Defining abnormality:
theyre unable to cope with the demands of every life or
Statistical infrequency
A persons thinking/behaviour is classified as
abnormal if rare or statistically unusual
Falls outside the range thats typical for most people
The average is normal
e.g. one who has an IQ below or above the average level of
IQ in society is abnormal
provide an objective way, based on data, to define
abnormality if an agreed cut-off point can be identified.
definition (unlike DSN) does not make judgements about
the acceptability of behaviour. The behaviour is rare
rather than wrong.
difficult to know where the draw the line between
behaviour that is frequent enough to be normal and rare
enough to be abnormal e.g. depression found in 19%
people aged 16+ with 20% women reporting symptoms
and 18% in men.
fails to distinguish between desirable and undesirable
behavior e.g. high iq is desired but in this definition, it
could be seen as abnormal
cultural and historical relativism whats acceptable in
one culture and time period may not be in another
Deviation from social norms
A persons thinking/behaviour is classified as abnormal if
it violates the unwritten rules about what is expected or
acceptable
Their behaviour may : be incomprehensible to others ;
make others feel threatened / uncomfortable.
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?
gives a social dimension to the idea of abnormality,
which offers an alternative to the 'sick in the head'
individual.
cultural and historical relativism whats acceptable in
one culture and time period may not be in another e.g.
common in Southern Europe to stand much closer to
strangers than in the UK; homosexuality was regarded
as mental illness until 1972, not anymore
cross cultural misunderstanding may contribute to higher
rates in some disorders than it actually is.. high
diagnosis rate of schizophrenia amongst non white
british people
based on context the behaviour occurs e.g. same
behaviour might be normal and abnormal e.g.
undressing in a bathroom or classroom subjective
judgment is necessary human rights abuse when
USSR political dissidents were sent to psychiatric
hospitals for disobeying the political regime
Failure to Function Adequately
A persons thinking/behaviour is classified as abnormal if
experience personal distress e.g. getting out of bed each
day
Rosenhan & Seligman suggested seven criteria for FFA:
o Personal distress (anxiety/depression)
o Unprectability (loss of control/unexpected
behaviours)
o Irrationality / incomprehensibility
((unreasonable/illogical/unjustifiable) / (not able
to be understood))
o Maladaptiveness (danger to self/not adjusting
appropriately to environment)
o Suffering
o Causes observer discomfort
o Violates moral/social standards
provides a practical checklist of seven criteria individuals
can use to check their level of abnormality.
matches the sufferers' perceptions. most people seeking
help believe they are suffering from psychological
problems that interfere with the ability to function
properly
FFA is context dependent E.G. not eating can be seen
as failing to function adequately but prisoners protesting
by hunger strikes isnt; people engage in maladaptive
behavior e.g. smoking, drinking alcohol, but arent
classed as abnormal
Cultural relativism; what may be seen as functioning
adequately in one culture may not be adequate in
another, resulting in different diagnoses e.g. children
carry out work in Gambia that children in western
cultures cannot
Deviation from Ideal mental health
Rather than defining whats abnormal, we define what is
normal/ideal and anything that deviates from it is
abnormal
Jahoda proposed 6 characteristics, absence from these
is considered as abnormal.
o Positive view of self
o Capacity for growth and development
o Autonomy and independence
o Accurate perception of reality
o Positive friendships and relationships
o Environmental mastery meeting the
demands of day to day situations
cultural and historical relativism whats acceptable in
one culture and time period may not be in another e.g.
common in Southern Europe to stand much closer to
 strangers than in the UK; homosexuality was regarded
as mental illness until 1972, not anymore
cross cultural misunderstanding may contribute to higher
rates in some disorders than it actually is.. high
diagnosis rate of schizophrenia amongst non white
british people
Difficulty of meeting all criteria - few people would be
able to do so. This definition suggests we are all
abnormal most of the time so this becomes meaningless
(over inclusive)
Phobias