PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
, ABNORMALITY
Characteristics
o Affective – emotional
o Behavioural – physical responses
o Cognitive – thinking patterns
Statistical Infrequency
Behaviour that is rare, deviates from the norm and is less frequent in people. The
majority are normal, the minority are abnormal.
- Objective measure of severity of symptoms in a clinical assessment
- Easy to determine
- Doesn’t distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviour
- Cultural relativism and subjectivity of what is infrequent and sever behaviour
Deviation from social norms
An unwritten or written rule that the majority has established to be socially appropriate
behaviour.
Explicit – policed by official laws
Implicit – unwritten rule of society
- Distinguishes between desirable and undesirable behaviour
- Anything that goes against these are abnormal
- Cultural relativism
- Subjective
Failure to function adequately – GAF scale
Not being able to cope with everyday activities and experience a full range of emotion
and behaviour. Rosenhan – this is a measure of individual distress and suffering.
o Maladaptive behaviour o Observer discomfort
o Unpredictability o Violations of moral standards
o Irrationality o unconventionality
- Individual differences and personal experience
- Observer/judgement bias
- Cultural relativism
Deviation from ideal mental health
Jahoda – the absence of physical health and six characteristics
o Positive self-attitude o Autonomy
o Self-actualisation o Accurate perception of reality
o integration o unconventionality
- Looks at desirable features
- Unrealistic criteria
, ABNORMALITY
Characteristics
o Affective – emotional
o Behavioural – physical responses
o Cognitive – thinking patterns
Statistical Infrequency
Behaviour that is rare, deviates from the norm and is less frequent in people. The
majority are normal, the minority are abnormal.
- Objective measure of severity of symptoms in a clinical assessment
- Easy to determine
- Doesn’t distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviour
- Cultural relativism and subjectivity of what is infrequent and sever behaviour
Deviation from social norms
An unwritten or written rule that the majority has established to be socially appropriate
behaviour.
Explicit – policed by official laws
Implicit – unwritten rule of society
- Distinguishes between desirable and undesirable behaviour
- Anything that goes against these are abnormal
- Cultural relativism
- Subjective
Failure to function adequately – GAF scale
Not being able to cope with everyday activities and experience a full range of emotion
and behaviour. Rosenhan – this is a measure of individual distress and suffering.
o Maladaptive behaviour o Observer discomfort
o Unpredictability o Violations of moral standards
o Irrationality o unconventionality
- Individual differences and personal experience
- Observer/judgement bias
- Cultural relativism
Deviation from ideal mental health
Jahoda – the absence of physical health and six characteristics
o Positive self-attitude o Autonomy
o Self-actualisation o Accurate perception of reality
o integration o unconventionality
- Looks at desirable features
- Unrealistic criteria
