INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES - DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY

WHAT ARE THE THREE DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY?

WHAT DOES THE DSN DEFIITION ENTAIL?

WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT THIS DEFINITION?

WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS OF THIS DEFNINITION?

Deviation form social norm (DSN) / Failure to function adequately (FFA) / Deviation form ideal mental health (DIMH)

Deviations form social norms are inidications of abnormality

works for patients with schizpohrena and OCD

• Behaviour that deviates form socail norm isn't always a sign of psychopathology - could be eccentricity - have to take context into account
• Social norms very over time - attitudes towards homosexuality has changed - DSN is era dependant
• Cultural relativity - social norms are specific to culture or society

WHAT DOES THE FFA DEFINITION ENTAILS?

WHAT ARE SOME CHARCTERISTICS OF ABORMAL BEHAVIOUR RELATED TO FFA?

WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT THIS DEFINITION?

WHAT ARE THE LIMITATION?

When someone deviates from ormal pattern of behaviour

Observer discomfort / Unpredictability / Irrationality / Maladaptivness (refers to behaviour that interferes with persons daily routine)

Severe depression can affect a person daily life

• Behaviour that looks like FFA may represent normal behaviour - depends on context e.g. political prisoners on hunger strike
• FFA may not be linked to psychological disorder - economic conditions or prejudice may prevent people finding jobs
• Psychological disorders may not prevet someone functioning adequately
• Standard patterns of behaviour will differ from culture to culture

WHAT DOES DIMH ENTAIL?

WHAT CHARACTERISTICS ARE FELT TO INDICATE IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH?

WHATS GOOD ABOUT THIS DEFINITION?

WHAT ARE THE LIMITATIONS?

Attempts to define a state of ideal mental health, deviations form these ideal would be defined as abnormality

Individual should be in touch with own identity and feelings / resistant to stress / focused on future and self-actualisation / function as autonomous individuals / shown empathy and understanding towards others

positive approach to defining abnormality

• Characteristics of ideal mental health symbolise western societies - i collectivist cultures autonomy wouldn't be recognised
• Very few people match the criteria - majority of population would be classified as abnormal