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Summary Revision cards- psychology, A level, PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
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AQA, Psychology reformed A level, Psychopathology unit revision cards, authored by an A* student
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DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY 1• Statistical Infrequency
➢ The number of times it is observed- not observed often= statistical infrequency and therefore abnormal- statistic
numbers
➢ Example: IQ and intellectual disability disorder- average IQ is 100- only 2% people have an IQ below 70- these pe
statistically infrequent and abnormal
• Deviation from social norms
➢ Basing abnormality on social context- acting differently to how you are expected to behave in a given society/con
➢ Not many behaviors are universally abnormal so definitions are related to social context- including historical diffe
homosexuality etc.
➢ Example: antisocial personality disorder (APD)- one symptom being a failure to conform to ‘lawful and culturally
ethical behavior’- they generally lack empathy- they are abmnormal as they don’t follow societal norms
, DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY 1 -
EVALUATION
• Statistical infrequency
➢ Not all abnormal behavior is a statistical infrequency- depression, alcoholism
➢ They don’t distinguish between good abnormality and bad abnormality- high IQ vs low IQ- some people are stati
abnormal in a good way and don’t need any sort of treatment- never be used alone to diagnose someone
➢ Has real-life application- helpful in diagnosis and clinical settings
➢ Not everyone benefits from having a label of abnormality- especially if they are happy just living a life with no nee
or medical intervention- this label/diagnosis may have negative affects- people may start to view them differently
• Deviation from social norms
➢ Not a sole explanation for abnormality- APD shows that it does play a part but that there are other things to co
to other people- in practice deviation from social norms is never the sole reason for defining abnormality
➢ Social norms are also culturally relative- definitions vary across the globe- hearing voices for example- creates pr
people living in one culture living within another culture
➢ Could lead to human rights abuses- diagnosis could be used for social control- nymphomania (women attracted t
class men)- such classifications appear to be ridiculous but psychologists state that some modern abnormal classi
abuses of people’s right to be different
, DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY 2
• Failure to function adequately
➢ Inability to cope with everyday living- they fail to function adequately- not being able to keep a job etc.
➢ Rosenhan and Seligman (1989)- signs of failure to cope:
1. They no longer conform to interpersonal rules
2. They experience personal distress
3. They behave in a way that is irrational or dangerous
➢ Example: intellectual disability disorder
• Deviation from ideal mental health
➢ Looks at those who are normal and define the abnormal ones by those who don’t act in the ‘normal’ way
➢ Jahoda listed 8 criteria that some one who has ideal mental health has (1958):
1. No symptoms of distress 2. rational and perceive ourselves accurately 3. self-actualize 4. cope with stress
5. Realistic view of world 6. good self-esteem and lack guilt 7. independent of others 8. successfully work, love and e
➢ There is overlap between the definitions
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