Statistical Deviation

Created by: shellyayscough
Created on: 19-05-17 21:47


	Statistical Deviation
	Advantages Real life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder - therefore it is a useful part of clinical assessment Helps give cut off point in terms of diagnosis Objective due to the mathematical nature - no bias	Disadvantages Unusual characteristics can be positive - someone who has a higher IQ than average is not seen to be abnormal and in need of treatment Someone may be living a happy and fulfilled life does not benefit from having a label of being abnormal e.g. someone with a low IQ may not feel any distress and may have a good job and therefore would not benefit from a label The cut off point of 'abnormality' such as IQ - why is someone with 69 IQ abnormal whereas someone with 70 is normal No consideration of cultural differences
	Evaluation Due to the advantages and disadvantages of statistical deviation as a definition of abnormality it would suggest that although it can be used as a good overview to see if an individual might be at risk of an illness and for certain 'abnormalities' such as IDD it is a good diagnosis tool, not all the 'abnormalities' that it suggests are bad and someone serious 'abnormalities' such as depression are not uncommon in the population and therefore would not be noticed as a statistical deviation and therefore does not seem to be a thorough explanation of abnormality.

Statistical Deviation

Advantages

Real life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder - therefore it is a useful part of clinical assessment
Helps give cut off point in terms of diagnosis
Objective due to the mathematical nature - no bias

Disadvantages

Unusual characteristics can be positive - someone who has a higher IQ than average is not seen to be abnormal and in need of treatment
Someone may be living a happy and fulfilled life does not benefit from having a label of being abnormal e.g. someone with a low IQ may not feel any distress and may have a good job and therefore would not benefit from a label
The cut off point of 'abnormality' such as IQ - why is someone with 69 IQ abnormal whereas someone with 70 is normal
No consideration of cultural differences

Evaluation

Due to the advantages and disadvantages of statistical deviation as a definition of abnormality it would suggest that although it can be used as a good overview to see if an individual might be at risk of an illness and for certain 'abnormalities' such as IDD it is a good diagnosis tool, not all the 'abnormalities' that it suggests are bad and someone serious 'abnormalities' such as depression are not uncommon in the population and therefore would not be noticed as a statistical deviation and therefore does not seem to be a thorough explanation of abnormality.

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Statistical Deviation