Abnormality

Question 1

Deviating from statistical norms

Answer 1

• smth that does not happen very often
• if a characteristic of behavior or a trait of personality is classified as abnormal it is statistically unusual.
• behavioural measures such as intelligence and memory tend to be normally distributed from a sample of people that fall within a bell- shaped curve.
• IQ scale most often used to measure intelligence, it has the mean score 100 and STDV of 15. If you are different from 95% of the rest of a population of people, you are considered abnormal
• if your IQ is less than 70 or more than 130, you are considered abnormally unintelligent or abnormally intelligent respectively

Question 2

Strengths of deviation from statistical norms

Answer 2

• method provides quantifiable measurement as traits and behaviours are compared to those of a large representative group
• labels behaviours and traits, not people, so no judgments are made

Question 3

Limitations of deviation from statistical norms

Answer 3

• definition does not consider cultural factors. What is statistically normal in one culture may not be in another
• problem in using statistcs when dealing with abnormal behavior because some things rae statistucally normal such as obesity or statictally rare like high IQ

Question 4

deviating from social norms

Answer 4

• define abnormailty as something that falls outside the boundries of what is accepted in soceity or a particular social group would define as normal
• draws a line between desirable and undesirable behaviours
• norms are defined as informal rules that govern behavior in groups and societies
• these norms will vary across cultures and situations so that what is seen as acceptable in one culture and situations will not be so in others

Question 5

strengths of deviation from social norms

Answer 5

• definition gives a social dimension to the idea of abnormality, which offers an alternative to the isolated ‘sick in the head individual’
• the definition also considers the socaial dimensions of behaviour; a behavior seen as abnormal in one setting is regarded as normal in another
• give clear indication of what is and is not seen as normal behavior

Question 6

limitations of deviating from social norms

Answer 6

• definition is era dependent: how do we account for the fact that soceities themselves are different and changeable? Even within the same culture what was considered normal 100 years ago may be considered abnormal now
• the fact that soceity get s to decide what behaviours are acceptable opens the door to using abnormality as means of social control. If individuals do not behave in a way taht serves a group’s interests, the group can label those people as abnormal and lock them out.
• definition can be subjective. Social norms are not real but are based on the opinions of some individuals within a soceity