1. Describe and Evaluate the
Defining abnormality
You must be able to :
Describe and Evaluate the
Statistical definition of abnormality and the
Social Norm definition of abnormality in terms of their suitability as definitions of abnormality.

2. Map to Specification
3 Content a) Describe both the statistical definition of abnormality and the ‘social norms’ definition of abnormality. b) Evaluate the statistical definition of abnormality and the ‘social norms’ definition of abnormality in terms of their suitability as definitions of abnormality.

3. There are a number of ways of defining abnormality
Statistical Infrequency
Deviation for social Norm’s
Failure to Function Adequately
Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

4. Statistical Infrequency

5. Statistical Infrequency
By definition abnormality means deviating from the norm or average.
Statistically infrequent behaviour is regarded as abnormal, whereas frequent behaviour is normal.
Individual characteristics can be measured (e.g., mood, intelligence, etc) and the distribution of these characteristics within the population can be graphed. The normal distribution curve shows the majority of people as being in the middle. These people are defined as ‘normal’. Relatively few people fall at either end. However, if they are then they are defined as ‘abnormal’.
For example, most “normal” people eat an
average of between 1500 to 3000 calories a day.
However, anorexics consume very few calories,
and bulimics consume lots
– which makes their behaviour “abnormal”.

6. The statistical definition
Abnormal???
Abnormal???
The spread is measured by standard deviation. 68% of the population fall between 1 SD either side of the mean and 95% fall between 2 SD. Thus, scores outside this range are unusual, therefore 2.5% fall below it and 2.5% above it.

7. Normal Distribution
abnormality is defined as anything that is statistically infrequent
Any score that is two standard deviations or more away from the mean denotes abnormality
It helps to know about normal distribution, a characteristic of behaviour is seen as normally distributed if the mean average, mode and median all fall in the same place

8. Knowing that the data is normally distributed means that anyone a long way away outside the average could be regards as abnormal.

9. Strengths
It gives a quantitative measure that is objective. (Useful to have a definitive cut off).
On a practical level this can be useful as evidence in support of requests for assistance and funding for those identified.
It gives a quantitative measure that is objective. The advantage of an objective measurement is that it is more likely to be reliable and therefore suitable, someone else administering the same test is likely to get the same result and draw the same conclusion about abnormality
Some areas of functioning such as IQ highlight abnormality as lack of normal functioning in some way, on a practical level this can be useful as evidence in support of requests for assistance and funding for those identified, having a number is not only useful because it is seen as objective but also because it is accepted as more scientific.

10. Weaknesses
Abnormal in both a statistical and a mental health sense may not be a bad thing.
E.g. an IQ score of 130+ is likely to be seen as desirable, what is statistically infrequent such as genius may not be bad.

11. IQ scores of 130+ are just as infrequent but you wouldn’t call these people abnormal
Jodie Foster
Albert Einstein
Sharon Stone
Madonna
Charles Darwin
Bill Gates
Abraham Lincoln
Hillary Clinton
Sir Isaac Newton

12. There are statistically frequent behaviours which are considered as abnormal.
i.e. - depression is frequent is the UK, however it is considered a mental health disorder and abnormal.
Abnormal behaviour is not rare, most people are likely to show abnormal behaviour some time in their life.

13. Consider
Some one who fits the criteria for mental illness but are living happy and independent lives
Sarah and Michelle are both sisters, Sarah has an IQ of 69 and Michelle has an IQ of 70, both work on a full time basis at their Local Tesco’s, Sarah is thinking of going back to college and do an NVQ qualification, whilst Michelle is expecting her first child and wants to become a full-time mum.
Cut off point is a IQ score of 70, how can we justify someone as being abnormal if they have a score of 69

14. Deviation from Social Norms http://www. youtube. com/watch
Deviation from Social Norms Discuss!

15. Deviation from social norms
Every society has accepted standards of behaviour, these are sometimes written as part of the law.
Others are implicit : they are generally accepted but not legally binding
E.g. not standing too close to someone when they are talking.
Social norms allow for the regulation of normal behaviour.
One approach to defining abnormality is to consider deviations from the social norm as an indicator of abnormal behaviour.

16. What are social norms? ~ ideas on a post it note!
Queuing for one hour in the Post Office
Being covered head to toe in tattoos
Stealing from the local shop
Not standing too close to someone when you speak
Hearing voices in our head
Counting the number of times you chew your food
Being part of a gay community
Being a member of an church group that meets daily
Having big holes in your earlobes
Wearing appropriate clothes when its cold.
Saying please and thank you
Wearing a diving suit when walking down the road

17. The social norms definition
This definition states that behaviour which conforms to social norms is normal and behaviour that does not is abnormal
Norms are social rules that are not laws but customs and people in society abide by such rules in their behaviour
There are aspects of society though to be taken into account like the situation, age, cultural, gender and historical context.

18. The effect of context
In some countries if you are found to be homosexual then you are forced to have a transgender operation and deemed to suffer from a mental illness!
The situation and context for the behaviour are both important, a behaviour might be abnormal in one context but normal in another
Being naked in public???

19. The effect of age and gender
For instance if someone chose to go out wearing a chicken suit that would be considered abnormal, BUT normal for a charity event, or a fancy dress party!
Age is another factor in making a judgement about abnormality, for example a 3 year old might take his clothes off in public but this would be considered as abnormal for an adult.
What may be considered as normal for a man, on a hot sunny day walking around shirtless would not be considered as normal for a woman!

20. The effect of historical context
What was considered as the norm many years ago might have changed for example becoming pregnant outside wedlock was considered evidence as a mental health problem 100 years ago, women could have been put into an institution because of it
Homosexuality is listed in DSM (1980)
Drapetomania = Slaves experienced an irrational desire to run away
Nymphomania = Middle class women sexually attracted to working class men
Moral insanity = Women who inherited money and spent it on themselves rather than male relatives

21. Strengths and Weaknesses
Using the cards, decide which of the points are strengths and weaknesses
Place them into two columns on your desk
Rank them in terms of which you think is more important
Copy the points into your notes.

22. Use your textbooks / AS notes to brainstorm ideas.
Unit 4 Synoptic Link:
How have these two definitions of abnormality resulted in instances of social control in recent history?
Social control =
the power of organisations, institutions and the laws of society to influence and regulate behaviour.
the impact of education, religion, media and other social forces on a person or a groups' behaviour
Use your textbooks / AS notes to brainstorm ideas.