DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY:
DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL NORMS:
o All societies have standards of acceptable behaviours, and they can either be explicit e.g.,
written laws or implicit e.g., unwritten rules.
o Implicit is not pushing to the front of a line and explicit is no speeding on the road.
o Anything that deviates from these acceptable behaviours are considered abnormal.
EVALUATION:
STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:
o Differentiates desirable/undesirable o Limited by cultural relativism
behaviour. o Different cultures have different social norms and
o Based on social norms in a culture expectations of behaviours and a person’s beliefs,
unlike statistical infrequency that values or practices should be understood based on
suggests if behaviour is rare than different cultures rather than judged against another’s
you’re abnormal even if desirable o Cochrane (19977) found black people are more likely
e.g., IQ to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than white/Asian
o This definition is a more people but only in Britain and not Jamaica.
appropriate definition o So, it may not be appropriate to use this to define
abnormality in different cultures – western.
o Has practical applications for o Allows mental health professionals to abuse their
everyday life as it has allowed power.
society to identify developmental o It defines abnormality based on what’s viewed by
norms. socially acceptable behaviour so suggests
o It establishes what behaviours are professionals could misuse the definition to classify
normal for different ages and those who break the rules as mentally ill.
groups of people as wearing a o For example, homosexuality as it was classed as
nappy as a baby at 2 years old is abnormal so people may have been sent to jail for this
normal but as an adult at 30 it and punished so may be a way of controlling those
isn’t. who don’t conform to society but not defining
o It allows us to identify abnormality.
developmental abnormalities and o However, this can sometimes lead to positive
put measures in place to support a outcomes e.g., the suffragettes who broke many
person showing the useful social norms and it leads to women’s voting rights.
applications of this definition.
FAILURE TO FUNCTION ADEQUATELY:
o When an individual is unable to cope with the demands of everyday life and cannot perform
behaviours necessary for day-to-day life e.g., self-care.
7 characteristics: By Rosenhan and Seligman (1989)
PERSONAL DISTRESS: o Suffering e.g., suicidal thoughts/anxiety
MALDAPATIVE o Stops individuals from attaining life goals socially and occupational
BEHAVIOUR: e.g., OCD hand washing
UNPREDICTABILITY: o Displaying unexpected behaviours by loss of control e.g.,
attempted suicide after failing a test
IRRATIONALITY: o Behaviour displayed that can’t be explained in a rational way e.g.,
OCD hands washing 17 times
OBSERVER o Behaviour displayed causing discomfort to others e.g.,
DISCOMFORT: hallucinations by schizophrenia
VIOLATION OF MORAL o Displaying behaviour violating societies moral standards e.g.,
STANDARDS: bipolar promiscuous behaviour
UNCONVENTIONAITY: o Displaying unconventional behaviour e.g., hearing voices in
schizophrenia
, EVALUATION:
STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:
o It recognises the subjective o Abnormality isn’t always dysfunctional as psychopaths
experiences of the patients and can cause a lot of harm but are able to function in life.
lets us view mental disorders from o For example, Harold shipman was a doctor who
the point of view of the one murdered 215 patients over 23 years and seemed
experiencing it. respectable and showed no signs of FFA.
o It focuses on the individual and o The behaviour might be functional e.g., Transvestitism
how they manage everyday life is in the list of a mental disorder but isn’t part of FFA
from their perspective so if as a career can be made from cross dressing.
someone feels they’re struggling o it depends on who judges whether a person is
they’ll know they’re deemed abnormal as something may not cause distress to the
abnormal and get help. wone who is doing the action but will be regarded as
o the behaviour is observable so dysfunctional as causes dysfunctional to others.
we’ll know if someone needs help if o Stephen Gough was a naked rambler so a weakness
they’re not acting as they normally to this approach is that it depends on who’s making
would and are unable to cope with the judgement.
life. o Everyday life differs for different individuals e.g., our
o e.g., if they’re unable to get out of bodies are different as some may wake up early and
bed in the morning or they can’t others may not, so it doesn’t men their abnormal
hold down a job.
o it means intervention can occur if
they’re unable to make their own
decision so others can help
o we can assess the degree of o What is normal in one culture may not be normal in
abnormality by using the global another.
assessment of functioning scale to o In some cultures, its normal a widow is depressed her
decide who needs help so we can whole life and doesn’t continue as normal which is
judge abnormality objectively. FTFA but that isn’t abnormal in that culture so isn’t
something that would need to be treated but in Britain
that wouldn’t be normal so they would feel it’d need
to be treated.
DEVIATION FROM IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH: (JOHODA 1858)
o The more of these you lack, the less ideal your mental health is and the more abnormal you can
be classed.
SELF-ACCEPTANCE/ o Recognises own strengths/weaknesses and accepts
ESTEEM: themselves for who they are
SELF-ACTUALISATION: o Person strives to be their best self and achieve their full
potential
AUTONOMOUS: o Individual is self-reliant and not dependent on others
REALISTIC PERCEPTION OF o Person views reality as it is w/o being too optimistic and
REALITY: pessimistic
REISLIENCE TO STRESS: o Person has coping strategies that allow them to deal
with stressful situations
ENVIRONMENTAL o Responds to a changing environment and is
MASTERY: flexible/adapts to new situations
EVALUATION:
STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:
o WEAKNESS: cultural relativism as it’s based o Suggests physical and mental health are the
on western ideas rather than other cultures same.
so what’s classed as ideal mental health in o She suggested mental illness is identified the
one culture may not be in another so we same as physical illnesses by considering
can’t judge different types of people based what ideal physical health should look like
on this i.e., symptoms.
o But physical illness has causes like
DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL NORMS:
o All societies have standards of acceptable behaviours, and they can either be explicit e.g.,
written laws or implicit e.g., unwritten rules.
o Implicit is not pushing to the front of a line and explicit is no speeding on the road.
o Anything that deviates from these acceptable behaviours are considered abnormal.
EVALUATION:
STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:
o Differentiates desirable/undesirable o Limited by cultural relativism
behaviour. o Different cultures have different social norms and
o Based on social norms in a culture expectations of behaviours and a person’s beliefs,
unlike statistical infrequency that values or practices should be understood based on
suggests if behaviour is rare than different cultures rather than judged against another’s
you’re abnormal even if desirable o Cochrane (19977) found black people are more likely
e.g., IQ to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than white/Asian
o This definition is a more people but only in Britain and not Jamaica.
appropriate definition o So, it may not be appropriate to use this to define
abnormality in different cultures – western.
o Has practical applications for o Allows mental health professionals to abuse their
everyday life as it has allowed power.
society to identify developmental o It defines abnormality based on what’s viewed by
norms. socially acceptable behaviour so suggests
o It establishes what behaviours are professionals could misuse the definition to classify
normal for different ages and those who break the rules as mentally ill.
groups of people as wearing a o For example, homosexuality as it was classed as
nappy as a baby at 2 years old is abnormal so people may have been sent to jail for this
normal but as an adult at 30 it and punished so may be a way of controlling those
isn’t. who don’t conform to society but not defining
o It allows us to identify abnormality.
developmental abnormalities and o However, this can sometimes lead to positive
put measures in place to support a outcomes e.g., the suffragettes who broke many
person showing the useful social norms and it leads to women’s voting rights.
applications of this definition.
FAILURE TO FUNCTION ADEQUATELY:
o When an individual is unable to cope with the demands of everyday life and cannot perform
behaviours necessary for day-to-day life e.g., self-care.
7 characteristics: By Rosenhan and Seligman (1989)
PERSONAL DISTRESS: o Suffering e.g., suicidal thoughts/anxiety
MALDAPATIVE o Stops individuals from attaining life goals socially and occupational
BEHAVIOUR: e.g., OCD hand washing
UNPREDICTABILITY: o Displaying unexpected behaviours by loss of control e.g.,
attempted suicide after failing a test
IRRATIONALITY: o Behaviour displayed that can’t be explained in a rational way e.g.,
OCD hands washing 17 times
OBSERVER o Behaviour displayed causing discomfort to others e.g.,
DISCOMFORT: hallucinations by schizophrenia
VIOLATION OF MORAL o Displaying behaviour violating societies moral standards e.g.,
STANDARDS: bipolar promiscuous behaviour
UNCONVENTIONAITY: o Displaying unconventional behaviour e.g., hearing voices in
schizophrenia
, EVALUATION:
STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:
o It recognises the subjective o Abnormality isn’t always dysfunctional as psychopaths
experiences of the patients and can cause a lot of harm but are able to function in life.
lets us view mental disorders from o For example, Harold shipman was a doctor who
the point of view of the one murdered 215 patients over 23 years and seemed
experiencing it. respectable and showed no signs of FFA.
o It focuses on the individual and o The behaviour might be functional e.g., Transvestitism
how they manage everyday life is in the list of a mental disorder but isn’t part of FFA
from their perspective so if as a career can be made from cross dressing.
someone feels they’re struggling o it depends on who judges whether a person is
they’ll know they’re deemed abnormal as something may not cause distress to the
abnormal and get help. wone who is doing the action but will be regarded as
o the behaviour is observable so dysfunctional as causes dysfunctional to others.
we’ll know if someone needs help if o Stephen Gough was a naked rambler so a weakness
they’re not acting as they normally to this approach is that it depends on who’s making
would and are unable to cope with the judgement.
life. o Everyday life differs for different individuals e.g., our
o e.g., if they’re unable to get out of bodies are different as some may wake up early and
bed in the morning or they can’t others may not, so it doesn’t men their abnormal
hold down a job.
o it means intervention can occur if
they’re unable to make their own
decision so others can help
o we can assess the degree of o What is normal in one culture may not be normal in
abnormality by using the global another.
assessment of functioning scale to o In some cultures, its normal a widow is depressed her
decide who needs help so we can whole life and doesn’t continue as normal which is
judge abnormality objectively. FTFA but that isn’t abnormal in that culture so isn’t
something that would need to be treated but in Britain
that wouldn’t be normal so they would feel it’d need
to be treated.
DEVIATION FROM IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH: (JOHODA 1858)
o The more of these you lack, the less ideal your mental health is and the more abnormal you can
be classed.
SELF-ACCEPTANCE/ o Recognises own strengths/weaknesses and accepts
ESTEEM: themselves for who they are
SELF-ACTUALISATION: o Person strives to be their best self and achieve their full
potential
AUTONOMOUS: o Individual is self-reliant and not dependent on others
REALISTIC PERCEPTION OF o Person views reality as it is w/o being too optimistic and
REALITY: pessimistic
REISLIENCE TO STRESS: o Person has coping strategies that allow them to deal
with stressful situations
ENVIRONMENTAL o Responds to a changing environment and is
MASTERY: flexible/adapts to new situations
EVALUATION:
STRENGTHS: WEAKNESSES:
o WEAKNESS: cultural relativism as it’s based o Suggests physical and mental health are the
on western ideas rather than other cultures same.
so what’s classed as ideal mental health in o She suggested mental illness is identified the
one culture may not be in another so we same as physical illnesses by considering
can’t judge different types of people based what ideal physical health should look like
on this i.e., symptoms.
o But physical illness has causes like
