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DIFFERENCES:
P S Y C H O P ATH O L O G Y
SCHEME OF LEARNING
Lesson:
1
Definitions of abnormality
2&3
Depression: Explanations and treatment
4&5
Phobias: Explanations and treatment
6&7
OCD: Explanations and treatment
8
Review and test
DEFINITIONS OF
ABNORMALITY
Y O U M U S T R E A D PA G E S 1 4 6 - 1 5 2
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson I will be able to
answer the question...
How do we know if someone is normal?
To answer this question I need to be able to
Define abnormality
Outline what is meant by deviation from social norms
Outline what is meant by failure to function adequately
Outline what is meant by deviation from the ideal mental
health
Outline what is meant by statistical infrequency when
considering psychopathology
Consider the strengths and limitations of each definition of
abnormality
INTRODUCTION
Abnormality, and what it means to be normal, is a highly debated
issue amongst psychologists.
These are the varying view points:
Some believe it is because of some sort of biological flaw
Others believe is it due to incorrect learning
It could also be because of faulty thought processes
Finally, mental disorder could originate from problems and conflicts
of the mind and personality
Failure to
function
adequately
Deviation from
social norms
A person's thinking
or behaviour is
classified as
abnormal if it
violates the
(unwritten) rules
about what is
expected or
acceptable
behaviour in a
particular social
group.
Deviation from
ideal meant
health
There are six criteria
necessary for ideal
mental health. An
absence of any of these
characteristics indicate
individuals as being
abnormal, in other
words displaying
deviation from ideal
What is
abnormality?
Failure to function
adequately (FFA) refers
to abnormality that
prevent the person
from carrying out the
range of behaviours
that society would
expect from them, such
as getting out of bed
each day, holding down
a job, and conducting
successful relationships
etc
Statistical
infrequency
Under this definition of
abnormality, a person's
trait, thinking or behaviour
is classified as abnormal if
it is rare or statistically
unusual.
DESIRABLE VS UNDESIRABLE
A01
A person's thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates the
(unwritten) rules about what is expected or acceptable behaviour in a particular
social group.
Their behaviour may be incomprehensible to others or make others feel threatened
or uncomfortable. Social behaviour varies markedly when different cultures are
compared.
For example, it is common in Southern Europe to stand much closer to strangers
than in the UK. Voice pitch and volume, touching, direction of gaze and acceptable
subjects for discussion have all been found to vary between cultures.
With this definition, it is necessary to consider: (i) The degree to which a norm is
violated, the importance of that norm and the value attached by the social group to
different sorts of violation. (ii) E.g. is the violation rude, eccentric, abnormal or
criminal?
Strengths
Helps people
Social dimension
Situational norms
Developmental norms
Distinguishes between normal
and abnormal
Limitations
Subjective
Change over time
Individualism
Ethnocentric bias in diagnosis
Cultural differences
DESIRABLE VS UNDESIRABLE
Strengths
Limitations
3. Positive attitude to oneself: High self-esteem and a strong sense of identity, having
self-respect and a positive self-concept.
4. Autonomy: Being independent, self-reliant and being able to make personal decisions.
5. Accurate perception of reality: Having an objective and realistic view of the world
6. Environmental mastery: Being competent in all aspects of life and able to meet the
demands of any situation. Having the flexibility to adapt to changing life circumstances.
The more characteristics individuals fail to meet and the further they are away from
realising individual characteristics, the more abnormal they are.
Strengths
Positivity
Targets areas of dysfunction
Holistic
Goal setting
Limitations
Over-demanding criteria
Subjective criteria
Contextual effects
Changes over time
Cultural variation
4. STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY
A01
Under this definition of abnormality, a person's trait, thinking or behaviour is
classified as abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual. With this definition it is
necessary to be clear about how rare a trait or behaviour needs to be before we class
it as abnormal
For instance one may say that an individual who has an IQ below or above the average
level of IQ in society is abnormal.
However this definition obviously has limitations, it fails to recognize the desirability of the
particular behaviour.
Going back to the example, someone who has an IQ level above the normal average
wouldn't necessarily be seen as abnormal, rather on the contrary they would be highly
regarded for their intelligence.
This definition also implies that the presence of abnormal behaviour in people should
be rare or statistically unusual, which is not the case. Instead, any specific abnormal
behaviour may be unusual, but it is not unusual for people to exhibit some form of
prolonged abnormal behaviour at some point in their lives.
Strengths
Can be appropriate
Objective
No value judgements
Evidence for assistance
Based on real data
Limitations
Where to draw the line
Not all infrequent behaviours,
showing statistical
infrequence, are abnormal
Not all abnormal behaviours
TASK
Which definition is the best?
In 4 groups you will be given one of the 4 definitions
As a group you will need to argue that your given definition is the
best at defining abnormality.
To be successful and convince me, you need to include:
A01
A02
A03
A03
4.
Explain the idea of normal distribution in relation to defining
abnormality