statiscal frequency

Question 1

definition of normal distribution

Answer 1

A symmetrical spread of frequency data that forms a bell-shaped pattern. The mean, median and mode are all located at the highest peak. In any human characteristic the majorityof people’s socre will cluster around the average, and the further you go above or below that everage the fewer people will attain that score.

Question 2

deifinition of positive skew

Answer 2

Type of distribution in wich the long tail in on the positive side of the peak and most of the distribution is concentrated on the left

Question 3

defintion of statistcial infrequency

Answer 3

when an individual’s behaviour/trait/thinking is numerically rare

Question 4

definition of negative skew

Answer 4

Type of distribution in which the long tail on the negative side of the peak and most of the distribution is concentrated in the right

Question 5

when is someone considered to be abnormal according to the statistical infrequency definition definition

Answer 5

The behaviour has to be 2 standard deviations away from the mean to be classed as abnormal - typically means the bottom 2.5% and top 2.5 % of the population for any behaviour

Question 5

how to use cultural relativisim as a weakness para for statistical freuqncey

Answer 5

Make your point
- Cultural relativism is an issue for the definition.
Add evidence or an example
- eg in British culture, hearing voices that others cannot is a symptom of schizophrenia (auditory hallucinations) and is numerically rare in our culture and so would be classed as abnormal as it is more than 2 standard deviations away from the mean for this behaviour. However, in other cultures, it is a sign that your recently deceased loved ones are still with you, and is therefore a sign of great honour, therefore making it numerically common and so classed as normal.
Explain why it’s a strength or weakness AND introduce a counterargument OR a further idea to support your argument
- This suggests that the definition may not be externally valid and so shouldn’t be applied outside the culture it was created in without caution. In particular, the definition creates problems for people from one culture living within another culture group as their behaviour may be common in their own culture but numerically rare in the culture they moved to. Therefore, psychologists must be sensitive to such cultural differences when defining abnormality.

Question 6

strengths of statistical freuqency

Answer 6

• can be useful in part of clinical assessment
• eg it has real-life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder. There is therefore a place for statistical infrequency in thinking about normal and abnormal behavioural characteristics. One of the assessments of patients with mental disorders includes some kind of measurement of the severity of symptoms compared to statistical norms
• suggests that the definition is externally valid as it can be applied to usefully applied to different situations to aid in clinical assessments.

Question 7

weakness of statistical frequencey

Answer 7

• There are many statistically rare/infrequent behaviours that are actually quite desirable
• suffers from cultural relativism
• When someone is living a happy and fulfilled life, there is no benefit in them being labelled as abnormal, regardless of how unusual they are

Question 8

explanation of cultural relativisim as a weakness of statictical frequencey

Answer 8

• Behaviours that are statistically infrequent in one culture may be statistically more frequent in another. For example, one of the symptoms of schizophrenia is claiming to hear voices. However, this is an experience that is common in some cultures, especially immediately after a loved one has died. In some cultures, spiritualists take part in religious rituals believing that they are communicating with the dead
• suggests that the definition may not be externally valid and so shouldn’t be applied outside the culture it was created in without caution. In particular, the definition creates problems for people from one culture living within another culture group as their behaviour may be common in their own culture, but statistically infrequent in the culture in which they are now living. Therefore, psychologists must be sensitive to such cultural differences when defining abnormality.

Question 9

explanation of many statistically rare/infrequent behaviours being desirable as a weakness of statictical frequencey

Answer 9

• For example, very few people have an IQ over 150, but we would not want to suggest that having a high IQ is undesirable or abnormal. Equally, there are some statistically frequent behaviours that are undesirable. For example, about 10% of people will be chronically depressed at some point in their lives, which suggests that depression is so common that it is not seen as abnormal according to this definition.
• Therefore, using statistical infrequency to define abnormality means that we are unable to distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviours. In order to identify behaviours that need treatment, there needs to be a way of identifying infrequent and undesirable behaviours. This suggests that the definition should never be used in isolation to make a diagnosis.

Question 10

explanation of no benefit in person being labelled as abnormal if happy as a weakness of statictical frequencey

Answer 10

• For example, someone with a very low IQ but who is not distressed, quite capable of working etc. would not need a diagnosis of intellectual disability. If that person is labelled as abnormal, it could have a negative effect on the way others view them and how they view themselves.
• This suggests that the definition could cause unnecessary psychological harm and so a cost-benefit analysis should be applied before using it to define someone as abnormal.