INDIVIDUAL

DIFFERENCES:
P S Y C H O P ATH O L O G Y

SCHEME OF LEARNING
Lesson:
1
Definitions of abnormality
2&3
Depression: Explanations and treatment
4&5
Phobias: Explanations and treatment
6&7
OCD: Explanations and treatment
8
Review and test

DEFINITIONS OF
ABNORMALITY
Y O U M U S T R E A D PA G E S 1 4 6 - 1 5 2

LEARNING OBJECTIVES
By the end of this lesson I will be able to
answer the question...
How do we know if someone is normal?
To answer this question I need to be able to
Define abnormality
Outline what is meant by deviation from social norms
Outline what is meant by failure to function adequately
Outline what is meant by deviation from the ideal mental
health
Outline what is meant by statistical infrequency when
considering psychopathology
Consider the strengths and limitations of each definition of
abnormality

WHAT DO YOU THINK THE FOLLOWING

MEAN?
Abnormality?
Mental health?
Well-being?

INTRODUCTION
Abnormality, and what it means to be normal, is a highly debated
issue amongst psychologists.
These are the varying view points:
Some believe it is because of some sort of biological flaw
Others believe is it due to incorrect learning
It could also be because of faulty thought processes
Finally, mental disorder could originate from problems and conflicts
of the mind and personality

The viewpoint adopted is dependent on time and culture.

Rosenham and Seligman (1995) believe that normality is merely an
absence of abnormality. This means that by defining abnormality,
decisions are being made about what is normal.
Due to the differing view points, there are four core definitions,
that attempt to define abnormality; each has their strengths and
limitations.

Failure to
function
adequately

Deviation from
social norms
A person's thinking
or behaviour is
classified as
abnormal if it
violates the
(unwritten) rules
about what is
expected or
acceptable
behaviour in a
particular social
group.

Deviation from
ideal meant
health
There are six criteria
necessary for ideal
mental health. An
absence of any of these
characteristics indicate
individuals as being
abnormal, in other
words displaying
deviation from ideal

What is
abnormality?

Failure to function
adequately (FFA) refers
to abnormality that
prevent the person
from carrying out the
range of behaviours
that society would
expect from them, such
as getting out of bed
each day, holding down
a job, and conducting
successful relationships
etc

Statistical
infrequency
Under this definition of
abnormality, a person's
trait, thinking or behaviour
is classified as abnormal if
it is rare or statistically
unusual.

1. DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL NORMS

DESIRABLE VS UNDESIRABLE

A01
A person's thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates the
(unwritten) rules about what is expected or acceptable behaviour in a particular
social group.
Their behaviour may be incomprehensible to others or make others feel threatened
or uncomfortable. Social behaviour varies markedly when different cultures are
compared.
For example, it is common in Southern Europe to stand much closer to strangers
than in the UK. Voice pitch and volume, touching, direction of gaze and acceptable
subjects for discussion have all been found to vary between cultures.
With this definition, it is necessary to consider: (i) The degree to which a norm is
violated, the importance of that norm and the value attached by the social group to
different sorts of violation. (ii) E.g. is the violation rude, eccentric, abnormal or
criminal?

Strengths

Helps people
Social dimension
Situational norms
Developmental norms
Distinguishes between normal
and abnormal

Limitations

Subjective
Change over time
Individualism
Ethnocentric bias in diagnosis
Cultural differences

2. FAILURE TO FUNCTION ADEQUATELY

A01

DESIRABLE VS UNDESIRABLE

Failure to function adequately (FFA) refers to abnormality that prevent the

person from carrying out the range of behaviours that society would expect from
them, such as getting out of bed each day, holding down a job, and conducting
successful relationships etc
Rosenhan & Seligman suggested seven criteria that are typical of FFA. These
include personal distress (e.g. anxiety or depression), unpredictably (displaying
unexpected behaviours and loss of control), Maladaptive behaviours, Observer
discomfort, violation of moral standards, unconventionality and irrationality
among others. The more features of personal dysfunction a person has the more
they are considered abnormal.
To assess how well individuals cope with everyday life, clinician use the Global
Assessment of Functioning Scale (GAF), which rates their level of social,
occupational and psychological functioning.

Strengths

Limitations

Matches sufferers perception

Assesses degree of
abnormality
Observable behaviour
Checklist
Personal perspective

Abnormality is not always

accompanied by dysfunction
Subjective nature of the
features of dysfunction
Normal abnormality
Distress to others

3 . D E V IATI O N F R O M I D E A L M E N TAL H E A LTH

DESIRABLE VS UNDESIRABLE
A01
Jahoda (1958) suggested six criteria necessary for ideal mental health. An absence of
any of these characteristics indicate individuals as being abnormal, in other words
displaying deviation from ideal mental health.
1. Resistance to stress: Having effective coping strategies and being able to cope with
everyday anxiety provoking situations.
2.

Growth, development or self-actualisation: Experiencing personal growth and becoming

everything one is capable of becoming.

3. Positive attitude to oneself: High self-esteem and a strong sense of identity, having
self-respect and a positive self-concept.
4. Autonomy: Being independent, self-reliant and being able to make personal decisions.
5. Accurate perception of reality: Having an objective and realistic view of the world
6. Environmental mastery: Being competent in all aspects of life and able to meet the
demands of any situation. Having the flexibility to adapt to changing life circumstances.

The more characteristics individuals fail to meet and the further they are away from
realising individual characteristics, the more abnormal they are.

Strengths

Positivity
Targets areas of dysfunction
Holistic
Goal setting

Limitations

Over-demanding criteria
Subjective criteria
Contextual effects
Changes over time
Cultural variation

4. STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY
A01
Under this definition of abnormality, a person's trait, thinking or behaviour is
classified as abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual. With this definition it is
necessary to be clear about how rare a trait or behaviour needs to be before we class
it as abnormal
For instance one may say that an individual who has an IQ below or above the average
level of IQ in society is abnormal.
However this definition obviously has limitations, it fails to recognize the desirability of the
particular behaviour.
Going back to the example, someone who has an IQ level above the normal average
wouldn't necessarily be seen as abnormal, rather on the contrary they would be highly
regarded for their intelligence.

This definition also implies that the presence of abnormal behaviour in people should
be rare or statistically unusual, which is not the case. Instead, any specific abnormal
behaviour may be unusual, but it is not unusual for people to exhibit some form of
prolonged abnormal behaviour at some point in their lives.

Strengths

Can be appropriate
Objective
No value judgements
Evidence for assistance
Based on real data

Limitations
Where to draw the line
Not all infrequent behaviours,
showing statistical
infrequence, are abnormal
Not all abnormal behaviours

TASK
Which definition is the best?
In 4 groups you will be given one of the 4 definitions
As a group you will need to argue that your given definition is the
best at defining abnormality.
To be successful and convince me, you need to include:

A01
A02
A03
A03

what your definition means

an example of how it could be applied
the strengths of your definition
the weaknesses of the other definitions

Each member of the group will need to take on a different part of

the argument.

ASSESS YOUR LEARNING

1. What is cultural relativism? How might it apply to each definition of
abnormality?
2. Describe Rosenhan & Seligmans features of personal dysfunction

.personal distress (e.g. anxiety or depression), unpredictably

(displaying unexpected behaviours and loss of control),
Maladaptive behaviours, Observer discomfort, violation of moral
standards, unconventionality and irrationality among others
3.

Describe Jahodas characteristics of ideal mental health.

.Resistance to stress:, self-actualisation, positive attitude to oneself,

Autonomy, Accurate perception of reality, Environmental mastery

4.
Explain the idea of normal distribution in relation to defining
abnormality