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Define abnormality? short essay
Define abnormality? short essay
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The Four Main Approaches to Defining Abnormality The statistical approach to defining abnormality analyses data collected from a population of people, and highlights rare and un-typical behaviour, which is then labelled abnormal. For a certain behaviour to be labelled ‘normal’ in a statistical point of view, it needs to be an average behaviour performed by the population in question. This is why labelling behaviours from culture to culture and place-to-place is very hard, as different places have different standards and morals to which you are expected to abide by. To statistically define a behaviour as ‘abnormal’, the percentage of people in a population exhibiting this particular behaviour must be 10% or less. Evaluating The Statistical Approach. One criticism of the statistical approach is that it overlooks the opposite behaviours to abnormal behaviours. E.g. being very unhappy or severely depressed is seen as being abnormal, but is being very happy all the time normal? According to the statistical approach, being happy all the time is seen as the desired and normal behaviour. In other words, it ignores desired levels of the behaviour, or a median value in the scale of normality and abnormality. Due to high levels of some disorders and behaviours in some populations, things like chicken pox, anxiety and depression are statistically ‘normal’, but is this right, or just a fault in the method of the statistical approach? There are also problems with taking averages of behaviours from whole populations and then trying to relate them to specific groups (E.g. ages or genders, or even different countries) because in d... ... middle of paper ... ...ions. 4) Autonomy – how much a person is independent of social influences 5) Perception of reality – distortion in perception of reality? 6) Environmental mastery – success and adaptiveness? Including the ability to love, work and play. Evaluating The Deviation From Ideal Mental Health Approach ---------------------------------------------------------- This approach is a positive approach, looking at mentally healthy, not mentally ill people. Results are bound to culture and the historic period. One criticism is that the criteria are hard to define, and the ideals are only related to our particular culture, and how can we rate a perception of reality? Finally, an interesting fact shown: if few people statistically ever achieve ideal mental health, are they the abnormal ones, or are the rest of us?
According to our text because of the difficult distinguishing normal from abnormal behavior, psychologists have struggled to devise a precise, scientific definition of “abnormal behavior” (Psychology and Your Life Feldam 2017). What is considered abnormal for some can be considered normal for others. The lifestyle practice that one chooses or the way an individual copes with life can differ amongst individuals. Deciding which coping style or preference is normal is or abnormal is generally is based off an individual's personal perception according to their own beliefs and practices.
Most people want to be normal. The definition of normal however, depends on the culture of the person making the judgment. Far too often, normal is defined in America by looking at the actions and beliefs of the average white middle class family. This definition of normal fails to let other cultures to be accepted, creating distance and misunderstanding.
This is a difficult question to answer because there is not a right answer. The research of abnormal behavior supports both the universal and the cultural relativist approach.
middle of paper ... ... However, there is a large portion of mental health ill people that are able to find stability and maintain stability in their illness. Many of these people overcome their illness to some extent and manage to play an important role in society. Work Cited: Claire Henderson, Sara Evans-Lacko, Clare Flach, Graham, Thornicrofi.
Deviant theories from a positivist perspective are based on biological or social determinism. Determinism is the view that something “is determined or caused by forces beyond the individual’s control” (Thio, 2010, p. 7). Positivist sociologists apply the deterministic view to each individual deviant to determine the reason for his or her deviant behavior. Multiple theories from the positivist perspective try to explain the reason for deviant behavior. Phrenology and anomie-strain are two such theories that have been used to explain deviant behavior from this perspective.
When I think of abnormal behavior, the first thing that comes to mind is one of my aunt’s. She committed suicide when I very young, so early 1970’s. As I got older, inevitably stories of her would arise during holiday get togethers. She was married with three children and in her early thirties, residing in Florida, when she walked out and away from her husband and small children. For over a year, no one knew what happened to her, she made no effort to contact anyone. Eventually, the Salvation Army somewhere in Michigan called my grandmother and they sent her home on a bus. She never returned to her husband or children. The doctors diagnosed her as a paranoid schizophrenic. My mother told me that when she was on her medication she was fine, but once she felt “fine”, she would stop her medication. When the medication left her system, she became anxious and afraid. She once chased my grandmother, who was in her late sixties down the driveway with an ax, because she thought her mother was trying to kill her. After several inpatient stays in mental hospitals, she came back home again and she was doing good. She left my grandmother’s one night while everyone was sleeping, made it approximately fifteen miles away to a lake.
In cultural perspective, for instance for Irish people drinking beer until being drunk may be normal however if we see a priest in same behavior it can be considered as abnormal. Environment, occupation, culture and reasons of the behavior, change our definitions of abnormality.
The word normality, or normalcy, has records dating back to the 1850’s. In the twenty-first century, the word has a whole new meaning due to the changes in society and technology. Today Normalcy is defined as “the state of being normal, as opposed to deviant, eccentric or unusual. Behavior can be normal when it shows consistency with behavior that conforms to the most common behavior in society.” So what term do we call people that don’t fit into this category? Outliers, misfits, imperfections, the list could go on, but just because someone has a few differences, does that change the concept of normality?
One must change or adapt one's behaviour and control it depending on the situation. According to Jahoda's approach, if these criteria are not met then you are deemed as abnormal. Strengths: Jahoda's definition of abnormality can be applied to real life situation for example, the diagnosis of depression or stress related issues. (Positivementalhealthfoundation, 2010)
According to Comer (2013, pp. 3), the definition of psychological abnormalities has remained a point of contention amongst individuals in the mental health field. One of the main rationalities behind the differing views of how psychological abnormalities is defined is that the term is subjective in nature. Although a formal definition of the word has not been resolved, previous attempt to characterize abnormal behaviors all maintain four primary components, deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger. Deviance is characterized as actions that diverge from societal and cultural norms. Members of each society establish and define normative behavior within their sects, when an individual deviates from these norms, indicators of abnormality
Although all four are important when looking at deviant behaviors, when trying to uncover why social reaction plays a part it is the labeling theory that highlights this. Labeling theory This
Abnormal Behaviour In my opinion, abnormal behaviour differentiates from person to person. Typically, abnormal behaviour is any behaviour that is not considered normal. Behaviour "may be considered abnormal when they are not appropriate to the situation." (Navid, 2012, 3) Abnormal behaviour can also depend on "the magnitude of the problem. "
The Psychodynamic Model of Abnormality The psychodynamic model of abnormality is useful to an extent. However it has many weaknesses. The psychodynamic model of abnormality was initiated by Sigmund Freud. Sigmund Freud was very interested in hysteria.
To be considered normal or abnormal has been just a label society places on you to explain individuality. When we are younger, we were given a mixed message that being different and unique is acceptable, however growing up in a society that wants you to blend in and adhere to the norms and usual customs of that culture is difficult. Being dissimilar often leads you to be judged and considered deviant. What you perceive not only defines your idiosyncratic judgment, so does your culture, prejudices, upbringing and generation you belong to. In our modern day society a universal normal has not, nor ever will exist. We think, look and all act differently and the reality of it is, no one is normal.
Abnormal psychology is the study of unusual patterns of behavior, emotions and thought. This branch of psychological studies two types of behaviors, adaptive and maladaptive behaviors. Maladaptive poses that there is an existing problem, whereas adaptive is the ability for an individual to change an unconstructive behavior into a constructive one. Although some abnormal psychology is linked with mental disorders not all of the disorders belonging in this category belong.