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Despite numerous efforts, no single, universally accepted definition for psychological disorders exists. This is because no single approach or set of criteria can adequately distinguish all cases of disorder from non-disorder, and there is no universal agreement on the precise boundary between what is considered disordered and what is not. This conceptual challenge highlights the complexity of defining mental illness.

Lack of a Universal Definition for Psychological Disorders

Proposed by Wakefield in 1992, the influential harmful dysfunction model defines a psychological disorder using two criteria. First, there must be a 'dysfunction,' which is a failure of an evolutionarily developed internal mechanism (such as cognition or perception) to perform its natural function. Second, this dysfunction must be 'harmful,' meaning it results in negative consequences for the individual or others, as judged by the standards of their culture. These harms can include significant internal distress or impairment in social or occupational life.

Wakefield's Harmful Dysfunction Model

A research team proposes that a psychological disorder can be universally defined as 'any pattern of inner experience or behavior that is statistically rare.' Which of the following statements represents the most significant conceptual flaw in this definition?

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