PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
→ The study of psychological disorders.
How is mental health decided?
Use of a classification system that categorises and outlines characteristics associated with mental health
disorder. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
4 definitions of abnormality in identifying a psychological disorder:
Statistical infrequency: (maths)
• Individual has a less common characteristic compared to others in society.
• According to this criterion, abnormality refers to behaviours which are statistically infrequent. (Bell
curve). If you are 2 standard deviations away from the mean, you are considered statistically abnormal.
• Behaviours that deviate significantly from the average are abnormal.
• This definition implies there is a normal curve for behaviours.
• E.g., IQ and intellectual disability disorder.
• Individuals with below 70 IQ considered abnormal as only 2% of people
have this, thus receive diagnosis of IDD.
✓ Real world application – used in clinical Not all statistically infrequent traits are
practice to diagnose and assess symptoms negative. A cut off point results in only
e.g., BDI tool and IQ allows for easy some people receiving treatment which is
diagnosis. subjective e.g., those with a high IQ are not
✓ Objective – Comparable abnormal but those with low IQ are.
✓ Doesn’t make judgements about a Not a reliable test – may be subjective if
definition of abnormality – must be 2 the way it has been measured is culturally
standard deviations over or below to be specific.
considered abnormal. Reductionist – we can’t reduce someone’s
intelligence down to a maths test.
Deviation from social norms: (sociological)
• People who deviate from standards e.g., behaving differently is considered unacceptable.
• Abnormal behaviour can be seen as behaviour that deviates from or violates society’s
implicit or explicit rules or moral standards.
• Norms are specific to the culture and generation e.g., homosexuality.
• E.g., anti-social personality disorder involves aggression so they will be considered
abnormal.
✓ Social norms create order and is Scientifically racist – making decisions not
predictable thus easy diagnosis. in the favour of their own culture. May be
✓ Can be supported by case studies e.g., the seen as abnormal only because they are
three faces of Eve → one of the first cases applying their cultures onto others who
of multiple personality disorder now known may not fit into it.
as DID. Lacks temporal validity – Society is always
changing. E.g., in the 19th century, women
who inherited money spent it on
themselves rather than on male relatives
→ considered morally insane.
Subjective – Being different is seen as a
mental illness due to this approach.
Cultural differences – must be immersed in
one culture for a long time to understand
norms → ethnocentric.
Page | 51
, Failure to function adequately: (medical)
• Can’t cope with demands of everyday life.
• Views abnormality as the failure to experience the normal range of emotions or to engage in the
normal range of behaviour.
Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) proposed signs that someone isn’t coping:
o Suffering
o Unpredictability
o Maladaptiveness – danger to self
o Observer discomfort
o Loss of control
o Irrational
o Violates moral/social standards.
✓ Represents a sensible threshold for when Easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices
people need professional help – people as abnormal e.g., risk taking people are
seek help at a time when they fail to considered abnormal.
function adequately. Subjective – may only cause discomfort to
✓ Holistic – considers multiple factors of a some people but not others.
person. Lacks population validity – cannot be
generalised to all people.
Difficult to measure – everyone’s level of
suffering is different
Deviation from ideal mental health: (philosophical)
• To find out the criteria for abnormality, we can see whether someone deviates from the criteria of
normality.
Jahoda (1958) proposed a criterion for ideal mental health:
o Positive self-attitude – high self esteem
o Autonomous – thinking for yourself and being independent.
o Stress resistance – take control of your situation and use coping
strategies.
o Self-actualisation
o Environment - adapt
o Reality – accurate perception of reality
✓ Positive – focuses on what is helpful and Not feasible – makes ideal mental health
desirable for the individual. practically impossible to achieve thus
✓ Helps us achieve good mental health majority of the population would be
✓ Focused – targets what is wrong with considered abnormal – can’t meet criteria.
someone’s life specifically Ethnocentric – lacks population validity as
everyone’s definition of each criteria is
different
Page | 52
→ The study of psychological disorders.
How is mental health decided?
Use of a classification system that categorises and outlines characteristics associated with mental health
disorder. Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
4 definitions of abnormality in identifying a psychological disorder:
Statistical infrequency: (maths)
• Individual has a less common characteristic compared to others in society.
• According to this criterion, abnormality refers to behaviours which are statistically infrequent. (Bell
curve). If you are 2 standard deviations away from the mean, you are considered statistically abnormal.
• Behaviours that deviate significantly from the average are abnormal.
• This definition implies there is a normal curve for behaviours.
• E.g., IQ and intellectual disability disorder.
• Individuals with below 70 IQ considered abnormal as only 2% of people
have this, thus receive diagnosis of IDD.
✓ Real world application – used in clinical Not all statistically infrequent traits are
practice to diagnose and assess symptoms negative. A cut off point results in only
e.g., BDI tool and IQ allows for easy some people receiving treatment which is
diagnosis. subjective e.g., those with a high IQ are not
✓ Objective – Comparable abnormal but those with low IQ are.
✓ Doesn’t make judgements about a Not a reliable test – may be subjective if
definition of abnormality – must be 2 the way it has been measured is culturally
standard deviations over or below to be specific.
considered abnormal. Reductionist – we can’t reduce someone’s
intelligence down to a maths test.
Deviation from social norms: (sociological)
• People who deviate from standards e.g., behaving differently is considered unacceptable.
• Abnormal behaviour can be seen as behaviour that deviates from or violates society’s
implicit or explicit rules or moral standards.
• Norms are specific to the culture and generation e.g., homosexuality.
• E.g., anti-social personality disorder involves aggression so they will be considered
abnormal.
✓ Social norms create order and is Scientifically racist – making decisions not
predictable thus easy diagnosis. in the favour of their own culture. May be
✓ Can be supported by case studies e.g., the seen as abnormal only because they are
three faces of Eve → one of the first cases applying their cultures onto others who
of multiple personality disorder now known may not fit into it.
as DID. Lacks temporal validity – Society is always
changing. E.g., in the 19th century, women
who inherited money spent it on
themselves rather than on male relatives
→ considered morally insane.
Subjective – Being different is seen as a
mental illness due to this approach.
Cultural differences – must be immersed in
one culture for a long time to understand
norms → ethnocentric.
Page | 51
, Failure to function adequately: (medical)
• Can’t cope with demands of everyday life.
• Views abnormality as the failure to experience the normal range of emotions or to engage in the
normal range of behaviour.
Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) proposed signs that someone isn’t coping:
o Suffering
o Unpredictability
o Maladaptiveness – danger to self
o Observer discomfort
o Loss of control
o Irrational
o Violates moral/social standards.
✓ Represents a sensible threshold for when Easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices
people need professional help – people as abnormal e.g., risk taking people are
seek help at a time when they fail to considered abnormal.
function adequately. Subjective – may only cause discomfort to
✓ Holistic – considers multiple factors of a some people but not others.
person. Lacks population validity – cannot be
generalised to all people.
Difficult to measure – everyone’s level of
suffering is different
Deviation from ideal mental health: (philosophical)
• To find out the criteria for abnormality, we can see whether someone deviates from the criteria of
normality.
Jahoda (1958) proposed a criterion for ideal mental health:
o Positive self-attitude – high self esteem
o Autonomous – thinking for yourself and being independent.
o Stress resistance – take control of your situation and use coping
strategies.
o Self-actualisation
o Environment - adapt
o Reality – accurate perception of reality
✓ Positive – focuses on what is helpful and Not feasible – makes ideal mental health
desirable for the individual. practically impossible to achieve thus
✓ Helps us achieve good mental health majority of the population would be
✓ Focused – targets what is wrong with considered abnormal – can’t meet criteria.
someone’s life specifically Ethnocentric – lacks population validity as
everyone’s definition of each criteria is
different
Page | 52
