Sunday 12 May 2013

The problems with DEFINING DYSFUNCTIONAL BEHAVIOUR

What is dysfunctional behaviour? It's a tricky question that not even the professionals can easily describe. The simplest definition is "behaviour which disrupts normal functioning such as social interaction and sustaining employment", but it's still pretty broad.

Rosenhan and Seligman (1984) attempted to define dysfunctional behaviour. They created four criteria for "abnormality" (this used to be the official term for what is now dysfunctional behaviour):

  1. Statistical infrequency (if a behaviour is statistically very rare, it could be dysfunctional)
  2. Deviation from social norms (if a behaviour is not "normal", it may be dysfunctional)
  3. Failure to function adequately (such as causing observer discomfort and being irrational)
  4. Deviation from ideal mental health (Jahoda's 7 criteria including aspects such as being able to act independently and having positive self-esteem)
Some of these criteria may seem fairly logical if you think about the term dysfunctional, however it would label the following behaviours as dysfunctional at one point or another: homosexuality, protesting (e.g. civil rights movement or feminism), inventions, science, having a high IQ, winning the lottery, e.t.c.

So, it's not ideal. It's also pretty ethnocentric. For example, the criterion of "being able to act independently" would actually be seen as dysfunctional in some cultures, as group decisions and democracy are seen as prevalent. Statistical infrequency would render high IQ dysfunctional, but depression functional. And everyone is irrational or has low self-esteem at one point or another; does that mean we necessarily all have a psychological disorder?

Evaluation issues for this section would include subjectivity, cultural bias, ethnocentrism, temporal validity, face validity and construct validity, as well as reliability. 

6 comments:

  1. can you please explain the gottesman and shields study to me? so confused! I know its a bit late to be not knowing studies but i've just realised I wouldn;t know what to actually write about it!

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    1. Sorry I've never looked at that study so I can't explain it! Try looking at the abstract of the paper, you might be able to find it online.

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  2. why do i not think of other peoples feelings instead of my own ?? i end up hurting them & wonder why they get so upset with me ??? can you please explain what it is im doing so I can fix it ?? I don't mean to hurt people but I do. It feels like I'm not tuned in enough to care.
    Debbie

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    1. Hi there Debbie,

      I'm not sure this site is exactly what you're looking for, but I'll give you the best advice that I can.

      The fact that you're not intending to hurt people and it bothers you is a great start towards fixing your problems with social relationships, and shows you do think of others, but perhaps not before doing things which could upset them. Whilst you might be struggling to think of others before yourself for many reasons (trouble empathising, stress, depression, issues with self-esteem), there are some things you can do about it.

      Firstly, take a step back from stressful situations where you feel you may say something. Before you do something which affects someone else, take a few minutes to consider what might happen and if there's a better way to respond to someone.
      You could need to spend time developing your relationships with people you care about, doing things such as walks together or going out together for the day so you learn what upsets them and what makes them happy. Talk to someone you're close to (a relative, partner, or close friend) if you can, and tell them your worries.

      Everybody sometimes acts in a selfish way - it's human nature, we want to protect ourselves first and foremost - but it's possible to learn to control it. Try to do two things everyday that make others feel better, such as making someone a cup of tea or doing someone a favour, and take it from there.

      If this is something you feel is too difficult to do by yourself, consider talking to your GP, and they can recommend where to go from here.

      Best of luck
      Vicky

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  3. would you be able to write to model answer to the question 'describe one way that dysfunctional behavior can be defined?' I find it hard to structure my answer for this :/

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