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Summary AQA A level Psychology Paper 1 Psychopathology notes
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A detailed summary of the A level psychology psychopathology topic formatted in question and answer style to support your revision.
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🧠P1: psychopathology
abnormality
how many definitions of abnormality are there?
-4
what is meant by statistical infrequency?
-we can think of normal and abnormal behaviour based on how many
times we observe it
-normally distributed
most people cluster around mean
less people at the extremes
bell shaped curve
explain two strengths of this definition for abnormality
strength- objective
-uses quantitative data so not reliant on opinion and non-bias to
decide what is abnormal
-people feel less judged because stats used as evidence not just a
doctors opinion
strength- useful
-can be used to assess the severity of an individuals symptoms e.g.
Becks depression inventory states that a score of 30+ = severe
depression
-statistical infrequency is useful in diagnostic and assessment of
mental health disorders
-can be used to justify requests for psychiatric treatment
explain two limitations of this definition for abnormality
limitation- not all infrequent behaviours are abnormal
P1: psychopathology 1
, -about 10% people will be chronically depressed at some point in
their lives
-contradict definition of abnormality because it says that
limitation- lacks external validity
-nudity is considered to be a statistical infrequent behaviour in
western cultures just like hearing voices
-in tribal cultures both are frequent as normalised behaviours
-contradicts the definition of abnormality because characteristics
are not always normally distributed in all cultures
-cannot be applied to other cultures which reduces usefulness
what is meant by deviation from social norms
-written/ unwritten acceptable rules in society which differ in each
culture
-behaviour which violates the implicit (assumed) and explicit (clearly
stated) rules and accepted standards of a society is considered
abnormal
explain one strength of this definition for abnormality
strength- protects society
-symptoms of antisocial personality disorder include a disregard for
right and wrong, persistence of deceit to exploit others, issues with
processing emotions
-these behaviours are dangerous so defining them as abnormal
protects society
-useful in real life situations
explain two limitations for this definition for abnormality
limitation- subjective
-opinions on what behaviour is normal may differ
-e.g. stealing may be seen as subjective because of the reasons
behind it
-diagnosis of mental health will be less accurate
P1: psychopathology 2
, limitation- lacks external validity
-norms vary from culture to culture and across generations
-e.g. body modification is a subject which has different opinions
-this definition of abnormality wont explain abnormal behaviour over
time/ in different cultures
what is meant by failure to function adequately?
-occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of
daily living
-Rosenhan and Seligman
give some characteristics of abnormal behaviour
-violation of moral standards
-oberver discomfort
-experiences severe personal distress
-irrational and unpredictable behaviour
-maladaptive
-unconventional
explain one strength of this definition for abnormality
strength- represents sensible for when people need professional
help
-many people show symptoms of mental disorders however it is
when we see severe symptoms that action is taken
-treatment +services are targeted to those who need them most
explain two limitations for this definition for abnormality
limitation- discrimination and social control
-easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal
-someone might just choose to deviate from social norms
-people who make unusual choices are more likely to be labelled as
abnormal and freedom of choice is restricted
limitation- failure to function may not be abnormal
P1: psychopathology 3
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