4.1: The deviation from social norms definition

Question 1

‘If sanity and insanity exist, how shall we know them?’ Rosenhan (1973)

Rosenhan concluded from his studies that it is very difficult to tell whether a person is sane or insane.

Answer 1

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Question 2

Abnormality

Answer 2

Abnormality is a psychological or behavioural state leading to:
1. Impairment of interpersonal functioning
And/Or,
2. Distress to others

Question 3

Abnormality is difficult to define - What do psychologists disagree about?

Answer 3

Abnormality is difficult to define - Psychologists disagree about:

1. The causes of mental disorders
2. How they reveal themselves

Question 4

Abnormality is difficult to define - Psychologists disagree about the causes of mental disorders and how they reveal themselves.
One point of view sees abnormality resulting from flawed biology.
Another point of view sees abnormality as due to ‘incorrect’ learning or defective thought processes.
Others argue that mental disorders originate from problems of the mind and personality.
When have different viewpoints been favoured?

Answer 4

Different viewpoints have been favoured:

1. At different times
2. Across different cultures

Question 5

Abnormality is difficult to define - Psychologists disagree about the causes of mental disorders and how they reveal themselves.
One point of view sees abnormality resulting from flawed biology.
Another point of view sees abnormality as due to ‘incorrect’ learning or defective thought processes.
Others argue that mental disorders originate from problems of the mind and personality.
Different viewpoints have been favoured at different times and across different cultures.
What do Rosenhan and Seligman (1995) believe?

Answer 5

Rosenhan and Seligman (1995) believe that normality is merely an absence of abnormality

Question 6

Abnormality is difficult to define - Psychologists disagree about the causes of mental disorders and how they reveal themselves.
One point of view sees abnormality resulting from flawed biology.
Another point of view sees abnormality as due to ‘incorrect’ learning or defective thought processes.
Others argue that mental disorders originate from problems of the mind and personality.
Different viewpoints have been favoured at different times and across different cultures.
Rosenhan and Seligman (1995) believe that normality is merely an absence of abnormality.
What does this mean?

Answer 6

This means that by defining abnormality, decisions are being made about what it normal

Question 7

Deviation from social norms

Answer 7

Deviation from social norms is behaviour that violates accepted social rules

Question 8

Every society has norms, unwritten rules for acceptable behaviour, for example not being naked in public.
Why are these norms usually there?

Answer 8

These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society

Question 9

Every society has norms, unwritten rules for acceptable behaviour, for example not being naked in public.
These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example what?

Answer 9

These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example politeness

Question 10

Every society has norms, unwritten rules for acceptable behaviour, for example not being naked in public.
These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example politeness - what does this help with?

Answer 10

These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example politeness - this helps with interpersonal relationships

Question 11

Every society has norms, unwritten rules for acceptable behaviour, for example not being naked in public.
These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example politeness - this helps with interpersonal relationships and would make a society what?

Answer 11

These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example politeness - this helps with interpersonal relationships and would make a society more pleasant and work better

Question 12

Every society has norms, unwritten rules for acceptable behaviour, for example not being naked in public.
These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example politeness - this helps with interpersonal relationships and would make a society more pleasant and work better.
Abnormal behaviour is behaviour that deviates from these norms.
This definition draws a line between desirable and undesirable behaviours and labels individuals behaving undesirably as social deviants.
What does it allow?

Answer 12

It allows interference into their lives

Question 13

Every society has norms, unwritten rules for acceptable behaviour, for example not being naked in public.
These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example politeness - this helps with interpersonal relationships and would make a society more pleasant and work better.
Abnormal behaviour is behaviour that deviates from these norms.
This definition draws a line between desirable and undesirable behaviours and labels individuals behaving undesirably as social deviants.
It allows interference into their lives in order to do what?

Answer 13

It allows interference into their lives in order to help them

Question 14

Every society has norms, unwritten rules for acceptable behaviour, for example not being naked in public.
These norms are usually there for the benefit of the society, for example politeness - this helps with interpersonal relationships and would make a society more pleasant and work better.
Abnormal behaviour is behaviour that deviates from these norms.
This definition draws a line between desirable and undesirable behaviours and labels individuals behaving undesirably as social deviants.
It allows interference into their lives in order to help them.
Example

Answer 14

For example, putting them into a mental hospital

Question 15

Strengths:
1. It helps people.
The fact that society gives itself the right to intervene in abnormal people’s lives can be beneficial, because such individuals that need it may not be able to get help themselves.
2. Social dimension.
The deviation from social norms definition gives a social dimension to the idea of abnormality, which offers and alternative to the isolated ‘sick-in-the-head’ individual.
3. Situational norms.
The deviation from social norms definition considers the social dimensions of behaviour; a behaviour seen as abnormal in one setting is regarded as normal in another.
For example, while being naked in town is seen as abnormal, it’s regarded as normal on a nudist beach.
4. Developmental norms.
The deviation from social norms definition establishes what behaviours are normal for different ages.
For example, filling a nappy aged 2 is considered normal, but perhaps not so if you’re 40.
5. The deviation from social norms definition distinguishes between normal and abnormal.
The deviation from social norms definition gives a clear indication of what is and isn’t seen as normal behaviour.
6. The deviation from social norms definition protects society.
What does the deviation from social norms definition seek to do?

Answer 15

The deviation from social norms definition seeks to protect society from the effects an individual’s abnormal behaviour can have on others

Question 16

Weaknesses:
1. Context.
You have to see the behaviour within context.
For example, a man walking down the street in a baby nappy would be seen as abnormal, but if you see him on a stag do, it makes sense.
2. Subjective.
Social norms are not real, but are based on the opinions of ruling elites within society rather than majority opinion.
Social norms are then used to ‘control’ those seen as a threat to social order.
A true definition of abnormality should be objective and free from subjective factors.
Szasz (1960) sees the term ‘mental illness’ as a form of social control to exclude non-conformists from society.
Those labelled as abnormal are discriminated against.
Some countries, for example China, have been known to label political opponents as abnormal and confine them to mental institutions.
3. Social change.
Social norms change over time.
What is acceptable now may not have been acceptable 50 years ago.
If we’re using the deviation from social norms definition, then we open the door to social morals and attitudes that can be individual.
The norms defined by society often relate to moral standards that vary over time as social attitudes change.
For example, homosexuality was not removed from the International Classification of Diseases classification of mental disorders until 1990.
4. Individualism.
Those who do not conform to social norms may not be abnormal, but merely individualistic or eccentric and not problematic in any sense.
5. Ethnocentric bias in diagnosis.
Western social norms reflect the behaviour of the majority ‘white’ population.
Deviation from these norms by ethnic groups means that ethnic minorities are over-represented in the mental illness statistics.
Cochrane (1977) found that black people were more often diagnosed as schizophrenic than white people or Asians.
However, while this high rate of diagnosis for black people is found in Britain, it is not found in such countries like Jamaica where black people are the majority, suggesting a cultural bias in diagnosis among British psychiatrists.
6. Cultural differences.
Cultural relativism is that social norms are relevant to the culture they come from.
Example

Answer 16

For example, if a male wears a skirt, they might be considered abnormal, but a Scottish male wearing a kilt wouldn’t