Statistical Infrequency Flashcards
AO1
This definition of abnormality suggest that we must look at behaviors that are typical of general population and any behavior which is rare/uncommon/infrequent/unusual is abnormal
Therefore on a distribution curve any behavior that is 2 or more standard deviations from the mean is statistically rare and is therefore abnormal
For example OCD affects 2% of the population so is therefore abnormal as it is statistically rare/uncommon/infrequent
AO3
A strength of statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality is that is had practical applications. This is because statistical infrequency is used in the real world in clinical practice both as part of diagnosis and as a way to assess the severity of an individual symptoms. For example a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorders requires an IQ of below 70. Therefore SI as a definition of abnormality is an important part of applied psychology as its useful part of clinical assessment
