Definitions of abnormality
- Created by: Sophstevensx
- Created on: 18-03-21 11:31
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- Defining abnormality
- Statistical infrequency
- any behaviour that is uncommon and doesn't occur very often
- Strengths
- objective
- helps us to address what is normal in a statistical sense
- useful for diagnosis
- doesn't make judgments about the acceptability of behaviour
- Weaknesses
- cut off points can be arbitrary
- subjective to draw a line between behaviour that is frequent enough and rare enough to be abnormal
- some behaviours aren't statistically rare e.g. depression
- doesn't account for behaviours that are statistically rare but desirable e.g. high IQ
- Deviation from the norm
- any behaviour that society does not approve of
- Strengths
- aids social interaction
- avoids behaving in socially deviant ways that upset others
- Weaknesses
- not all behaviour deviates from social norm indicates psychologicalabnormality
- social norms are era dependent
- cultural relativism
- Failure to function adequately
- behaviour that makes an individual unable to live independently, or causes disruption to their day-to-day lives
- Strengths
- useful
- relatively easy to access the maladaptive consequences of abnormal behaviour
- has an objective measuring scale
- the global assessment of functioning scale
- Weaknesses
- ignores the social context of behaviour
- Cultural relativism
- some psychological disorders do not prevent a person from functioning adequately
- Deviation from ideal mental health
- the idea that if you are not mentally healthy then you must be mentally ill
- Statistical infrequency
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