, Deviation from social norms - in-depth notes
Definitions of abnormality • Most of us notice people whose behaviour is a deviation from social
Key terms: norms, i.e. when a person behaves in a way that is different from
• Statistical infrequency: Occurs when an individual has a how we expect people to behave. Groups of people (hence 's ocial')
less common characteristic, for example being more choose to define behaviour as abnormal on the basis that it offends
depressed or less intelligent than most of the population their sense of what is 'acceptable' or the norm. We are making a
• Deviation from social norms: Concerns on behaviour that collective judgement as a society about what is right.
is different from the accepted standard of behaviour in
a community or society Norms are specific to the culture we live in
• Of course those social norms may be different for each generation
Statistical infrequency - in-depth notes and every culture, so there are relatively few behaviours that would
• Perhaps the most obvious way to define anything as be considered universally abnormal on the basis that they breach
'normal' or 'abnormal' is according to the number of times social norms. For example, homosexuality continues to be viewed as
we observe it - statistics are about numbers. According abnormal in some cultures and was considered abnormal in our
to the statistical definition any relatively usual society in the past.
behaviour or characteristic can be thought of as
'normal', and any behaviour that is different to this is Example of Deviation from social norms: antisocial personality disorder
'abnormal'. This is what is meant by statistical • A person with antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy) is
infrequency. impulsive, aggressive and irresponsible. According to the DSM-5 (the
manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose mental disorder) one
Examples of Statistical infrequency - IQ and intellectual
important symptom of antisocial personality disorder is an 'absence
disability disorder
• This statistical approach comes into its own when we are of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to
dealing with characteristics that can be reliably lawful or culturally normative ethical behaviour'.
measured, for example intelligence. We know that, in any • In other words we are making the social judgement that a psychopath
human characteristic, the majority of people's scores will is abnormal because they don't conform to our moral standards.
cluster around the average, and that the further we go Psychopathic behaviour would be considered abnormal in a very wide
above or below that average, the fewer people will range of cultures.
attain that score. This is called the normal distribution.
• The average IQ is set at 100. Most people (68%) have an
IQ in the range from 85 to 115. Only 2% of people have a
Graph showing
score below 70. Those individuals scoring below 70 are the IQ and
very unusual or 'abnormal', and are liable to receive a intellectual
diagnosis of a psychological disorder - intellectual disability
disability disorder (what used to be known as mental disorder
retardation).
, Evaluation - Statistical infrequency Deviation (unusual characteristics can be positive
P: A weakness of statistical infrequency is that IQ scores over 130 are just as unusual as those below 70, but we wouldn't think of
super-intelligence as an undesirable characteristic that needs treatment.
E: Just because very few people display certain behaviours which makes their behaviour statistically abnormal it doesn't mean it
requires treatment to return to normal.
E: This is a serious limitation to the concept of statistical infrequency and means that it would never be used alone to make a
diagnosis, reducing accuracy
CA: Some psychologist may argue that statistical definitions have real -life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability
disorder and therefore there is a place for statistical infrequency when thinking about abnormal behaviours and characteristics,
which increases the credibility of this definition.
C: Despite this its still a weakness because there is a lack of clarity making this definition less reliable
Evaluation - Deviation from social norms (Cultural relativism)
P: A weakness with using deviation from social norms to define behaviour as abnormal is that social norms vary tremendously from
one generation to another one cultural group may label someone from another culture as behaving abnormally according to their
standards rather than the standards of the person behaving that way.
E: For example, hearing voices is socially acceptable in some cultures but would be seen as a sign of mental abnormality in the UK.
E: This creates problems for people from one culture living within another culture group because it leads to a lack of a universal
definition.
CA: Some psychologist may argue that a strength of deviation from social norms is that it has real-life application in the diagnosis of
antisocial personality disorder. We make the social judgement that a psychopath is abnormal because they don't conform to our moral
standards.
C: Despite this it's still a weakness because the definition relies heavily on subjective judgments and cultural bias, which may lead to
misdiagnosis or unfair labeling of individuals.
Evaluation - the generic paragraph
P: One strength of the definitions of abnormality is that all definitions of abnormality have been useful in improving people's mental
health by providing frameworks for identifying when someone may need help.
E: These definitions help psychologists and mental health professionals to diagnose disorders, create treatment plans, and offer
support.
E: For example, recognising when someone is not functioning adequately or is far from ideal mental health can prompt early
inter vention.
CA: However some psychologist may argue that, each definition has limitations and may be culturally biased or lack a clear boundary
bet ween normality and abnormality, which can lead to misdiagnosis or over-pathologising normal behaviour
C: Despite this, it's still a strength because these definitions provide a starting point for understanding complex mental health issues
and have contributed to the development of effective psychological therapies and treatments.
Definitions of abnormality • Most of us notice people whose behaviour is a deviation from social
Key terms: norms, i.e. when a person behaves in a way that is different from
• Statistical infrequency: Occurs when an individual has a how we expect people to behave. Groups of people (hence 's ocial')
less common characteristic, for example being more choose to define behaviour as abnormal on the basis that it offends
depressed or less intelligent than most of the population their sense of what is 'acceptable' or the norm. We are making a
• Deviation from social norms: Concerns on behaviour that collective judgement as a society about what is right.
is different from the accepted standard of behaviour in
a community or society Norms are specific to the culture we live in
• Of course those social norms may be different for each generation
Statistical infrequency - in-depth notes and every culture, so there are relatively few behaviours that would
• Perhaps the most obvious way to define anything as be considered universally abnormal on the basis that they breach
'normal' or 'abnormal' is according to the number of times social norms. For example, homosexuality continues to be viewed as
we observe it - statistics are about numbers. According abnormal in some cultures and was considered abnormal in our
to the statistical definition any relatively usual society in the past.
behaviour or characteristic can be thought of as
'normal', and any behaviour that is different to this is Example of Deviation from social norms: antisocial personality disorder
'abnormal'. This is what is meant by statistical • A person with antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy) is
infrequency. impulsive, aggressive and irresponsible. According to the DSM-5 (the
manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose mental disorder) one
Examples of Statistical infrequency - IQ and intellectual
important symptom of antisocial personality disorder is an 'absence
disability disorder
• This statistical approach comes into its own when we are of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to
dealing with characteristics that can be reliably lawful or culturally normative ethical behaviour'.
measured, for example intelligence. We know that, in any • In other words we are making the social judgement that a psychopath
human characteristic, the majority of people's scores will is abnormal because they don't conform to our moral standards.
cluster around the average, and that the further we go Psychopathic behaviour would be considered abnormal in a very wide
above or below that average, the fewer people will range of cultures.
attain that score. This is called the normal distribution.
• The average IQ is set at 100. Most people (68%) have an
IQ in the range from 85 to 115. Only 2% of people have a
Graph showing
score below 70. Those individuals scoring below 70 are the IQ and
very unusual or 'abnormal', and are liable to receive a intellectual
diagnosis of a psychological disorder - intellectual disability
disability disorder (what used to be known as mental disorder
retardation).
, Evaluation - Statistical infrequency Deviation (unusual characteristics can be positive
P: A weakness of statistical infrequency is that IQ scores over 130 are just as unusual as those below 70, but we wouldn't think of
super-intelligence as an undesirable characteristic that needs treatment.
E: Just because very few people display certain behaviours which makes their behaviour statistically abnormal it doesn't mean it
requires treatment to return to normal.
E: This is a serious limitation to the concept of statistical infrequency and means that it would never be used alone to make a
diagnosis, reducing accuracy
CA: Some psychologist may argue that statistical definitions have real -life application in the diagnosis of intellectual disability
disorder and therefore there is a place for statistical infrequency when thinking about abnormal behaviours and characteristics,
which increases the credibility of this definition.
C: Despite this its still a weakness because there is a lack of clarity making this definition less reliable
Evaluation - Deviation from social norms (Cultural relativism)
P: A weakness with using deviation from social norms to define behaviour as abnormal is that social norms vary tremendously from
one generation to another one cultural group may label someone from another culture as behaving abnormally according to their
standards rather than the standards of the person behaving that way.
E: For example, hearing voices is socially acceptable in some cultures but would be seen as a sign of mental abnormality in the UK.
E: This creates problems for people from one culture living within another culture group because it leads to a lack of a universal
definition.
CA: Some psychologist may argue that a strength of deviation from social norms is that it has real-life application in the diagnosis of
antisocial personality disorder. We make the social judgement that a psychopath is abnormal because they don't conform to our moral
standards.
C: Despite this it's still a weakness because the definition relies heavily on subjective judgments and cultural bias, which may lead to
misdiagnosis or unfair labeling of individuals.
Evaluation - the generic paragraph
P: One strength of the definitions of abnormality is that all definitions of abnormality have been useful in improving people's mental
health by providing frameworks for identifying when someone may need help.
E: These definitions help psychologists and mental health professionals to diagnose disorders, create treatment plans, and offer
support.
E: For example, recognising when someone is not functioning adequately or is far from ideal mental health can prompt early
inter vention.
CA: However some psychologist may argue that, each definition has limitations and may be culturally biased or lack a clear boundary
bet ween normality and abnormality, which can lead to misdiagnosis or over-pathologising normal behaviour
C: Despite this, it's still a strength because these definitions provide a starting point for understanding complex mental health issues
and have contributed to the development of effective psychological therapies and treatments.
