Outline and evaluate failure to function adequately and deviation from
ideal mental health as definitions of abnormality:
AO1: AO3:
● failure to function adequately: can no longer failure to function adequately:
cope with demands of everyday life,
someone is not functioning adequately when ● strength: patient’s perspective, attempts to
they are unable to maintain basic standards include the subjective experience of the
of nutrition and hygiene, unable to hold individual, acknowledges that the
down a job or maintain rs with people. experience of the patient is important, useful
criterion for assessing abnormality, credible.
● Rosenhan and Seligman: proposed some
signs that can be used to determine when ● weakness: relies on subjective judgement,
someone is not coping: someone has to decide whether a patient is
- no longer conforms to standard distressed/ distressing to others, research
interpersonal rules, eg: eye contact has shown clinicians are not always
- experiences severe personal distress confident with diagnosing patients based on
- behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous observations (Rosenhan), can result in an
to themselves or others incorrect diagnosis, and lose reliability.
deviation from ideal mental health:
● deviation from ideal mental health: ignores
the issue of what makes one abnormal, ● strength: covers a range of factors,
instead thinks about what makes one comprehensive definition that covers most of
normal, focuses on ways to improve our the reasons why someone would seek
mental health rather than any deficits we mental health, good tool for thinking about
may have, Jahoda’s criterion for ideal mental mental health, increases face validity.
health:
- environmental mastery- ability to adapt and ● weakness: cultural relativism, some of
thrive in new situations Jahoda’s criterion are subject to Europe/
- autonomy- ability to act independently and America (western ideas), culture bound,
trust one’s own abilities emphasises self- actualisation, would be
- resistance to stress- internal strength to considered self- indulgent in much of the
cope with the anxiety caused by daily life world, some see independence from other
- self actualisation- ability to reach one’s own people as a negative thing, thus not an
potential through personal growth accurate definition.
- positive attitude towards oneself- high self
esteem and self respect
- accurate perception of reality- seeing the
world as it is without being distorted by
personal biases
, Outline and evaluate statistical infrequency and deviation from social
norms as definitions of abnormality:
AO1: AO3:
● statistical infrequency: occurs when an statistical infrequency:
individual has a less common characteristic,
they are abnormal if their condition is rare in ● strength: RLA, useful part of clinical
the population, define anything as abnormal assessment, diagnosis of intellectual
according to the number of times we disability disorder, includes some kind of
observe it. measurement of how severe their symptoms
are considered to statistical norms,
● A normal distribution curve shows the significant as it allows psychologists to apply
average spread of a characteristic in the their knowledge in a meaningful way and
population, there are fewer people from the better their patients’ lives, increases
mean with the behaviours at each end of the credibility and external validity.
curve, therefore behaviours are abnormal.
● weakness: not everyone with a statistical
● Average IQ is 100, 2% < 70 which is deviation benefits from a label, especially
abnormal, liable to receive a diagnosis of a when they are living a happy life, eg:
psychological disorder someone with low IQ who was not
● To diagnose intellectual disability disorder, distressed and capable of working would
someone’s IQ must be lower than 70 (RLA). simply. not need a diagnosis of intellectual
disability disorder, could have a negative
● Deviation from social norms: when a person effect on their perception (low self esteem)
behaves in a way that is different from how
we would expect people to behave, social deviation from social norms:
groups of people choose to define behaviour
as abnormal on the basis that it offends their ● strength: RLA, eg: anti-social personality
sense of what is acceptable, collective disorder (RLA): the characteristics for this
judgement as a society, norms are unwritten disorder are consistent across cultures
expectations for behaviour that vary defined by a chronic pattern of behavior that
between cultures and time periods, so this disregards the rights and well-being of
definition of abnormality looks at behaviour others, being able to diagnose this leads to
that deviates from society’s rules, few quicker and effective treatment, whilst also
behaviours are considered universally protecting the safety of the patient and
abnormal.
those around them, the characteristics are
● eg: anti-social personality disorder (RLA): consistent across cultures, therefore this
the characteristics for this disorder are explanation is effective for this function.
consistent across cultures defined by a
chronic pattern of behavior that disregards ● weakness: culture bias, certain accepted
the rights and well-being of others, often behaviours in the individual’s original culture
exhibit behavior that conflicts with social may be seen as abnormal by western
norms, leading to issues with interpersonal society, eg: Afro-Caribbeans are 7x more
relationships and employment. likely to be diagnosed with SZ than people
from the UK, because hallucinations and
religious experiences are accepted in those
cultures while they are seen as abnormal by
western standards, punishing people for
individuality and repressing non-
conformers, eg: the WHO classified
homosexuality as a mental illness in 1999,
human rights abuse, cannot be used as a
sole explanation, doesn’t consider other
factors.
ideal mental health as definitions of abnormality:
AO1: AO3:
● failure to function adequately: can no longer failure to function adequately:
cope with demands of everyday life,
someone is not functioning adequately when ● strength: patient’s perspective, attempts to
they are unable to maintain basic standards include the subjective experience of the
of nutrition and hygiene, unable to hold individual, acknowledges that the
down a job or maintain rs with people. experience of the patient is important, useful
criterion for assessing abnormality, credible.
● Rosenhan and Seligman: proposed some
signs that can be used to determine when ● weakness: relies on subjective judgement,
someone is not coping: someone has to decide whether a patient is
- no longer conforms to standard distressed/ distressing to others, research
interpersonal rules, eg: eye contact has shown clinicians are not always
- experiences severe personal distress confident with diagnosing patients based on
- behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous observations (Rosenhan), can result in an
to themselves or others incorrect diagnosis, and lose reliability.
deviation from ideal mental health:
● deviation from ideal mental health: ignores
the issue of what makes one abnormal, ● strength: covers a range of factors,
instead thinks about what makes one comprehensive definition that covers most of
normal, focuses on ways to improve our the reasons why someone would seek
mental health rather than any deficits we mental health, good tool for thinking about
may have, Jahoda’s criterion for ideal mental mental health, increases face validity.
health:
- environmental mastery- ability to adapt and ● weakness: cultural relativism, some of
thrive in new situations Jahoda’s criterion are subject to Europe/
- autonomy- ability to act independently and America (western ideas), culture bound,
trust one’s own abilities emphasises self- actualisation, would be
- resistance to stress- internal strength to considered self- indulgent in much of the
cope with the anxiety caused by daily life world, some see independence from other
- self actualisation- ability to reach one’s own people as a negative thing, thus not an
potential through personal growth accurate definition.
- positive attitude towards oneself- high self
esteem and self respect
- accurate perception of reality- seeing the
world as it is without being distorted by
personal biases
, Outline and evaluate statistical infrequency and deviation from social
norms as definitions of abnormality:
AO1: AO3:
● statistical infrequency: occurs when an statistical infrequency:
individual has a less common characteristic,
they are abnormal if their condition is rare in ● strength: RLA, useful part of clinical
the population, define anything as abnormal assessment, diagnosis of intellectual
according to the number of times we disability disorder, includes some kind of
observe it. measurement of how severe their symptoms
are considered to statistical norms,
● A normal distribution curve shows the significant as it allows psychologists to apply
average spread of a characteristic in the their knowledge in a meaningful way and
population, there are fewer people from the better their patients’ lives, increases
mean with the behaviours at each end of the credibility and external validity.
curve, therefore behaviours are abnormal.
● weakness: not everyone with a statistical
● Average IQ is 100, 2% < 70 which is deviation benefits from a label, especially
abnormal, liable to receive a diagnosis of a when they are living a happy life, eg:
psychological disorder someone with low IQ who was not
● To diagnose intellectual disability disorder, distressed and capable of working would
someone’s IQ must be lower than 70 (RLA). simply. not need a diagnosis of intellectual
disability disorder, could have a negative
● Deviation from social norms: when a person effect on their perception (low self esteem)
behaves in a way that is different from how
we would expect people to behave, social deviation from social norms:
groups of people choose to define behaviour
as abnormal on the basis that it offends their ● strength: RLA, eg: anti-social personality
sense of what is acceptable, collective disorder (RLA): the characteristics for this
judgement as a society, norms are unwritten disorder are consistent across cultures
expectations for behaviour that vary defined by a chronic pattern of behavior that
between cultures and time periods, so this disregards the rights and well-being of
definition of abnormality looks at behaviour others, being able to diagnose this leads to
that deviates from society’s rules, few quicker and effective treatment, whilst also
behaviours are considered universally protecting the safety of the patient and
abnormal.
those around them, the characteristics are
● eg: anti-social personality disorder (RLA): consistent across cultures, therefore this
the characteristics for this disorder are explanation is effective for this function.
consistent across cultures defined by a
chronic pattern of behavior that disregards ● weakness: culture bias, certain accepted
the rights and well-being of others, often behaviours in the individual’s original culture
exhibit behavior that conflicts with social may be seen as abnormal by western
norms, leading to issues with interpersonal society, eg: Afro-Caribbeans are 7x more
relationships and employment. likely to be diagnosed with SZ than people
from the UK, because hallucinations and
religious experiences are accepted in those
cultures while they are seen as abnormal by
western standards, punishing people for
individuality and repressing non-
conformers, eg: the WHO classified
homosexuality as a mental illness in 1999,
human rights abuse, cannot be used as a
sole explanation, doesn’t consider other
factors.
