1. Erin Bosman
PSYC 251.681
Fitting Behaviors Essay
Fitting Behaviors
Abnormal behavior is observed to have characteristics relating to "the four D's" of
deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger. One behavior that I think could be observed
as fitting into these categories but may not be considered to be psychologically abnormal
by some people would be hyperactivity. A lot of times when children are behaving this
way and appear to be very hyper, parents and teachers assume that they are simply hyper
or immature. However, they could have attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. They
would display deviant behavior through not fitting into society's norms, by being much
more active and inconsistent in their thought and behavior patterns. They also would
show signs of dysfunction, as they would not be a productive worker.
Another behavior that could fall under these concepts but not necessarily
considered to be abnormal to other people would be going to sleep late at night/early in
the morning at irregular times as college students sometimes do when they pull "all
nighters". This behavior could be a sign of a sleep disorder or stress and could cause
danger to the individual and it could cause them to be dysfunctional through out the day.
They could end up being more tired and stressed then they were before, causing shifts in
their mood and poor social interaction. Some individuals might consider this to be normal
behavior from college students who are balancing both a full course load with work or
other activities. However, that is not always the scenario.
There are many behaviors that could fit into the "four D's" but may not typically
be seen as abnormal by most people such as atypical eating habits, a lack of physical

2. Erin Bosman
PSYC 251.681
Fitting Behaviors Essay
activity, a lack of sleep, taking lots of naps, use of psychoactive drugs, etc. It's important
to observe these behaviors and see if they fit into just one of the "four D's" or multiple.