2. Definitions you need to be able to
explain and evaluate.
• Deviation from social norms
• Failure to function adequately
• Deviation from ideal mental health
3. DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL
NORMS
• Social norms are a set of rules for
behaviour based on a set of moral
and conventional standards within
society.
• They are judged by the dominant
culture
4.
5. However ……
• There would be serious
problems if we tried to use
social norms to define
normality and abnormality.
7. What is seen as normal behaviour
in the dominant culture
• John Maguire and Laurence Scott-Mackay were the first couple to
exchange vows in a civil partnership ceremony in Scotland, with a
ceremony in Edinburgh
8. May not be seen as normal
behaviour in a different culture
12. • Social norms also vary from
one time to another
Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas in 1893
On 25 May 1895 Wilde was convicted of gross indecency
and sentenced to two years' hard labour.
13. • In 1973, the weight of empirical data, coupled with
changing social norms and the development of a
politically active gay community in the United States, led
the Board of Directors of the American Psychiatric
Association to remove homosexuality from the
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM). Some psychiatrists who fiercely opposed their
action subsequently circulated a petition calling for a
vote on the issue by the Association's membership. That
vote was held in 1974, and the Board's decision was
ratified.
14. Another problem with social norms
is that what is deviant is often
related to the context of the
situation
15. It is unclear how far a person could
deviate from social norms before
being defined as abnormal
• Tattoos and piercings are now accepted
as normal but even these may sometimes
viewed as abnormal… does this indicate
psychological abnormality?
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21. Prep
• Summarise your notes on social norms as
a method of defining abnormality using
colours and subheadings. Explain two
disadvantages of using social norms to
judge abnormality.
• Google the name ‘Harold Shipman’ and
find out a little bit about him.
22. FAILURE TO FUNCTION
ADEQUATELY
• From an individual’s point of view
abnormality can be judged in
terms of not being able to cope
with day to day living.
23. Failure to Function Adequately
People with psychological disorders
often experience considerable
suffering and distress and a general
inability to cope with everyday
activities.
24. Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) gave
some characteristics of abnormal
behaviour related to FFA
1. Observer Discomfort - the behaviour
causes distress or discomfort to others
2. Unpredictability - the behaviour is
unpredictable and sometimes
uncontrolled
3. Irrationality - the behaviour is
irrational and hard to understand
4. Maladaptiveness – the behaviour
interferes with a person’s usual daily
routine
26. This definition may be biased by
who judges ‘failure to function
adequately’ as in the opinion of the
individual they may believe that
they are functioning adequately
even if others do not agree.
28. Some people may appear to
function quite well yet still have
psychological abnormality.
• http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/economi
cs/laureates/1994/nash-autobio.html
30. DEVIATION FROM IDEAL
MENTAL HEALTH
• This judges mental health in the same way
as physical health, a person requires
certain attributes to be mentally healthy.
• Jahoda found six categories that were
commonly referred to as desirable for
mental health.
31.
32. The criteria for ideal mental
health - Jahoda
• good self image
• drive to realize self-potential
• ability to cope with stress
• being independent (autonomous)
• having an accurate perception of reality
• Being able to adapt to changes in the
environment
• absence of these indicates abnormality.
33. JAHODA (1958)
Autonomy
Self-actualisation
Perception of Reality
Ability to deal with stress
(also called Integration)
Environmental Mastery
Self-attitude
34. STRENGTHS OF THIS DEFINITION
Positive attitude towards human
behaviour and experience, not just
about abnormality/psychopathology
Useful for identifying when someone
needs help and the help they need
Enables therapists to treat a person
appropriately
Very thorough
36. and individualist cultural ideal so the
measure is biased (ethnocentric) –
for example autonomy would not be
a ‘normal’ goal for women in many
cultures.
37. WEAKNESSES…
According to this, nobody is normal! There is a
big dif ference between ‘not ideal’ and ‘abnormal’
Elderly people often find it dif ficult to adapt to
change – are they abnormal?
Some of the criteria are culture-dependent and
biased towards the west; for example, how many
people in Afghanistan are concerned about their
self-actualisation right now?
Personal autonomy is a very western notion. In
some cultures, family and community are more
important than individual development
(collectivist cultures, e.g. Japan)
39. Two major Classification systems
• The International Classification System for
Diseases –ICD was developed by the
World Health Organization (WHO) –
currently in it’s 10th edition. Mental
disorders were first included in 1952 and
form only a small section of the manuel
40. • The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders – DSM – was developed
by th American Psychiatric Association
(APA) in 1952. The current edition is the
4th.
• This is generally used by mental health
professionals mainly to make diagnoses.
41. Problems with Diagnosis &
Classification
• Even using these systems there can be
significant disagreement between
psychiatrists - this is generally because
symptoms of different disorders overlap
• There is an overemphasis of the biological
aspects of the disorders with psychological
factors minimised.
• Labelling a person as having a particular
disorder may stigmatise them so raises
ethical issues.
42. Prep
• Research and summarise the research of
Rosenhan looking at the admission of
‘schizophrenic patients’ to psychiatric
hospitals.
