5.1 Definitions of Abnormality

Question 1

When does statistical infrequency occur?

Answer 1

When an individual has an uncommon characteristic

Question 2

What is deviation from social norms?

Answer 2

Behaviour different to accepted standards of behaviour in a society

Question 3

Evaluate real life application of statistical infrequency

Answer 3

Strength:
• Real life application in diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder
• Used in clinical assessment

Question 4

Evaluate ‘unusual characteristics can be positive’ of statistical infrequency

Answer 4

Weakness
• Never used alone as a diagnosis - very few people sharing a characteristic IS abnormal but DOESN’T mean they require treatment

Question 5

Evaluate ‘not everyone unusual benefits from a label’ of statistical infrequency

Answer 5

Weakness

• There’s no need to label someone abnormal if they’re living a happy life

Question 6

Evaluate real life application of deviation from social norms

Answer 6

Strength
• Real life application in diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder
Weakness
• There may be other factors to consider

Question 7

Evaluate cultural relativism of deviation from social norms

Answer 7

Weakness

• Social norms vary over generations and between cultures

Question 8

Human rights abuse of deviation from social norms

Answer 8

Improvise

Question 9

Evaluate why deviation from social norms is more plausible than statistical infrequncy

Answer 9

Deviation from social norms takes into account the social desirability of that behaviour, whereas statistical infrequency doesn’t.
E.g. A genius would be abnormal for the statistical infrequency explanation, but we wouldn’t want to include it in our definition of abnormal behaviours