
practitioners can decide who needs psychiatric help for their mental abnormality.
Limitations
• Abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction; for example, psychopaths
can commit murder and still appear normal.
• There is a problem over deciding who has the right to define a behaviour as
dysfunctional. In practice it can be very hard to say when someone is really failing to
function and when they have simply chosen to deviate from social norms. This
means that people who make unusual choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal
and their freedom of choice may be restricted.
DEVIATION FROM IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH:
Strength
• Deviation from ideal mental health takes a POSITIVE approach to mental problems
by focusing on what is desirable rather than what is undesirable.
Limitations
• This definition has been accused of having over demanding criteria - at any given
moment most people do not meet all the ideals so in effect we are all ‘abnormal’.
• Of the criterion, its different elements are not equally applicable across a range of
cultures. Some of Jahoda’s criteria for ideal mental health are firmly located in the
context of the US and Europe generally. In particular the concept of self-actualisation
would probably be dismissed as self-indulgent in much of the world. Furthermore,
what defines success in our working, social and love-lives is very different in different
cultures. This means that it is difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health
from one culture to another.
Definitions of Abnormality
The behaviour could be considered abnormal because few people show this behaviour.
As the behaviour is rare it may indicate the presence of a mental disorder.
Statistical EXAMPLE: Intellectual Disability Disorder
Infrequency
- Average IQ is set at 100. Only 2% of people fall below 70. Because a low IQ, such
as this, is infrequent individuals may be diagnosed with this disorder
The behaviour could be considered abnormal because other people would find it
unacceptable. As the behaviour goes against the implicit and explicit rules of society it
may indicate the presence of a mental disorder.
Deviation from EXAMPLE: Antisocial Personality Disorder
Social Norms
- When a person is impulsive and often aggressive, pleasing only themselves. One
important symptom is an absence of prosocial internal standards and a failure to
conform to lawful or culturally ethical behaviour.
The behaviour could be considered abnormal because it impacts on the individual’s
ability to carry out their day-to-day activities. This disruption to their daily functioning
may be a change in their behaviour and may indicate the presence of a mental disorder.
Failure to
Function EXAMPLE: Schizophrenia
Adequately
- When a person can have disturbing hallucinations which can lead to bizarre
behaviour; they experience DISTRESS, and they can be IRRATIONAL and
UNPREDICTABLE around other people.
The behaviour could be considered abnormal if it is not part of the criteria for good
mental health. These criteria include being rational, reaching our potential, being
independent of others and successful in work, love, and leisure.
Deviation from
Ideal Mental EXAMPLE: Depression
Health
- Illustrates this definition as sufferers generally have low self-esteem, they can
struggle to make decisions and they experience high levels of stress concerning
their low mood condition.
,Evaluation:
STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY:
Strength
• Statistical infrequency is used in clinical practice, both as part of formal diagnosis
and as a way to assess the severity of an individual’s symptoms therefore the value
of statistical infrequency criterion is useful in diagnostic and assessment processes as
it allows for an objective, value free assessment.
Limitations
• Not all infrequent behaviours are abnormal and can actually be viewed as positive.
Some rare behaviours and characteristics are desirable for example high intelligence
is statistically rare but desirable.
• Not all abnormal behaviours are infrequent as some statistically ‘frequent’
behaviours are ‘abnormal’. For example, depression is experienced by around 10% of
the population which suggests depression is so common as to NOT be seen as
abnormal under this definition.
DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL NORMS:
Strength
• Deviation from social norms allows the consideration of the social dimensions of
a behaviour; meaning it allows for our understanding that a behaviour may be
normal in one situation but not another.
Limitations
• Norms change over time. This means that we cannot truly define any certain act
as ‘abnormal’ because as norms change so must our beliefs about what
constitutes ‘abnormal’ behaviour.
• The variability between social norms in different cultures and even different
situations. For example, a person from one cultural group may label someone
from another group as abnormal using their standards rather than the person’s
standards. Even within one cultural context social norms differ from one
situation to another.
, FAILURE TO FUNCTION ADEQUATELY:
Strength
• Failure to function adequately allows the assessment of the DEGREE of abnormality.
The more symptoms the sufferer shows the more abnormal they are, and therefore
practitioners can decide who needs psychiatric help for their mental abnormality.
Limitations
• Abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction; for example, psychopaths
can commit murder and still appear normal.
• There is a problem over deciding who has the right to define a behaviour as
dysfunctional. In practice it can be very hard to say when someone is really failing to
function and when they have simply chosen to deviate from social norms. This
means that people who make unusual choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal
and their freedom of choice may be restricted.
DEVIATION FROM IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH:
Strength
• Deviation from ideal mental health takes a POSITIVE approach to mental problems
by focusing on what is desirable rather than what is undesirable.
Limitations
• This definition has been accused of having over demanding criteria - at any given
moment most people do not meet all the ideals so in effect we are all ‘abnormal’.
• Of the criterion, its different elements are not equally applicable across a range of
cultures. Some of Jahoda’s criteria for ideal mental health are firmly located in the
context of the US and Europe generally. In particular the concept of self-actualisation
would probably be dismissed as self-indulgent in much of the world. Furthermore,
what defines success in our working, social and love-lives is very different in different
cultures. This means that it is difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health
from one culture to another.
