2. Is Being D IFFERENT Abnormal? Different:not the same as another dissimilar in nature, form or quality distinct or separate Yao Ming differs from most people in height Mariah Carey differs from most people in vocal range Stephen Hawking differs from most people in intelligence These people certainty possess qualities which most people do not Their ‘abnormalities’ (extreme height, vocal range and intelligence) are not negative Their unusual abilities result in positive contributions to society and do not cause distress or appear to impair daily functioning BEING DIFFERENT IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABNORMAL

3. Is Being D EVIANT Abnormal? Deviant:behavior that violates societal and cultural norms The Beatles In 1964 they looked, behaved, and sounded deviant in the context of the prevailing cultural norms Nick keeps a night-light on in his bedroom every night to keep the monsters away, however Nick is 4 years old and therefore does not have the cognitive capacity to understand that monsters are not under his bed These people exhibit behaviors which violate societal and cultural norms Their behaviors are not deviant due factors such as age and cultural BEING DEVIANT IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABNORMAL

4. Is Being D ANGEROUS Abnormal? Dangerous:likely to cause harm or to have adverse consequences Jon drove his wife’s car into the store she owns. Jon was charged with the accident and during questioning it was determined that Jon was psychologically healthy and his behaviors were a result of an intense emotional state stemming from a quarrel he had with his wife. Frank suddenly found himself experiencing thoughts of suicide and checked himself into a hospital. It was later determined that the thoughts were caused by a rare adverse reaction to a new allergy medication his doctor has prescribed to him. Most people with psychological disorders do not engage in dangerous behaviors Behavior that is dangerous may signal the presence of a psychological disorder, but dangerous behavior alone is not necessary or sufficient to diagnose psychological abnormality BEING DANGEROUS IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABNORMAL

5. Is Being D YSFUNCTIONAL Abnormal? Dysfunctional:not operating normally or properly deviating from the norms of social behavior in a way regarded as bad Robert spends five to ten minutes checking his doors, windows, oven and stove in his apartment every time before he leaves or goes to sleep. Robert does not feel the need to check multiple times and his behaviors never interfere with his life or make him late. Robert does not experience distress or impairment and his behavior would be considered normal checking not a psychological abnormality. Acting dysfunctionally does not necessarily indicate a psychological problem, although it can If no distress or impairment is experienced then a disorder is not present Stan loves his car. He often eats meals in his car and spends many hours of his free time waxing and cleaning his car. His neighbors find his behavior strange but Stan his not bothered by it. BEING DYSFUNCTIONAL IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABNORMAL

6. What is A BNORMAL ? Abnormal:behavior that is inconsistent with the individual’s developmental, cultural, and social norms and creates emotional distress and/or interferes with daily functioning As a general rule if the individual does not experience distress or impairment of daily functioning as a result of the behaviors then a psychological disorder is not present, though there are some exceptions to this.