Examine/ discuss the concepts of normality and abnormality

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ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

Examine/ discuss the concepts of normality and abnormality

First of all, it is difficult to define “abnormal behaviour”, therefore difficult to diagnose as well

Various definitions of abnormality

Deviation from social norms

One way to define abnormality is to consider when behaviour violates social norms or makes others anxious. However there is a flaw in this definition, depending what culture you are in will affect how people view social norms, what is seen as normal in one culture may be abnormal in another.

Failure to function adequately

Rosenhan and Seligman (1984): seven criteria that could be used to decide whether a person or a behaviour is normal or not.

Maladaptiveness

Observer discomfort

Unpredictability

Suffering

Irrationality

Vividness and unconventionality

Violation of moral or ideal standards

Deviation from ideal mental health

Jahoda (1958): 

Very vague

Efficient self-perception

Realistic self-esteem and acceptance

Voluntary control of behaviour

True perception of the world

Sustaining relationships and giving affection

Self-direction and productivity

Deviation from statistical norms

Behavioural measures like intelligence and short-term memory tend to be normally distributed (distribution from a sample of people tends to fall within a bell-shaped curve) and being normal would mean falling within this bell curve. However there are problems using statistics to deal with abnormal behaviour. For example something considered normal (e.g. obesity) may not be a healthy behaviour, or having a high IQ does not mean the individual is dysfunctional.

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Concept of mental illness not used correctly by psychiatrists.

Medical Model

Theory of abnormal behavior, which assumes that all such disorders have physiological causes

E.g. abnormal behaviour is the result of disordered neurotransmission

This leads to treatments that address the physiological problems, primarily with drug treatment.

Abnormal behaviour  psychopathology  psychological/ mental illness that is based on observation of a patient (observed symptoms)

A handbook was used by psychiatrists in the US to identify and classify symptoms of psychiatric disorders (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: DSM- IV). Diagnosis based on factors like ...

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