According to this definition someone is abnormal if they deviate from social norms (fail to meet unwritten rules of society)
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DSN strength 1
Can identify people with abnormalities and be able to provide them with help
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DSN strength 2
Takes into consideration the context in which these behaviours take place
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DSN limitation 1
Cultural relativism - norms differ from culture to culture
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DSN limitation 2
Eccentric behaviour may deviate from social norms but it is unfair to consider this abnormal
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DSN limitation 3
Criminals- not all can be considered psychologically disordered even though crime is deviating from social norms
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DSN limitation 4
Normal abnormality- occasionally under extreme stress people may act in a way that deviates from social norms but it is not abnormal (e.g. grief)
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Failure to function adequately
The extent to which an individual is coping with everyday life using Jahoda's criteria and the GAF scale
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FFA strength 1
Looks at individual’s point of view - fits in with our individualist social values
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FFA strength 2
Allows minority groups that are considered abnormal by DSN, to be considered normal (e.g. goths)
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FFA limitation 1
Some people are mentally disordered, yet would appear to be functioning adequately so won't be able to get help needed
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FFA limitation 2
Some people may not be functioning adequately and yet it would be wrong to describe them as ‘psychologically abnormal’ (e.g. disabled or elderly)
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FFA limitation 3
Difficult to know where to draw the line - functioning inadequately enough ti be considered abnormal?
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FFA limitation 4
What one culture considers to be a sign of failing to function another might consider to be perfectly functional behaviour (e.g. hearing voices if you're in certain tribes could be considered a gift, whereas in UK it is considered abnormal)
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Deviation from ideal mental health
Abnormality is determined if you violate any of Jahoda's criteria of mental health
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DIMH strength 1
It gives all people an ideal target to aim for in order to be mentally healthy rather than just stating what makes us abnormal
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DIMH strength 2
It allows us to target areas of dysfunction which is useful for treating disorders
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DIMH limitation 1
Most people could be seen as abnormal because you can't always meet all the criteria
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DIMH limitation 2
Meeting most of these criteria is a subjective judgement
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DIMH limitation 3
Critics have argued that the criteria listed by Jahoda are very much based on western / Individualistic cultures and are therefore biased against other cultures
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Statistical Infrequency
Behaviour that deviates from the norm or average - anyone who falls outside of the normal distribution (about 5%) will be categorised as abnormal
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SI strength 1
Identifies clear guidelines for identifying behaviour as abnormal or normal (objective)
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SI strength 2
Statistical data can justify the need for psychiatric assistance
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SI strength 3
Behaviours which were previously defined as a mental disorder under previous diagnostic criteria would not been seen as wrong or abnormal, just ‘less frequent’
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SI limitations 1
Stats vary from country to country
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SI limitations 2
Not all infrequent behaviors are abnormal
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SI limitations 3
Not all abnormal behaviors are infrequent
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Other cards in this set
Card 2
Front
Can identify people with abnormalities and be able to provide them with help
Back
DSN strength 1
Card 3
Front
Takes into consideration the context in which these behaviours take place
Back
Card 4
Front
Cultural relativism - norms differ from culture to culture
Back
Card 5
Front
Eccentric behaviour may deviate from social norms but it is unfair to consider this abnormal
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