Deviation from Social Norms 2
Psychology: AQA A Level, topic 4.1.2
Failure to Function Adequately
A more practical definition of deviations is to look at whether a person can function adequately in terms of looking after themselves and living life to the full.
Definition
- Defining deviations as failure to function adequately means identifying whether someone is coping in the workplace, has healthy relationships, and can cope with everyday life.
- Often, it includes an assessment of whether the person is engaging in actions that risk harm to themselves or others.
WHODAS scale
- To assess functioning, some psychologists and other clinicians use the World Health Organisation's Disability Assessment Schedule 'WHODAS':
- The WHODAS has questions about daily difficulties such as concentrating on something for ten minutes, getting dressed, or dealing with people you do not know.
- Problems on these activities are rated on a scale of 1 (no difficulty) to 6 (extreme difficulty or cannot do it at all).
Objective measurement
- As a definition, failure to function adequately is reasonably objective. It has the advantage that functioning is the basis on which a person may decide to seek help from a professional.
Limitation
- But there is a question of whether this definition allows people sufficient choice over how they live their lives.
- For example, people may decide that they don’t want to have a job or relationships, and they may enjoy risky behaviour.
Jahoda (1958) - Conditions of Ideal Mental Health
Jahoda devised 6 elements of optimal living.
Jahoda's (1958) 6 conditions
- Self-attitudes: having high self-esteem and a strong sense of identity.
- Personal growth and self-actualisation: the extent to which a person develops their full capabilities.
- Integration: such as being able to cope with stressful situations.
- Autonomy: being independent and self-regulating.
- Having an accurate perception of reality.
- Mastery of the environment: including the ability to love, function at work and in interpersonal relationships, adjust to new situations and solve problems.
Evaluation of theory
- Strengths
- Positive approach.
- Limitations
- Unrealistic criteria.
- Suggests mental health is the same as physical health.
- Cultural relativism.
Test yourself on Deviation from Social Norms 2
Which of the following would indicate that a person is functioning adequately?
If a person scored 6 on the WHODAS scale for a particular activity, what does this mean?
Jahoda's (1958) six conditions of ideal mental health.
Which of these is NOT a limitation of Jahoda's (1958) conditions of ideal mental health?
What are Jahoda's six conditions of ideal mental health?