Summary Definitions of abnormality 2

Definitions of abnormality -2
Failure to function adequately
When is someone filing to function adequately?
- Rosenhan proposed some signs that can be used to determine when
someone is not coping-
→ No longer makes eye contact or maintains personal space.
→ Experiences personal distress.
→ Behaviour become irrational or dangerous to themselves or
others.
- Example- intellectual disability disorder
→ Diagnosis for failure to function adequately would be needed,
not only a statistical deviation.
Evaluation- Patient’s perspective
- Strength- Failure to function adequately includes the subjective
experience of the individual.
- May not be satisfactory as it is difficult to assess distress.
- Failure to function adequately captures the experience of people
who need help.
→ Suggests failure to function adequately is a useful criteria for
assessing abnormality.
Evaluation- Is it simply a deviation from social norms?
- Limitation- Line between failure to function adequately and
deviation from social norms is blurry.
- Having no job or no permanent address is a sign of failure to
function adequately but this could just be an alternative lifestyle.
→ Religious people could be seen as irrational.
- If we treat these behaviours as failures of adequate functioning, this
limits personal freedom and discriminating against minorities.
Evaluation- Subjective judgements
- When deciding if someone is failing to function adequately a
judgement must be passed.
- There are methods and checklists, but a psychiatrist must make this
subjective judgement.