...Three Definitions of Abnormality 1. Deviation from social norms Abnormality can be defined as a deviation from social norms This means that we label people as abnormal if their behaviour is different from what we accept as the norms of society. Some social norms are explicit, which means they are legal written laws. While other social norms are implicit and are unwritten, or unspoken rules in society. If people break these rules, then they are deviating away from social norms and therefore, could be labeled as abnormal. This definition of abnormality can be applied to certain behaviours. For example, a type of behaviour that breaks implicit rules could be standing too close to another person in a face to face conversation, or dressing to a particular dress code. While explicit rule breaking can also include criminal behaviour. According to this definition anyone who break a social norm is abnormal. Limitations • Behaviour might deviate from social norms due to ‘eccentricity’ rather than abnormality. Therefore according to this definition people who break implicit social norms may be wrongly labelled abnormal. • Behaviour may appear to deviate from social norms because it has been taken out of context, rather than being due to abnormality. This is a problem because it may lead to individuals being wrongly identified as abnormal. • Social norms change over time and therefore it is problematic to determine abnormality as a deviation from social...
Words: 860 - Pages: 4
...‘Critically consider definitions of abnormality’ Abnormal psychology (or psychopathology) deals with sets of behaviors or symptoms that produce a functional impairment in people’s lives. There are many definitions to consider in Abnormality, and below i have stated them. Statistical Infrequency.In this definition of abnormality, behaviors which are seen as statistically rare, are said to be abnormal. However this definition obviously has limitations, it fails to recognize the desirability of the particular behavior. This definition also implies that the presence of abnormal behavior in people should be rare or statistically unusual, which is not the case. Instead, any specific abnormal behavior may be unusual, but it is not unusual for people to experience some form of prolonged abnormal behavior at some point in their lives. Deviation from Social Norms defines the departure or deviation of an individual, from society's norms. For example if some was to witness a man running around nude on the streets, the man would be perceived as abnormal, as he has broken society's norms about wearing clothing. There are also a number of factors to be examined before reaching a judgment as to whether someone has deviated from society's norms. The first of these factors being culture. What may be seen as normal in one culture, may be seen as abnormal in another. The second factor being the situation & context the person is placed in. For example going to the toilet is a normal...
Words: 448 - Pages: 2
...and evaluate definitions of abnormality The first definition of abnormality is deviation from the social norm. This means that the person is not conforming to the expected and accepted patterns of behaviour in society. There are two types of social norms which can be broken by ‘not normal’ patterns of behaviour, Implicit and Explicit. Implicit rules are those which are implied, for example using cutlery to eat a roast dinner. Whilst there is no law stating that this must be done, it would be deemed unusual by other members of society. The other rule, explicit, refers to stated rules, for example the law. One example of an individual breaking an explicit rule would be committing Murder. There are however several issues with using deviation from social norm to determine abnormality. The first being cultural relativism, meaning social norms vary between cultures. For example in many African-American tribes, hearing the voices of the recently deceased is seen as a blessing. In the west, it is diagnosed as schizophrenia. Further to this, the definition does not allow for eccentric behaviour, which does not necessarily mean a person is mentally ill, ie. A rugby streaker may not be abnormal, but may just seek attention. A final drawback to this approach is that it does not define the difference between a criminal and a person with a mental health issue. A burglar, for example, may simply have a criminal mind but not be abnormal. The second definition of abnormality is the failure...
Words: 631 - Pages: 3
...more definitions of abnormality? (12 Marks) Deviation from social norms is a definition of abnormality. The word ‘deviation’ in this definition is referring to deviant behaviour (behaviour which is considered anti-social or undesirable by the majority of society members). In society there are social norms (standards of acceptable behaviour that are set by the social group). These standards are often in place for good reason. An example of a social norm is politeness as this is the start of interpersonal relations. People who are being rude or are behaving in an anti-social way because others find it difficult to interact with them. Social standards are not restricted to rules of etiquette but also more serious issues, such as what is acceptable in sexual behaviour. Our culture permits sex between consenting adults of any gender but regards some other behaviours as sexually deviant. For example in the past homosexuality was classified as deviant behaviour in the UK but nowadays it isn’t so things change with time. The main difficulty with the deviation from social norms is that it varies as times change. So what is socially acceptable now may not have been acceptable 50 years ago. In our time now homosexuality is acceptable but in the past it was included under sexual and gender identity disorders. Its something like in Russia 50 years ago, anyone who disagreed with state ran the risk of being regarded as insane and placed in a mental institution. If we define abnormality in the...
Words: 487 - Pages: 2
...One definition of abnormality is deviation from social norms. This refers to behaviour that deviates from the societal expectations of the culture the subject is part of. Examples of British social norms include behaviours like politeness and reserve. The main difficulty with this concept is that social norms change rapidly, so something that seems socially acceptable now may not have been socially acceptable a few years past. A second issue is how deviance is judges by context and degree. For instance someone who wears unusual clothing during their leisure time is unlikely to be considered psychologically abnormal also much as socially eccentric. A second definition is failure to function adequately. This refers to how a person’s alleged abnormality affects their ability to go about day-to-day existence. For example, someone with an eating disorder could be considered psychologically abnormal because it impedes their natural survival instinct to eat. One of the biggest problems with this definition is the question of who judges what does and does not affect a person’s ability to ‘function adequately’. Secondly there is the issue of how the definition of ‘functioning adequately’ can be applied cross-culturally. For instance someone from another culture may exhibit a behaviour which is consistent with this definition of abnormality in western culture, but would be perfectly normal in their own culture. The final definition is that of deviation from ideal mental health. Marie...
Words: 396 - Pages: 2
...Describe and Evaluate one or more definitions of Abnormality One definition of Abnormality is deviation of Social Norms. Social norms are accepted ways of behaving within a society. They are the unwritten rules that members of a society regard as being normal and acceptable, and any deviation from them can be regarded as abnormal behaviour. Examples include ways of dressing, such as women wearing feminine clothing and men wearing masculine clothing, not appearing naked in public, saying 'please' and 'thank you', opening doors for women and elderly people etc. Social norms may, however, vary between cultures - clothing is an example of this as some African tribes wear very little clothing whereas Western cultures keep certain areas of the body covered at all times. The problem with defining abnormality as deviation from social norms is that probably the majority of behaviour that deviates from social norms is unlikely to represent mental illness. Eccentric behaviours, for example the case of John Slater (Weekes & James, 1995) who lived in a cave that was often flooded by seawater because the open space helped him think more clearly, are not necessarily abnormal to the extent that health is harmed. A limitation of deviation from social norms is that different cultures behave in different ways in the same situation. Western cultures may experience a different social display of grief for a bereavement when compared with Indian or African cultures. Another would be that eccentric...
Words: 617 - Pages: 3
...Dr Padawl wishes to explain to a group of hospital volunteers how psychologists try to make decisions about abnormality. Dr Padawl decides to start by explaining how abnormality is defined. Describe and evaluate two definitions of abnormality. In your answer you must refer to how Dr Padawl might explain definitions of abnormality to the volunteers. (12) Dr Padawl may start explaining that abnormality is defined as ‘deviation from a norm or a standard’, and that by labeling a person or behaviour as ‘abnormal’ implies something undesirable and requires change. One definition of abnormality that Dr Padawl could use is social norms. He could ask the volunteers to come up with some examples of what they think social norms are. Then provide them with the correct definition that every society sets up rules for behaviours based on moral standards. They can be explicit (i.e. breaking the law), or implicit (unwritten rules i.e. table manners), and breaking these laws would be considered as abnormal as they are seen as rare in the population. After doing so, Dr Padawl could consolidate by asking the volunteers to label their examples whether they are explicit or implicit. Dr Padawl may also wish to evaluate social norms as a definition of abnormality. One weakness is that cross-cultural misunderstandings are common, as a behaviour that is considered as normal in one society may be seen as abnormal in another, due to cultures and time. i.e. homosexuality was considered as...
Words: 531 - Pages: 3
...concept of abnormality is defined differently in different cultures as behaviors of a particular culture may be abnormal to another culture. In order to clearly understand what abnormal psychology is, it is very imperative to first understand what is defined as abnormal. The concept of abnormality is defined in relation to norms of a particular group or culture and hence anything (behavior, thought, or emotion) that is outside the norms of a particular group of people, gender, or age is considered as abnormal. Many people can follow under the normal curve where many human beings are clustered around the highest point of the curve called the average point. Any person who follows far from the average point in the normal curve is considered as abnormal. Different elements of abnormal psychology have brought about differences in definition, approaches, and treatment. These elements include; suffering, adaptation failure, incomprehensibility, vividness, violation of moral and ideal standards, unpredictability and loss of control, and incomprehensibility as well as irrationality. This study indicates how these elements bring about differences in definitions, approaches, and treatment of abnormality. Suffering is generally defined as the aspect of feeling pain or being discomfort. Happiness and comfort are the norms of many social groups and even cultures and hence when one is feeling pain he is considered abnormal. According to the psychological theory of abnormality presented...
Words: 1916 - Pages: 8
...Discuss two or more definitions of abnormality (12 marks) One definition of abnormality is “deviation from social norms” and under this definition a person’s thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates the unwritten rules about what is expected or acceptable behaviour in a particular social group. Behaviour may be incomprehensible to others or make others feel threatened or uncomfortable. For example, someone would be classified as being abnormal if they laughed at a funeral, as this is socially unacceptable. A weakness of this definition is that it lacks cultural relativity as social behaviour varies when different cultures are compared. For e.g. it’s common in south Europe to stand much closer to strangers than in the UK. As well as this voice pitch and volume, touching, directions of gaze and acceptable subjects for discussion have all been found to vary between cultures. This means what is considered deviant or abnormal varies considerably across cultures, thus weakening this definition. Another limitation of deviation from social norms is that it lacks time validity. This is because social norms change over time; behaviour that was once seen as abnormal may be acceptable and vice versa. For example, drink driving was once considered acceptable but is now seen as socially unacceptable whereas homosexuality has changed the other way. Until 1980 homosexuality was considered a psychological disorder but is considered acceptable today. This is a weakness...
Words: 3190 - Pages: 13
...Discuss two or more definitions of abnormality (12 marks) One definition of abnormality is “deviation from social norms” and under this definition a person’s thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates the unwritten rules about what is expected or acceptable behaviour in a particular social group. Behaviour may be incomprehensible to others or make others feel threatened or uncomfortable. For example, someone would be classified as being abnormal if they laughed at a funeral, as this is socially unacceptable. A weakness of this definition is that it lacks cultural relativity as social behaviour varies when different cultures are compared. For e.g. it’s common in south Europe to stand much closer to strangers than in the UK. As well as this voice pitch and volume, touching, directions of gaze and acceptable subjects for discussion have all been found to vary between cultures. This means what is considered deviant or abnormal varies considerably across cultures, thus weakening this definition. Another limitation of deviation from social norms is that it lacks time validity. This is because social norms change over time; behaviour that was once seen as abnormal may be acceptable and vice versa. For example, drink driving was once considered acceptable but is now seen as socially unacceptable whereas homosexuality has changed the other way. Until 1980 homosexuality was considered a psychological disorder but is considered acceptable today. This is a weakness because...
Words: 3191 - Pages: 13
...now may not have been socially acceptable 50 years ago e.g. homosexuality Explanation: definition will be constantly altered with regards to the prevailing social norms/ attitudes time change = social attitude change no standardised/generalised based on deviation from ‘social norms’. Limitations: Point: main difficulty with the concept of deviation from social norms = varies as time changes Evidence: What is socially accepted now may not have been socially acceptable 50 years ago e.g. homosexuality Explanation: definition will be constantly altered with regards to the prevailing social norms/ attitudes time change = social attitude change no standardised/generalised based on deviation from ‘social norms’. Limitations: Point: attempts to define abnormality influenced by cultural factors (cultural relativism) Evidence: Western European society’s accept sex between consenting adults of any gender where s it may be classified abnormal in a different culture e.g. Sub-Saharan Africa Explanation: different cultures = different standards Limitations: Point: attempts to define abnormality influenced by cultural factors (cultural relativism) Evidence: Western European society’s accept sex between consenting adults of any gender where s it may be classified abnormal in a different culture e.g. Sub-Saharan Africa Explanation: different cultures = different standards Definition 1 Deviation from social norms: Abnormal behaviour is seen as a deviation from implicit...
Words: 421 - Pages: 2
...Abnormal Psychology (Task 1 of 2) Assignment 1 – Defining Abnormality 1) Explain statistical infrequency as a means of defining abnormality If a persons thinking or behaviour is statistically unusual or rare then it is classed as abnormal behaviour. 2) Give an example to illustrate how this definition could be used. Mother Teresa is a good example of someone who falls under the category of statistical infrequency. A person who is a millionaire could be classed as abnormal because the number of people in the world that are millionaires is low compared to the rest of the population so being a millionaire is a rare position to be in, and it occurs infrequently. Another example is how anxiety is measured; it is considered that if you score either low or high when measured for levels of anxiety that you are considered as abnormal. You could also say that in Britain that it is understood that most people wash themselves on a daily basis so therefore according to this definition, it is abnormal not to wash on a regular basis, because it is classed as a statistical infrequency. 3) Explain at least two criticisms of this definition First criticism The first criticism of this definition is that it is a bit ambiguous as to how rare does a persons behaviour have to be before it is classed as abnormal behaviour. How rare is too rare. Second criticism This definition doesn’t consider social desirability of the ‘abnormal behaviour’, some statistically infrequent...
Words: 1455 - Pages: 6
...depression at any one time (NIMH, 2001; data for older adults). There are many ways that abnormality can be defined. For example: Statistical Infrequency Under this definition of abnormality, a person's trait, thinking or behavior is classified as abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual. With this definition it is necessary to be clear about how rare a trait or behavior needs to be before we class it as abnormal IQ graph For instance one may say that an individual who has an IQ below or above the average level of IQ in society is abnormal. However this definition obviously has limitations, it fails to recognize the desirability of the particular behavior. Going back to the example, someone who has an IQ level above the normal average wouldn't necessarily be seen as abnormal, rather on the contrary they would be highly regarded for their intelligence. This definition also implies that the presence of abnormal behavior in people should be rare or statistically unusual, which is not the case. Instead, any specific abnormal behavior may be unusual, but it is not unusual for people to exhibit some form of prolonged abnormal behavior at some point in their lives. Limitation: However, this definition fails to distinguish between desirable and undesirable behavior. Statistically speaking, many very gifted individuals could be classified as ‘abnormal’ using this definition. The use of the...
Words: 564 - Pages: 3
...2012). There are many ways to define abnormality: statistical infrequency, violation of social norms, failure to function adequately, and deviation from ideal mental health. The first abnormality is statistical infrequency and with this example according to McLeod (2008), “Under this definition of abnormality, a person's trait, thinking or behavior is classified as abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual. With this definition it is necessary to be clear about how rare a trait or behavior needs to be before we class it as abnormal”. Violation of social norms is probably one of the most common ways people associate abnormalities. An individuals thinking or behavior is defined as abnormal if they violate the rules that are expected or consider acceptable behavior in a social group. If their behavior is threatening or causes others to feel uncomfortable these individuals are in violation of social norms. Social behavior varies based on different cultures (McLeod, 2008). Failure to function is considered an abnormality due to an individual being unable to cope with day to day demands. Essentially, individuals are not capable of self-care, employment, social skills and making themselves understood. Some examples of failure to function are: suffering, maladaptiveness (danger to self), vividness, loss of control, irrationality, and violation of moral or social standards (McLeod, 2008). Deviation from ideal mental health is more so the definition of what is...
Words: 867 - Pages: 4
...the mind and behavior. It seeks to comprehend people by understanding mental functions and social behavior. It also explores neurobiological and physiological processes that can drive cognitive functions and behaviors. It is this drive to understand mental processes that pushes psychologists to want to learn about what is normal and abnormal behavior. People have tried for thousands of years to understand and define abnormal behavior. In the past 100 years it has undergone “tremendous change, progress, and controversy”(Hansell, J & Damour, L., 2009, p.3). Throughout the modifications certain principles have remained which are known as the core concepts. These core concepts are what define abnormal behavior. There is no clear precise definition for abnormal, which gives rise to challenges in classifying abnormal and normal behavior. Abnormal psychology is a scientific discipline, in which a person acquires information on a person’s behavior and then measures the behavior to hypothesize a cause and treatment. There is a core concept that says that there are multiple causes to abnormal behavior, understanding this can lead to learning about and treating abnormal behavior. These multiple causes can be comprehended by learning about the psychosocial, biological, and sociocultural theoretical models related to the development of abnormal behavior. Abnormal The study of abnormal behavior began early in time when people tried to explain deviant behaviors. Abnormal behavior may have...
Words: 1597 - Pages: 7
