4 1 definitions of abnormality

Social norms are a set of unwritten rules that people in a given society use in order to abide by what is deemed 'normal' behaviour.

False. Social norms are dependent upon** time and culture. E.g., homosexuality **was deemed abnormal in the UK until fairly recently.

True. Deviation from social norms is a useful tool for assessing behaviour and diagnosing abnormality. E.g., socially deviant behaviour may be symptomatic of schizophrenia, and so a proper course of treatment can be prescribed.

b. Some behaviours that appear socially deviant may simply be eccentricity, which means that this definition of abnormality does not account for individual differences.

True. Social norms are in place to ensure that societies are harmonious and run smoothly.

c. The same behaviour may be viewed as normal in one culture and abnormal in another culture. This is known as culture-bound syndrome.

Failure to function adequately refers to the point at which someone is unable to continue their daily routine or cope with everyday life.

d. Self-actualisation is not one of the criteria identified by Rosenhan & Seligman signalling failure to function adequately.

b. Failure to function adequately is an overly subjective measure, which means that it may lack reliability.

True. Checklists such as those provided by Rosenhan & Seligman can be used to assess the degree of failure to function adequately. This increases the reliability and objectivity of the measure.

Failure to function adequately offers a definition of abnormality with clear guidelines for the classification and diagnosis of mental illnesses.

False. Failure to function adequately does not account for individual differences. Some behaviours that may appear to be failing to function adequately are personal choices, e.g., adopting eco-friendly hygiene routines (not using deodorants).

a. A key assumption of deviation from ideal mental health is that if someone is mentally well, they will possess all of the markers of ideal mental health.

b. Imagination is not a characteristic of Jahoda's model of mental health.

Holistic means that a theory or approach takes into account all aspects and behaviours of a person as a whole.

Deviation from ideal mental health is prone to culture bias as it emphasises the importance of the individual, which is not aligned with collectivist cultures.

False. Deviation from ideal mental health is a positive measure of abnormality and has useful real world application. E.g., its emphasis on the whole person and on positive mental health and wellbeing means that it can be used in a variety of therapeutic settings.

True. Jahoda's criteria of ideal mental health is almost impossible to live up to, as it requires each individual to reach the highest levels of positive mental wellbeing.

True. Statistical infrequency assumes that a behaviour is abnormal if it is statistically uncommon/rare (not present often or regularly per society).

Behaviour can be measured as normal or abnormal according to where it is placed within a normal distribution.

b. A distribution curve can be used to represent the proportions of a population who share a particular characteristic, e.g., IQ.

a. About 1 in 300 (0.33%) people worldwide have schizophrenia, making it an abnormal condition/illness.

c. The case of HM investigates a statistically infrequent condition. HM suffered extreme anterograde amnesia, which is highly unique and unusual.

c. Statistical infrequency uses a standardised measure, which means that the measure has good reliability. Standardised measures are replicable, i.e., they can be applied repeatedly to analyse data sets.

One limitation of statistical infrequency is that it does not recognise depression as abnormal behaviour. Depression is estimated to affect around 280 million people across the world at any given time, i.e., it is not statistically infrequent.

True. Statistical infrequency as a measure of abnormality is easy to test and measure, which means it is a highly useful diagnostic tool. Someone with a statistically infrequent score would be given extra help or interventions to help them cope with their condition.

b. One statistically infrequent behaviour is having an IQ of 175, which is a limitation of this definition of abnormality as it limits its usefulness. It is unlikely that having a high IQ would be considered undesirable.

Deterministic views are that external forces control behaviour and free will is an illusion. E.g., outcomes are determined already; a statistically infrequent behaviour means that someone is abnormal.