Definitions of abnormality

What does statistical infrequency imply about a disorder?

• It is only relevant in diagnosing physical illnesses.

• It is abnormal if its frequency is more than two standard deviations away from the mean.

• It is not used in clinical diagnoses.

• It is considered abnormal if it is common.

What assumption does statistical infrequency make about abnormal characteristics?

• That they are always positive.

• That they are irrelevant to diagnoses.

• That they are based on cultural norms.

• That they are always negative.

Which of the following is a major strength of the 'failure to function adequately' definition of abnormality?

• It does not consider the patient's self-reported symptoms.

• It considers both the patient's perspective and the psychiatrist's opinion.

• It is based solely on statistical data.

• It relies on the patient's ability to function in society.

What is a major weakness of using the 'failure to function adequately' definition of abnormality?

• It ignores the patient's perspective.

• It always leads to accurate diagnoses.

• It is too reliant on statistical norms.

• May lead to the labelling of some patients as 'strange' or 'crazy'.

According to the 'deviation from social norms' definition, what could lead to a diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder (APD)?

• Fulfilling one's potential.

• Displaying high levels of empathy.

• Having a high IQ score.

• Behaving aggressively towards strangers.

What historical example demonstrates the use of mental health diagnoses for social control, when 'deviation from social norms' is used as the defintion of abnormailty.

• The diagnosis of 'nymphomania' in nineteenth-century Great Britain.

• The concept of deviation from ideal mental health.

• The use of statistical infrequency in clinical diagnoses.

• The encouragement of self-actualisation in individualist cultures.

Why does the 'deviation from social norms' definition suffer from cultural relativism?

• Because it relies on subjective social norms.

• Because it is based on statistical data.

• Because it considers only the patient's perspective.

• Because it is universally accepted across cultures.

Which definition of abnormality is proposed by Jahoda (1958)?

• Failure to function adequately

• Deviation from ideal mental health

• Statistical infrequency

• Deviation from social norms

What is a major issue with the 'deviation from ideal mental health' definition of abnormality?

• It expects most people to meet unrealistic criteria.

• It is based on the patient's ability to obey social norms.

• It does not consider cultural differences.

• It relies solely on the psychiatrist's objective opinion.

How might the concept of self-actualisation be viewed differently across cultures?

• As universally accepted.

• As irrelevant to mental health.

• As a sign of mental illness.

• As selfish in collectivist cultures.