3A'' - Usefulness and Limitations of Behaviours

Question 1

Social Norms - Usefulness & Limitations

Answer 1

✅ Usefulness: Widely known and used intuitively, no need for explicit teaching.
❌ Limitations: Vary across societies and change over time.

Question 2

Cultural Perspectives - Usefulness & Limitations

Answer 2

✅ Usefulness: Culture gives helpful context to decide if behaviour is normal or not.
❌ Limitations: Cultures vary a lot and change over time, making it unclear what’s truly unusual.

Question 3

Statistical Rarity - Usefulness & Limitations (3 limitations, memorize at least one)

Answer 3

✅ Usefulness: Helps categorize behaviors as typical or atypical when clear cutoffs exist.

❌ Limitations:

• Cutoffs can be unclear or arbitrary (e.g., IQ 69 vs. 70).
• Doesn’t separate “good” atypical (low anxiety) from “bad” atypical (high anxiety).
• Some common behaviors are still labeled atypical.

Question 4

Personal Distress - Usefulness & Limitations
(2 limitations, memorize at least one)

Answer 4

✅ Usefulness: Recognizes personal distress as a valid reason to seek help, ensuring support reaches those who need it.

❌ Limitations:

Subjective nature: Distress varies greatly between individuals (e.g., public speaking might terrify one person but excite another).

False negatives: Dangerous behaviors (e.g., psychopathy, arson) often involve no distress, making this criterion miss serious issues.

Question 5

Maladaptive Behaviour - Usefulness & Limitations

Answer 5

✅✅ Usefulness: Helps spot people struggling to function, so they can get the support they need.

❌ Limitations:
Some unhealthy behaviors (like obsessive handwashing) can seem helpful by easing stress for a while.
This can hide deeper issues, making them harder to notice.