definition for abnormality: deviation from social norms Flashcards
what does this definition say makes people abnormal?
social norms are normal and expected behaviour traits
people who deviate from these norms are said to be abnormal
what are social norms?
social norms are normal and expected behaviour traits
real life application of this definition- social personality disorder
when diagnosing anti social personality disorder it includes a symptom of
absence of prosocial internal standards
failure to conform to law or culturally normative ethical behaviour
this means that someone who doesnt perform ethical behaviours which are considered normal to that culture can be considered abnormal and may have this disorder
considering time in social norms
social norms change over time, for example homosexuality was discriminated in the 1970s and is now considered more socially acceptable than it was then
considering context with social norms
social norms change depending on the situation you are in e.g laughing at someone when they speak is considered rude unless they are telling a joke
considering cultures in social norms
social norms change depending on someones culture
people in the UK prefer to be about 100cm apart from people however in argentina it is sociallty normal to stand and sit very close to eachother
limitation of deviation from social norms: relies on context of the behaviour
some behaviours may only be considered abnormal in certain situations
this means that the definition cant reliably identity abnormal behaviour
limitation of deviation from social norms: social norms can be culturally specific
some behaviours may only be considered abnormal in certain cultures e,g personal space
this means that identification of behaviours that deviate from the social norm wouldnt be valid across cultures
what are the 4 explanations of abnormality?
deviation from social norms
deviation from ideal mental health
statistical infrequency
failure to function adeuqately
