Exam (elaborations)
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY - AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY (PAPER 1) EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
- Course
- Institution
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY - AQA A LEVEL PSYCHOLOGY (PAPER 1) EXAM QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
[Show more]
Content preview
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY - AQA A LEVELPSYCHOLOGY (PAPER 1) EXAM
QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS
What is abnormality? (define) - Answer-Showing behaviour that is different from the
majority of people.
What are the 4 definitions of abnormality? - Answer-Statistical deviation
Deviation from social norms
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from ideal mental health
*S*hould *D*ogs *F*ly *D*rones?
What is statistical deviation? And when is this approach of defining abnormality useful?
- Answer-Occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic, for example
being more depressed or less intelligent than most of the population.
Useful when dealing with characteristics that can be measured - e.g, intelligence.
What are the 3 evaluation points for statistical deviation? - Answer-✔️ *Real life
application* - diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder.
• Used for measurement of severity - useful part of clinical assessment.
❌*Unusual characteristics can be positive.*
• E.g, an IQ over 130 is just as unusual as those below 70, but high IQ is not something
in need of treatment.
• Therefore, statistical deviation alone can't be used to make a diagnosis
❌*Labelling is not beneficial*.
• If someone is leading a healthy life, there is no benefit in labelling them as abnormal -
more likely to have a negative effect.
What is deviation from social norms? And what is an example of this? - Answer-
Concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a
community, culture, or society.
Social norms are specific to the culture we live in.
Antisocial personality disorder is a key example - don't conform to social/moral
standards.
What are the evaluation points for deviation from social norms? - Answer-✔️ *Real-life
application* - diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder. Place for it when thinking
about abnormal behaviour
BUT - not a sole explanation. Other factors to consider, and in practice deviation from
social norms is never the sole reason for defining abnormality
❌*Cultural relativism*.
, • Social norms vary from one generation to another, and from one culture to another.
• Means that a person from one cultural group may label someone from another group
as abnormal according to their standards.
• Creates problems for people from one culture living within another cultural group.
❌*Can lead to human rights abuses*.
• Many diagnoses were used to maintain control over minority groups - e.g,
drapetomania was a diagnosis for slaves running away.
• When our social norms change, classifications may also change. E.g, homosexuality
in the UK - used to be illegal.
What is failure to function adequately? And what are the 3 signs? - Answer-Occurs
when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day-to-day living.
Signs:
• Individual no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules - e.g, maintaining eye
contact and respecting personal space
• Individual experiences severe personal distress
• Individual's behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others.
What are the evaluation points for failure to function adequately? - Answer-
❌*Subjective judgements*.
• Someone has to judge whether a patient is distressed. Methods of making this
objective - but psychiatrist still have to judge & this is subjective.
❌*Could be deviation from social norms*.
• Hard to differentiate between someone failing to function or just not conforming to
social norms.
• E.g, not having a job is a sign of failing to function, but they may just be choosing to
live that lifestyle.
• Significant - limits personal freedom.
✔️ *Patient's perspective*.
• Attempts to include the subjective experience of the individual.
• Acknowledges experience of patient - useful when assessing abnormality.
What is deviation from ideal mental health? What is the list of criteria for this, and who
came up with it? - Answer-Occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for
good mental health.
Marie Jahoda (1958) came up with criteria for good mental health:
• Have no symptoms of distress
• Rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
• Self-actualise (reach our potential)
• Can cope with stress
• Realistic view of the world
• Independent of other people
• Can successfully work, love, and enjoy our leisure
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Rusenna. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $14.49. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
78600 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now