Definitions of Abnormality- Dr.

Kanwal Qadeer

DEFINITIONS OF
ABNORMALITY

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Definitions of Abnormality- Dr. Kanwal Qadeer

Definitions of Abnormality
1. Abnormality can be defined as ‘Deviation from statistical norms’
This definition asks one simple
question: How unusual is the
behavior being displayed?
If it is statistically unusual, then it
is classed as abnormal. For this
reason, the explanation is
sometimes known as 'statistical
infrequency'.

Example, if we know that the

average height of a population of
adults is 5’8” we would probably
describe an adult who was 7’ or 3’
as being ‘abnormally’ tall or short
respectively.

Drawbacks of a statistical approach:

1. Does not take into account desirability of a behavior or characteristic. Example eating moles
and flies is statistically infrequent but what about having a Biology degree at the age of 13
and, at the age of 17, being the youngest doctor in the world? Balamurali Ambati completed
a six year medical course in less than four, he can now operate on life and limb with abilities
we can only marvel at.
2. In all cultures, there are people involved in a range of undesirable behaviors. Example,
child abuse or rape. Rape can be considered statistically frequent in India.
3. Deciding just ‘how far from the average’ a person must deviate before being considered
‘abnormal’. Example, if the average height of the population is 5’8”, exactly when does a
person become abnormally tall or short? Who decides it?
4. Individual Differences are not taken under consideration
5. Reliability & Validity.

However, it helps us be more optimistic in looking at abnormality and opens the door to future
discovery.

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Definitions of Abnormality- Dr. Kanwal Qadeer

2. Abnormality can be defined as ‘Deviation from social norms.’

Societies and cultures all have a number of
unwritten rules of behavior which most people
follow. These are called social
norms. Thus, we can say that abnormality
can be defined as breaking of these standards
or norms.

For example: If someone does not say thank

you if you do them a favor, you might feel that
this violates a social norm of being polite. In
extreme cases, violating social norms could
allow a diagnosis of abnormality.

Drawbacks of the social approach:

1. Some behaviors that are considered to be socially unacceptable in our culture are actually
statistically frequent. Example, criminal behavior (which is considered socially unacceptable)
in most countries would be statistically considered frequent!
2. The deviation from social norms is also bound by culture. Example, in Western culture, the
sons of a deceased father are not expected to clean his bones and distribute them to relatives to
wear as ornaments. Since such behavior is expected to be normal amongst the Trobriand
islanders, then a widow who did not wear her former husband’s jawbone on a necklace was
failing to behave in accordance with her culture’s expectations and was considered abnormal.
3. This definition is era dependent, as values change, particular behaviors move from being
considered normal to abnormal vice versa. Like how smoking of marijuana is now considered
a lifestyle rather than an abnormality.

3. Abnormality can be defined as ‘Deviation from ideal mental

health’
Rather than look at what is 'abnormal', we could start by deciding what is 'normal' and then find
people who do not display 'normal' characteristics. Defining normality is, of course, just as hard
as defining abnormality, but Jahoda (1958) included:

● Positive view of the self

● Capability for growth and development
● Autonomy and independence
● Accurate perception of reality
● Positive friendships and relationships
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Definitions of Abnormality- Dr. Kanwal Qadeer

This approach to defining abnormality is to identify the characteristics and abilities (which may or
may not be statistically frequent) that people should possess in order to be considered normal.
Abnormality is then defined as deviating from these characteristics.

Drawbacks of this approach:

1. Very demanding, that almost everybody will be considered abnormal even if they fail to
satisfy one factor in this criterion.
2. Bound by culture, ideas are not shared, varies culture to culture.
3. Era-dependent, it changes overtime within a culture.
4. Lists of ideals defining ideal mental health are value judgments, that is, reflecting the beliefs
of those who construct the lists. Example, a person who hears voices when nobody is there
may well be unhealthy as far as some people are concerned. But the person who hears voices
and welcomes them would define him or herself as being perfectly healthy and normal.
5. It is limited by the context in which a behavior occurs. Example, it is healthy to walk around
wearing a steel helmet if one works on a building site, but it is less healthy to engage in this
if one is a waiter in a restaurant.
6. Absence of a universal standard.

4. Abnormality can be defined as ‘Failure to function adequately’

Most people who ask for psychological help are suffering from distress. Rosenhan and Seligman
(1989) suggested that this could be used to help define abnormality. People failing to function may
display:

● Suffering
● Maladaptiveness (danger to self)
● Vividness & unconventionality (stands out)
● Unpredictably & loss of control
● Irrationality/ incomprehensibility
● Causes observer discomfort
● Violates moral/social standards

Every human being should achieve some sense of personal well – being and make some
contribution to a larger social group, thus any individual who fails to function adequately is
‘abnormal’. The way in which people come to the attention of psychologists is because they fail
to fit in ‘practical’ or ‘clinical’ criteria.

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Definitions of Abnormality- Dr. Kanwal Qadeer

Personal Distress cannot be used as a definition for abnormality because sometimes it is the correct
response to certain situations, like death of a loved one, we cannot consider it abnormal unless it
persists long after source has been removed, or after most people have adjusted to them.

There are some disorders that are not related to personal

distress, such as anti-social disorder or substance related
disorders.

Some psychological states are distressing to others, the fact

that that a person with a particularly harmful psychological
state is a threat to others also constitutes as a failure to function
adequately.

Bizarreness of behaviors could also be an example of failure to function adequately.

Drawbacks of this approach:

1. Gross (1995) has remarked, using the distress of others as a failure to function adequately
is a double edged sword. In some cases, it can be as ‘blessing’ in that the distress one person
experiences as a result of the behavior of another can, on some occasions, literally be a life
saver. On other occasions it can be a curse, as would be the case when, say, a parent
experienced distress over a son or daughter’s sexuality, whilst the son or daughter felt
perfectly comfortable with it.
2. Bizarreness can be subject to context, like eating a cockroach because you have to survive
on a stranded island.

Tools for diagnosing abnormality

DSM - Diagnostic Statistical Manual of mental disorders

A manual published by the
American Psychiatric Association
(APA) which contains a guide to
the diagnosis of mental
disorders. DSM contains
descriptions, symptoms, and other
criteria for diagnosing mental
disorders.

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Definitions of Abnormality- Dr. Kanwal Qadeer

ICD - International Classification of Diseases and Related Health

Problems
This is a system used by physicians and other health care providers to classify and code all
diagnoses, symptoms and procedures recorded in conjunction with hospital care in the United
States. It therefore covers a much larger range of conditions than just mental health disorders. It
works in a similar way to the DSM, but the disorders are coded (e.g. A00-Z99).

Problems with Diagnosing Abnormality:

Diagnosis

● Diagnosis within abnormal psychology means identifying and classifying abnormal

behavior on the basis of symptoms, the patients’ self-reports, observations, clinical tests or
other factors such as information from relatives.
● Clinicians use psychological assessment and diagnostic manuals to make diagnosis. The
diagnostic manuals help to classify and standardize diagnosis.
● Diagnosis involves matching the results of the psychological assessment with classification
systems such as DSM-IV-TR and ICD-10. The purpose of diagnosis is to find a treatment
for the patient and to make a prognosis.

Diagnostic manuals

● DSM-IV, now in its fourth revised version, is developed by the American Psychiatric
Association. The manual lists
what it terms “mental
disorders”. For each of the 300
disorders there is a list of
symptoms that the clinician
could look for in order to
diagnose correctly. A new fifth
version is on its way. The
diagnostic manual does not
identify causes of psychological
disorders (etiology) but merely
describes symptoms.
● ICD-10 (The International
Classification of Diseases) is
published by WHO (World Health Organization). The manual uses the term “mental
disorder”. The diagnostic manual includes reference to causes of the disorders (etiology).

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Definitions of Abnormality- Dr. Kanwal Qadeer

Reliability of diagnosis

● Reliability in diagnosis means that clinicians should be able to reach the same correct
diagnosis consistently if they use the same diagnostic procedure (e.g. standardized clinical
interview, observation of the patient’s symptoms, neuropsychological examination with
scanners and diagnostic manuals). This is called inter-judge reliability.
● Reliability can be improved if clinicians use standardized clinical interview schedules,
which define and specify sets of symptoms to look for. The individual psychiatrist must
still make a subjective interpretation of the severity of the patient’s symptoms.
● The introduction of diagnostic manuals has increased reliability of diagnosis over the year
even though the manuals are not without flaws.
● Reliability of diagnosis is a necessary prerequisite for validity. Rosenhahn (1973)
performed a classic study that challenged reliability and validity of psychiatric diagnosis
and showed the consequences of being labeled as “insane”. In this study eight pseudo-
patients were diagnosed as suffering from severe psychological disorders but they were in
reality imposters.

Validity of diagnosis

● Validity of diagnosis refers to receiving the correct diagnosis. This should result in the
correct treatment and a prognosis (predictive validity). Validity presupposes reliability of
diagnosis.
● It is much more difficult to provide a correct diagnosis and give a prognosis for a
psychological disorder than for a physical disorder because it is not possible to
observe objective signs of the disorder in the same way.
● The DSM-IV manual does not include etiology but only symptoms. Sometimes patients
have symptoms that relate to different psychological disorders so it can be difficult to make
a valid diagnosis.