Normality Flashcards
What is normal behaviour?
Conforming to usual, typical or expected standard of behaviour
What are the six types of normality (Groß 1995)?
They fit into 2 categories:
Context Dependent
- Socio-cultural
- Historical
- Functional
- Situational
Maladaptive Focused
- Medical
- Statistical
What is socio-cultural normality?
Sociocultural normality refers to the characteristic patterns of normal behaviour and beliefs.
What is cohort normality?
What is normal for people who share similar life experiences.
What is functional normality and what does it depend on and give an example?
Functional normality: Can an individual function (think, feel and behave) in the roles that have developed around them? It depends on context. Success as a doctor does not equal success as a parent
What is historical normality?
Historical Normality describes how normality changes over time. E.g., smoking was accepted, now people object to it.
What is situational normality?
Situational Normality focuses on how normal behaviours are constructed according to the environment. Behaviour in one situation can be normal but abnormal in another situation.
What is medical normality?
Refers to Normal and abnormal; normality is seen as an expected state. (e.g normal clinical ranges). Medical abnormality is crucial in extablishing the sick role
What is statistical normality?
Statistical Normality describes normality as typicality or an expression of central tendency.
How does a society maintain norms?
- Ritual/Routine Behaviours
- Mores
- Law
How can norms be violated?
- Ritual/ Routine : Failing to fulfil role obligations
- Mores: Responding to auditory hallucinations in public areas
- Laws: committing a crime.
How can norms be changed? Give an example.
Smoking has been practiced for centuries, but evidence of its health risks has led to restrictions on where to smoke. New laws put in place e.g. no smoking indoors and smoking becomes stigmatised in the 21st century.
Can a deviation from the norm be positive?
It depends on how destructive it is; flexibility and progress can lead to positive deviations.
What is conformity?
Crutchfield (1954) defined it as ‘yielding to group pressure’;
Myers (1999) defined it as ‘a change in behaviour as a result of real or imagined group pressure’.
Zimbardo (1995) ‘ a tendency for people to adopt the behaviour, attitudes and values of the reference group’
What is informational influence?
Seeking info and advice from others can lead to private conformity as you believe they are actually right if everyone is agreeing.
What is normative influence?
Motivated by a desire to avoid the severe consequences of being a deviant, leading to public conformity. Your actual opinion does not change however you change your opinion superficially to fit into that situation.
What do our perceptions of normal behaviour influence? Give examples
They influence how we view our self, particularly in early adolescence. Our drinking and sexual behaviours can be based on what those around us are doing.
What do misperceived social norms do?
They challenge individuals by pressuring them to conform to what they think is normal rather than what is actually normal or commonly accepted.
What is maladaptive behaviour and its effect?
Maladaptive behaviour is the inability to adapt or respond to a situation effectively. it negatively impacts daily life and hinders personal growth.
What is a common maladaptive behaviour?
Avoidance and social anxiety disorder.
What 5 things is abnormal behaviour a combination of?
- personal distress
- psychological dysfunction
- deviance from social norms
- dangerousness to self and others
- costliness to society.
Which 4 aspects are considered when judging abnormality?
- Distress
- Dysfunction,
- Deviance (unusualness)
- Dangerousness.
What is the summary of normality?
Normality is complex and multi-factorial; norms change over time.
