Psychopathology Revision
DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY
Statistical infrequency: abnormality is defined as those behaviours that are extremely rare,
i.e. any behaviour that is found in a few people is regarded as abnormal (OCD)
According to the statistical definition - any relatively usual behaviour can be thought of as
‘normal’. Therefore a common behaviour is not abnormal. According to STATISTICAL
INFREQUENCY a behaviour is abnormal if it is rare and only found in very few people. E.g.
Only a small number of people have an irrational fear of buttons
Strengths of statistical definition:
- It has real life application
- It allows measurements to take place in order to diagnose someone as having a
mental disorder
- Every assessment of a patient requires some kind of measurement of their
symptoms, compared to the statistical norms
Weaknesses of statistical definition:
- It doesn't distinguish between desirable and undesirable characteristics eg height,
high IQ
- The cut off point is subjectively determined
- Some behaviours are not rare but they are still classified as abnormal
Deviation from social norms: where a behaviour is seen as abnormal if it violates
unwritten rules (social norms) about what is acceptable in a particular society. It is
sometimes easy for us to notice when people deviate away from the social norms, especially
in public.
Strengths of deviation definition:
- Allows a distinction between desirable and undesirable behaviours
- Permits intervention to help those deviating from norms
- Has real life application
Weaknesses of deviation definition:
- Context - a behaviour may be normal in one context but not another, e.g. being
nearly naked on a beach vs. at a funeral
- Things that are normal change over time - dressing in the clothing assigned to the
opposite sex used to be regarded as abnormal
- Social Control - unmarried mothers used to be committed to asylums
, Deviation from ideal mental health: abnormality is defined in terms of mental health,
behaviours that are associated with competence and happiness. Ideal mental health would
include a positive attitude towards the self, resistance to stress and an accurate perception
of reality. Similar to that used for identifying physical health…..by looking for signs of
absence of wellbeing.
CASE STUDY: JAHODA (1958)
Six categories that clinicians typically relate to mental health (created by Marie Jahoda in
1958):
1. Personal growth (Self Actualisation: should reach your potential)
2. Reality perception (should know what’s real)
3. Autonomy (should be independent)
4. Integration (should ‘fit in’ with society and be able to cope with stressful situations).
5. Self-attitudes (should be positive: high self esteem)
6. Environmental mastery (should cope in your environment, be able to function at
work and in relationships, adjust to new situations and solve problems)
REMEMBER USE PRAISE
Strengths:
- This is a positive view of mental health that focuses on what people are able to do.
Most definitions take a negative view focussing on what is absent in the person with
mental health problems.
- Jahoda’s work was influential in the positive psychology movement
Weaknesses:
○ Jahoda has been criticised for giving unrealistic criteria:
● E.g. Positive self attitude (Many people have a negative self image due to such
things as – Bullying, Persecution of gender and/or race etc – but are they abnormal?)
● Growth to one’s potential or ‘self actualisation’ ( Very few people reach their full
potential due to such things as – Family commitments, Money, Social / peer
pressure, Gender OR Culture: in some countries women are not allowed to work! –
are they abnormal? CULTURAL RELATIVISM!)
● Maximising the self is a very western concept, whereas for many cultures maximising
the needs of the wider family/social group is more important
● Resistance to stress (Integration) Should ‘fit in’ without suffering stress. Some people
thrive on stress. Personality may make you more susceptible. Some people crack
under enormous amounts of stress – prisoner of war camps – are they abnormal?)
Further Evaluation:
- Autonomy (independence)– ability to make our own decisions -> Some people
cannot due to disability, illness, age, culture (e.g. arranged marriages, collectivist
societies ‘WE not ME’), prisoners, poverty – are they abnormal?
- Adapting to the environment (More difficult if you are poor, female, disabled etc. but
DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY
Statistical infrequency: abnormality is defined as those behaviours that are extremely rare,
i.e. any behaviour that is found in a few people is regarded as abnormal (OCD)
According to the statistical definition - any relatively usual behaviour can be thought of as
‘normal’. Therefore a common behaviour is not abnormal. According to STATISTICAL
INFREQUENCY a behaviour is abnormal if it is rare and only found in very few people. E.g.
Only a small number of people have an irrational fear of buttons
Strengths of statistical definition:
- It has real life application
- It allows measurements to take place in order to diagnose someone as having a
mental disorder
- Every assessment of a patient requires some kind of measurement of their
symptoms, compared to the statistical norms
Weaknesses of statistical definition:
- It doesn't distinguish between desirable and undesirable characteristics eg height,
high IQ
- The cut off point is subjectively determined
- Some behaviours are not rare but they are still classified as abnormal
Deviation from social norms: where a behaviour is seen as abnormal if it violates
unwritten rules (social norms) about what is acceptable in a particular society. It is
sometimes easy for us to notice when people deviate away from the social norms, especially
in public.
Strengths of deviation definition:
- Allows a distinction between desirable and undesirable behaviours
- Permits intervention to help those deviating from norms
- Has real life application
Weaknesses of deviation definition:
- Context - a behaviour may be normal in one context but not another, e.g. being
nearly naked on a beach vs. at a funeral
- Things that are normal change over time - dressing in the clothing assigned to the
opposite sex used to be regarded as abnormal
- Social Control - unmarried mothers used to be committed to asylums
, Deviation from ideal mental health: abnormality is defined in terms of mental health,
behaviours that are associated with competence and happiness. Ideal mental health would
include a positive attitude towards the self, resistance to stress and an accurate perception
of reality. Similar to that used for identifying physical health…..by looking for signs of
absence of wellbeing.
CASE STUDY: JAHODA (1958)
Six categories that clinicians typically relate to mental health (created by Marie Jahoda in
1958):
1. Personal growth (Self Actualisation: should reach your potential)
2. Reality perception (should know what’s real)
3. Autonomy (should be independent)
4. Integration (should ‘fit in’ with society and be able to cope with stressful situations).
5. Self-attitudes (should be positive: high self esteem)
6. Environmental mastery (should cope in your environment, be able to function at
work and in relationships, adjust to new situations and solve problems)
REMEMBER USE PRAISE
Strengths:
- This is a positive view of mental health that focuses on what people are able to do.
Most definitions take a negative view focussing on what is absent in the person with
mental health problems.
- Jahoda’s work was influential in the positive psychology movement
Weaknesses:
○ Jahoda has been criticised for giving unrealistic criteria:
● E.g. Positive self attitude (Many people have a negative self image due to such
things as – Bullying, Persecution of gender and/or race etc – but are they abnormal?)
● Growth to one’s potential or ‘self actualisation’ ( Very few people reach their full
potential due to such things as – Family commitments, Money, Social / peer
pressure, Gender OR Culture: in some countries women are not allowed to work! –
are they abnormal? CULTURAL RELATIVISM!)
● Maximising the self is a very western concept, whereas for many cultures maximising
the needs of the wider family/social group is more important
● Resistance to stress (Integration) Should ‘fit in’ without suffering stress. Some people
thrive on stress. Personality may make you more susceptible. Some people crack
under enormous amounts of stress – prisoner of war camps – are they abnormal?)
Further Evaluation:
- Autonomy (independence)– ability to make our own decisions -> Some people
cannot due to disability, illness, age, culture (e.g. arranged marriages, collectivist
societies ‘WE not ME’), prisoners, poverty – are they abnormal?
- Adapting to the environment (More difficult if you are poor, female, disabled etc. but
