1. The Study of Abnormal Behaviour
Psychopathology

2. Definitions of Abnormality
Psychopathology
Definitions of Abnormality

3. Could each person here be considered to be abnormal?

4. Tell me… What was the highlight of your summer? Where do you live?
What school did you go to?
Why have you chosen Psychology?
What do you want to do after college?

5. Could each person here be considered to be abnormal?

6. Creative but cursed?

7. Psychological Abnormality
How might you define abnormality?
Can you think of the names of any psychological / psychiatric disorders?
What do you think might cause these disorders? How can they be explained?
Can they be treated?
Is ‘abnormality’ necessarily a bad thing?

8. What the specification says…

9. Draw out this table Case Is this person’s behaviour abnormal?
Does this person need treatment? A B C D E

10. Case Studies
Mr Smith has always lived in an isolated cottage. He has 6 dogs which he looks after. He never goes out of the cottage unless absolutely necessary, and has no friends or visitors
1-stongly agree 2-moderately agree 3-neither 4-moderately disagree 5-stongly disagree
Is this person’s behaviour abnormal?
Does this person need treatment for his/her problems?

11. Case Studies
Mrs Jarvis, who was born in Jamaica, is a follower of the Pentecostal Church and believes that on occasions she is possessed by spirits which make her ‘speak in tongues’.
1-stongly agree 2-moderately agree 3-neither 4-moderately disagree 5-stongly disagree
Is this person’s behaviour abnormal?
Does this person need treatment for his/her problems?

12. Case Studies
Mr Jones was arrested for shoplifting two weeks ago. He blamed the tablets (Valium) that he has been taking for the last 5 years but had recently discontinued.
1-stongly agree 2-moderately agree 3-neither 4-moderately disagree 5-stongly disagree
Is this person’s behaviour abnormal?
Does this person need treatment for his/her problems?

13. Case Studies
Mrs Lee is a housewife who spends nearly every day at home keeping the house ‘spick and span’. Her husband returned home from night work early one night last week and found her dusting at 2 a.m.
1-stongly agree 2-moderately agree 3-neither 4-moderately disagree 5-stongly disagree
Is this person’s behaviour abnormal?
Does this person need treatment for his/her problems?

14. Case Studies
Mabel is a 6 year old girl who is extremely shy and seldom speaks. She becomes very upset if her parents alter her playroom furniture.
1-stongly agree 2-moderately agree 3-neither 4-moderately disagree 5-stongly disagree
Is this person’s behaviour abnormal?
Does this person need treatment for his/her problems?

15. Think, pair, share… Were you all in agreement?
What does this tell us about abnormality?
Is it easy to define who is abnormal and who is not?
What problems does this have for accessing treatment (if needed)?

16. Problems Defining Abnormality
‘Being Sane in Insane Places’ (Rosenhan, 1973)
‘Normal’ people present at psychiatric hospitals complaining of hearing voices
All were admitted with the diagnosis ‘schizophrenia’
It took between 7-52 days for them to convince staff they were well enough to be discharged
Follow up:
Hospitals told to expect ‘fake’ patients.
None were actually sent
Genuine psychiatric patients were turned away as suspected impostors.

17. “To study the abnormal is the best way to understand the normal” William James (1890)

18. Deviation from social norms
Definitions of Abnormality
Deviation from social norms

19. Social norms
Answer the following questions in small groups on the big boards:
What is a social norm?
What social norms do we have in this country?
Think of some examples of a deviation from social norms in this country

20. Definition of Abnormality
Deviation from Social Norms Each society has social norms, unwritten rules for acceptable behaviour, for example not being naked in public. So abnormal behaviour is behaviour that goes against these social norms (deviation from social norms). Definition: “Behaviour violating accepted social rules”

21. Social Norms 2. What social norms do we have in this country?
3. Think of some other examples that would be considered an abnormality in this country

22. Evaluations: Deviation from Social Norms
What are the strengths of this approach?
How can it be criticised?

23. Abnormal? Deviation?
Aisha has had a lucky teddy since primary school. She has always performed well in school assessments and formal examinations and attributes her success to her lucky teddy. Now she is off to university and is taking her teddy with her, to lectures, the library, he’ll sit at her desk when completing essays and hide in her bag during formal exams. She will not do a test without it, for fear of having a panic attack.
What aspects of Aisha’s behaviour might be considered a deviation from social norms?

24. Evaluation – why is this an issue?

25. Evaluation – why is this an issue?
In 1895 Oscar Wilde was jailed for two years for homosexuality, which was illegal at the time. Homosexuality was classified as abnormal and regarded as a mental disorder. In 1967 the sexual offences bill decriminalised homosexual acts in the UK but it wasn’t until 1990 that the US removed it form the mental disorders classification system.
What does this show us about using deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality?

26. Is ‘Cultural Relativism’ an issue?
The Kayan people live on the mountain border between Burma and Thailand. From the age of 5 women wear a brass coil that increases in size as they age. Over the years this coil presses on the clavicle resulting in the appearance of a long neck, a sign held in great esteem by the tribe.

27. Is ‘Cultural Relativism’ an issue?

28. What does this tell us?
It is OK to wear swimming costumes at the pool and beach but not to go shopping?

29. Evaluation Deviation from social norms
Norms change depending on context / situation
Norms change between age groups
Norms change over time
Norms differ between cultures
Some behaviour that differs form social norms is not abnormal or dangerous just eccentric.

30. Evaluation – P.E.S
How to write a good evaluation!
The ‘PES’ structure: Point, Explain/Evidence, So what?
P: One limitation of the deviation from social norms definition is that social norms change over time.
E: For example, it used to be the norm for people to smoke in public places however this has now changed.
S: This means using deviation from social norms as a way of defining abnormality is problematic as it may lead to inaccurate labelling of abnormality.

31. Evaluation Deviation from social norms
Norms change depending on context / situation
Norms change between age groups
Norms change over time
Norms differ between cultures
Some behaviour that differs form social norms is not abnormal or dangerous just eccentric.
Above are 5 evaluation points (The ‘P’ from PES).
Have a go at expanding these points (The ‘E’ ‘S’ bits)
[Explain, Evidence, So What?]

32. Exam practice Definitions of Abnormality
Outline one definition of abnormality (2 marks)
What does outline mean?
Which definition of abnormality are you going to write about?
How much should you write for 2 marks?

33. Exam practice Definitions of Abnormality
Discuss deviation from social norms as a definition of abnormality (6 marks)
Discuss = Outline and Evaluate
6 marks = 6 minutes
(Half a page?)

34. Recap - Deviation from Social Norms
On your mini-whiteboard
Define ‘Deviation from Social Norms’ as a definition of abnormality
Come up with 4 bullet point summary evaluations for this definition
Start Lesson 2

35. Deviation from Social Norms
“Behaviour violating accepted social rules”
Norms change depending on context / situation
Norms change between age groups
Norms change over time
Norms differ between cultures
‘Individualism’ Some behaviour that differs form social norms is not abnormal or dangerous just eccentric.

36. Statistical Infrequency

37. Definitions of Abnormality
What is a ‘normal distribution curve’? [Also known as a ‘bell-shaped curve’?]
Draw one
How might this be useful for defining abnormality?

38. Statistical Infrequency
Behaviours that are ‘abnormal’ are statistically rare

39. Statistical Infrequency - IQ
Anyone that falls outside the ‘normal distribution’ (2 standard deviation points from the mean, usually comprising 5% of the population) is considered abnormal.

40. Apply it!

41. Statistical Infrequency
What are the problems of defining abnormality this way?

42. Statistical Infrequency - Evaluations
Strengths:
An objective way of establishing a cut off point
An appropriate measure for behaviour that falls within a normal distribution e.g. IQ
Limitations:
Not all statistically rare behaviour is undesirable – e.g. a high IQ is ‘abnormal’ but desirable
Where do you draw the line?
Cultural factors can affect what is statistically normal

43. Failure to Function Adequately
Definitions of Abnormality
Failure to Function Adequately

44. Failure to Function Adequately
Think, Pair, Share:
Without using the words of the definition, how might you define this explanation of abnormality?

45. Failure to Function Adequately
Individuals are abnormal when their behaviour suggests that they cannot cope with everyday life
Like disrupting the ability to get up, maintain hygiene, go to work, conduct social relationships

46. Failure to Function Adequately
Definition focuses on individual suffering – draws attention to the personal experiences associated with mental disorders
Rosenhan and Seligman (1989) suggest that personal dysfunction has seven features. The more the individual has the more they are classed as abnormal.

47. Rosenhan & Seligman (1989)
Match the Feature to the Description – they are in the wrong order
Features of Personal Dysfunction
Descriptions of features
Personal Distress
Displaying non-standard behaviours
Maladaptive Behaviour
Displaying behaviours that cannot be explained in a rational way
Unpredictability
Displaying behaviour violating society’s moral standards
Irrationality
Displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by loss of control
Observer discomfort
A key feature of abnormality – manifest in most psychiatric disorders
Violation of moral standards
Behaviour stopping individuals from attaining life goals
Unconventionality
Displaying behaviour causing discomfort to others

48. Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) Features of Personal Dysfunction
Descriptions of features
Personal Distress
A key feature of abnormality – manifest in most psychiatric disorders
Maladaptive Behaviour
Behaviour stopping individuals from attaining life goals
Unpredictability
Displaying unexpected behaviours characterised by loss of control
Irrationality
Displaying behaviours that cannot be explained in a rational way
Observer discomfort
Displaying behaviour causing discomfort to others
Violation of moral standards
Displaying behaviour violating society’s moral standards
Unconventionality
Displaying non-standard behaviours

49. Global Assessment of Functioning Scale [GAF]

50. Global Assessment of Functioning Scale [GAF]

51. Failure to Function Adequately Evaluations
What are the strengths and limitations of this definition of abnormality?
Look at the pictures and write down what you think this is saying is a problem with this definition

52. Failure to Function Adequately Evaluations
Harold Shipman
Hannibal Lector

53. Failure to Function Adequately Evaluations

54. Failure to Function Adequately Evaluations
Bantu tribe, bwiti religion, iboga drug

55. Failure to Function Adequately Evaluations
Limitations
Abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction
Sometimes failure to function is normal and healthy – e.g. grief, teenagers bedroom…
Cultural differences – what is normal functioning in one culture may not be in another

56. Failure to Function Adequately Evaluations
Strengths
Recognises personal perspective
Assesses degree of abnormality (GAF)
Focuses on observable behaviours with accompanying checklist

57. Develop an evaluation
Take one evaluation point for FFA and develop it using the PES model – Point, Explain, So What?

58. Match evaluations from left to right

59. FFA - Evaluations

60. FFA - Evaluations

61. Recap Task
Define either Failure to Function Adequately or Statistical Infrequency
You can’t use any of the words above in your definition
Think of one strength of this definition
Think of one weakness of this definition

62. Deviation from ideal mental health
If you found yourself washed up on a desert island – what would be your priorities?

63. Maslow’s hierarchy of needs

64. Deviation from ideal mental health
Johodas’ six mental health criteria
Positive Self-attitudes
Focus on the future and self-actualisation 
Resistance to Stress 
Autonomy
Perception of reality
Adapting to the environment

65. Research task In groups of six:
Use the contents page to find the topic psychopathology
Within the section look for the definitions of abnormality – find Deviation from ideal health
Find the appropriate criteria and make a brief note of what it means – then explain it to the rest of your group
Jot down other explanations in your group so you have a brief note on all

66. Deviation from ideal mental health
Johodas’ six mental health criteria
Positive Self-attitudes
We are rational and perceive ourselves accurately
Focus on the future and self-actualisation 
We reach our potential
Resistance to Stress 
We can cope with stress and have no symptoms of distress
Autonomy
We are independent of other people
Perception of reality
We have a realistic view of the world
Adapting to the environment
We have the flexibility to cope with changing life circumstances

67. DIMH - Evaluations
How would you evaluate this definition?

68. DIMH - Strengths
Positivity – takes a positive approach to defining normality.
Treatment – allows people to identify and focus on a specific problem – including creating goals to achieve.

69. DIMH - Limitations
The difficulty of self-actualising - In reality, self-actualisation is rare with very few people achieving their full potential.
Cultural issues – Johoda’s ideas are based on western ideals of self-actualisation with a central focus on individual achievement. In non-western cultures, seeking to achieve your potential is not seen as important. “Fisherman anecdote”
Possible benefits of stress - In relation to the resistance to stress criterion, it might be that some people work most effectively in stressful situations.

70. Learning Check!
1. The following are different definitions of abnormality.
Failure to function adequately
Statistical infrequency
Deviation from ideal mental health
Deviation from social norms
In the table below write down which definition A, B, C, or D matches each example.
2. Select one of the definitions and explain one limitation of this definition.
(2 marks)
Definition of abnormality
Example of Definition
The behaviour is very different from the behaviour shown by most people in the population
The behaviour prevents the person from achieving self actualisation or personal autonomy
The behaviour means that the person cannot cope with everyday activities

71. Ruby – A Case Study Read the case study and jot down your thoughts
What do others think?

72. Apply it! 2.

73. Apply it!
Think of a celebrity who’s behaviour may be considered “abnormal”.
Consider how the three definitions of abnormality you have learnt would consider their behaviour.

74. Homework Complete a summary of the 4 definitions of abnormality
Include an example and evaluations
Hand-in next THURSDAY 07th Oct!
Definition
Example
Evaluations
Deviation from Social Norms…