GRAY AREAS OF ABNORMALITY
For this thought experiment, we will need to determine whether or not these two students show signs of abnormality.
In the year between her 19th and 20th birthday, Donna, who is 5’8, dropped from 160 to 125 pounds.
The weight loss commenced when she had gotten sick with the flu and lost 15 pounds.
Her friends complimented her on her new physique and she gained the motivation to further decrease her weight. This included cutting her daily caloric intake to 1100, avoiding sugars and carbohydrates, and jogging several miles per day for exercise. There are times when she is so hungry that it takes a toll on her academic performance, as she could think about nothing else but eating. Despite this, she is extremely satisfied with her new physique and wants to keep it for as long as possible, so she is determined to eat as little as possible despite the overwhelming feeling of hunger. She feels also wouldn’t hurt to lose a few more pounds so she can fit into a smaller, cuter skirt she saw at the mall the other day.
Her twin brother Donald is what most people might consider to be an alcoholic. He drinks anywhere between 4-7 beers a day, and despite his excessive consumption of alcohol, does not feel drunk after it. Due to this, he might top off the night with a few shots of alcohol, especially on Saturday nights going out at a bar or nightclub.
He has received several citations for underage drinking, and proudly displays them on the wall in his dorm room as trophies. Donald’s grades are not up to their fullest potential and he does not take much interest in his classes. He also finds it difficult to complete assignments.
Are Donna and Donald’s behaviors abnormal to you? How would you assess their level of dysfunction, distress, deviance and danger for either of the twins?
QUESTIONS TO ASK ONESELF
- What do you think is the mental health continuum model?
- What is cultural relativism in your mind? What do you think are some advantages and disadvantages of using this approach to determining abnormality?
- How do you use the criteria of unusualness to determine levels of abnormality? What do you think are some advantages and disadvantages for this criterion?
- What do you think is the distress criteria for determining abnormality? What issues arise from it’s use, and how can it be effective in identifying and determining abnormal behaviors?
- What do you think is the mental illness criteria for determining abnormality? What issues arise from it’s use, and how can it be effective in identifying and determining abnormal behaviors?
- What are the four words that start with the letter D for determining abnormal behaviors?
Take what you know and thought about from the previous six questions and attempt to apply it to this scenario:
Chad has several arrests for sexual assault against a minor and had recently been convicted of throwing a bottle of water in the face of an elderly woman in an argument over a parking space. On his medical record are listed a number of diagnosis’s for mental health disorders, including attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder, conduct disorder and substance abuse issues. The judge at Chad’s last trial made the remark that Chad did not seem to care about the consequences of his own behavior nor the idea of going to jail. Which of the following criterion could be used to determine that Chad’s behavior is NOT abnormal?
A. Cultural Relativism
B. Unusualness
C. Distress
D. Mental Illness