Definitions of abnormality: failure to function adequately - Psychopathology

Failure to Function Adequately definition:
This definition suggests that a person may cross the line between ‘normal’ and ‘abnormal’ at the point where they can no longer cope with the demands of everyday life and they ‘fail to function adequately’ – this may be when they are unable to maintain basic standards of hygiene and nutrition, and if they cannot hold down a job or maintain relationships with people around them.

Rosenhan & Seligman (1989) proposed some signs that can be used to determine if someone is not coping – for example: when a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules (eg. respecting personal space and maintaining eye contact), when a persons’ behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous, and when a person experiences personal distress (or if it impacts family/friends).

Evaluation:

• Abnormality is not always accompanied by dysfunction. For example, Psychopaths (people with dangerous personality disorders) can cause great harm, yet still appear normal – Harold Shipman, the English doctor who murdered at least 215 of his patients, seemed to be a respectable working man and didn’t display any features of dysfunction. Therefore, this explanation cannot be used as a method to highlight abnormality in everyone – therefore is limited in its application, and potentially lacks validity and credibility as it cannot be used as a diagnostic tool for everyone.

• There are times in a person’s life when it is completely normal to suffer distress and stop functioning ‘normally’. For example, when you experience the death of a loved-one: it is perfectly normal, and psychologically healthy, to grieve their loss. This definition doesn’t account for this and so, it is again limited in its applicability.

• Also, the presence of an abnormality doesn’t always result in a “failure to function". For example, an individual with depression may still be able to hold a job and run a family successfully – and there are many examples of celebrities who have suffered from psychological disorders who have had successful careers and who would not be considered as “failing to function adequately” e.g., David Beckham has OCD and Stephen Fry has bipolar disorder. This is a limitation because it shows that this definition is inadequate in truly identifying behaviours that may be considered abnormal.

• Failure to function adequately can be seen by others around the individual because, for example, they may not be able to get out of bed of a morning, or be able to hold a job down. This means that problems can be picked up by others, and if the individual is incapable of making a decision or helping themselves, others can intervene. This is a strength as many people who suffer from disorders such as Schizophrenia believe that their behaviour is completely normal and wouldn’t necessarily consider themselves as needing “help” even when they do, and this definition can identify this and get them the help they need.