1. The document discusses various definitions and criteria for defining abnormal and normal behavior, including statistical infrequency, deviation from social norms, failure to function adequately, and deviation from ideal mental health. 2. It also discusses different approaches to defining abnormality, including using a single criterion or a multi-criteria approach. 3. The concepts of maladjustment and adjustment are explored, with maladjustment defined as an inability to react successfully to environmental demands or meet social/cultural expectations. Symptoms of maladjustment include reality distortions and personality disorganization.

1. Nature of
Deviancy
Ma. Martha Manette A. Madrid, Ed.D.
Professor
Graduate Studies, Master in Education,
Major in Special Education
Panpacific University North Philippines
Urdaneta City, Pangasinan
martzmonette@yahoo.com

2. Abnormality (behavior)
• in the sense of something
deviating from the normal or
differing from the typical
(such as an aberration), is a
subjectively defined
behavioral characteristic,
assigned to those with rare or
dysfunctional conditions.

3. Several conventional criteria
• One criterion for "abnormality" that may
appear to apply in the case of abnormal
behavior is statistical infrequency. This has an
obvious flaw — the extremely intelligent, are
just as abnormal as their opposites.
Therefore, individual abnormal behaviors are
considered to be statistically unusual as well
as undesirable
• A more discerning criterion is distress. A person
who is displaying a great deal of depression,
anxiety, unhappiness, etc. would be thought of as
exhibiting abnormal behavior because their own
behavior distresses them.

4. • Another criterion is morality. This presents
many difficulties, because it would be
impossible to agree on a single set of morals
for the purposes of diagnosis.
• One criterion commonly referenced is
maladaptivity. If a person is behaving in ways
counter-productive to their own well-being, it
is considered maladaptive.
• Another criterion that has been suggested is
that abnormal behavior violates the standards
of society. When people do not follow the
conventional social and moral rules of their
society, the behavior is considered abnormal.

5. • Another element of abnormality is that
abnormal behavior will cause social discomfort
to those who witness such behavior.

6. • Statistical Infrequency: In this definition of
abnormality behaviors which are seen as
statistically rare are said to be abnormal. For
instance, one may say that an individual of above
or below average IQ is abnormal. This
definition, however, fails to recognize the
desirability of the particular incidence. This
definition also implies that the presence of
abnormal behavior in people should be rare or
statistically unusual, which is not the case.
Instead, any specific abnormal behavior may be
unusual, but it is not unusual for people to
exhibit some form of prolonged abnormal
behavior at some point in their lives

7. • Deviation from Social Norms defines
the departure or deviation of an
individual, from society's unwritten
rules (norms). For example if one was
to witness a man jumping around, nude,
on the streets, the man would be
perceived as abnormal, as he has
broken society's norms about wearing
clothing, not to mention one's self
dignity

8. • FF: The Failure to Function Adequately
definition of abnormality defines whether or
not a behavior is abnormal if it is counter-
productive to the individual. The main problem
with this definition however is that
psychologists cannot agree on the boundaries
that define what is 'functioning' and what is
'adequately', as some behaviors that can cause
'failure to function' are not seen as bad i.e.
firemen risking their lives to save people in a
blazing fire.

9. DIM: Deviation from Ideal Mental health
defines abnormality by determining if the
behavior the individual is displaying is
affecting their mental well-being. As with the
Failure to Function definition, the boundaries
that stipulate what 'ideal mental health' is
are not properly defined, and the bigger
problem with the definition is that all
individuals will at some point in their life
deviate from ideal mental health, but it does
not mean they are abnormal; i.e., someone who
has lost a relative will be distressed, but
would not be defined as abnormal for showing
that particular behavior.

10. • A common approach to defining
abnormality is a Multi-Criteria
approach, where all definitions of
abnormality are used to determine
whether an individual’s behavior is
abnormal. For example, if an individual
is engaging in a particular behavior
that is preventing them from
‘functioning’ breaks a social norm and
is statistically infrequent, then
psychologists would be prepared to
define this individual's behavior as
abnormal.

11. Normality (behavior)
• In behavior, normal refers to a
lack of significant deviation from
the average. The phrase "not
normal" is often applied in a
negative sense (asserting that
someone or some situation is
improper, sick, etc.) Abnormality
varies greatly in how pleasant or
unpleasant this is for other
people.

12. • The Oxford English Dictionary defines
"normal" as 'conforming to a standard'.
Another possible definition is that "a
normal" is someone who conforms to the
predominant behavior in a society. This
can be for any number of reasons such
as simple imitative behavior, deliberate
or inconsistent acceptance of society's
standards, fear of humiliation or
rejection etc.

13. Adjustment Problems
• Maladjustment may shortly be described as
‘inability to react successfully and
satisfactorily to the demands of one’s
environment’. It encompasses a wide range
of physical, psychological and social
conditions, but most often implies an
individual’s failure to meet social or cultural
expectations. In psychology, the term
generally refers to unsatisfactory behaviour
patterns that cause anxiety and require
psychotherapy.

14. The term maladjustment is most
simply defined as
1. Faulty or inadequate
adjustment.
2. Inability to adjust to the
demands of interpersonal
relationships and stresses of
daily living.

15. Let us try to see what ‘adjustment’ is.
• In the very first instance, it should be seen as
an honourable psychological term untainted by
the contemporary derogatory colouring that
attributes compromise and opportunism. It is a
positive capacity to adapt to one’s
circumstances and needs. This presupposes
three things:
• a sensitive appreciation of reality
• some accommodation to environmental
pressures
• continuing efforts at modifying the
environment to suit one’s needs

16. Symptoms of maladjustment
• Louis Kaplan depended on hospital and clinic
data, military service data and surveys
conducted among the public for his studies
on maladjustment. In addition to these data
he lists other symptoms manifest in the
society as indications of maladjustment
prevalent there. These are: alcoholism,
divorce and family disruption, suicide, crime,
use of drugs, job f t ailures, cost of mental
illness.

17. He classifies behavioural symptoms that
reflect a deviation from normal patterns
of response and adjustment as follows:
• reality distortions
• mental aberrations
• affect distortions
• motor reactions
• personality disorganization
• somatic reactions

18. • The biomedical model of mental health,
has been around for centuries as the
predominant model used by some
physiciatrists in the diagnosis of
mental disorders. The term is used by
practitioners of of biological psychiatry
, in contrast to the
biopsychosocial model, which
incorporates psychological and social
factors.

19. • The biopsychosocial model
(abbreviated "BPS") is a general
model or approach that posits that
biological, psychological (which
entails thoughts, emotions, and
behaviors), and social factors, all play
a significant role in human
functioning in the context of disease
or illness

20. • Indeed, health is best understood in terms
of a combination of biological,
psychological, and social factors rather
than purely in biological terms. This is in
contrast to the traditional,
biomedical model of medicine that
suggests every disease process can be
explained in terms of an underlying
deviation from normal function such as a
pathogen, genetic or
developmental abnormality, or injury.

21. • The concept is used in fields such as
medicine, nursing, health psychology and
sociology, and particularly in more
specialist fields such as psychiatry,
health psychology, chiropractic,
clinical social work, and clinical psychology.

22. Biomedical model Biopsychosocial model
Human beings should be seen as complex systems and illness
is caused by a multitude of factors and not by a single causal
factor. Health psychology therefore tends to move away from a
simple linear model of health and claims that illness can be
caused by combination of biological (e.g. a virus),
psychological (e.g. behaviours, beliefs) and social (e.g.
Diseases come from outside
employment) factors. This approach reflects the bio
the body, invade the body
psychosocial model of health and illness, which was
and cause physical changes
developed by Engel (1977, 1980). The bio psychosocial model
within the body, or originate
represented an attempt to integrate the psychological and the
as internal involuntary
What causes environmental into the traditional biomedical model of health
physical changes. Such
illness? diseases are caused by a
as follows: the bio contributing factors included genetics,
viruses, bacteria and structural defects. The psycho aspects of
number of factors, including
health and illness were described in terms of cognitions (e.g.
chemical imbalances,
expectations of health), emotions (e.g. fear of treatment) and
bacteria, viruses and genetic
behaviours (e.g. smoking, diets, exercise or alcohol
predisposition.
consumption). The social aspects of health were described in
terms of social norms of behaviour (e.g. the social norm of
smoking or not smoking), pressures to change behaviour (e.g.
peer group expectations, parental pressure), social values on
health (e.g. whether health was regarded as a good or a bad
thing), social class and ethnicity.

23. Biomedical Biopsychosocial
model model
Illnesses arise
from biological
changes beyond
the patients
control; individuals Illnesses regarded as the
Who is
are therefore not result of a combination of
seen as being
responsible
responsible for the factors, the individual is no
for illness?
illnesses. They are longer simply seen as a
regarded as
victims of some passive victim.
external force
causing internal
changes.

24. Biomedical
Biopsychosocial model
model
The patient is in part
The responsible for their
responsibility treatment. This may take
How should
for treatment the form of responsibility to
illness be
treated? rests with the take medication,
medical responsibility to change
profession. beliefs and behaviour. They
are not seen as a victim.

25. Biomedical
Biopsychosocial model
model
Health and
/illness are
Health and illness are not
seen as
qualitatively qualitatively different, but
What is the
relationship different-you exist on a continuum. Rather
between are either than being either healthy or
health and healthy or ill,
illness? ill, individuals progress along
there is no
this continuum from health
continuum
between the to illness and back again.
two.

26. Biomedical model Biopsychosocial model
The mind and body
function
independently of
each other. The mind
There is an increasing focus on an
is incapable of
influencing physical interaction between the mind and
matter. The mind is the body. This shift in
What is the seen as abstract and perspective is reflected in the
relating to feelings
relationship
and thoughts, and development of a holistic or a
between the
body is seen in terms whole person approach to health.
mind and of physical matter
the body? such as skin, muscles, The mind and body interact. The
bones, brain and mind and body are considered as
organs. Changes in
separate but there is interaction
the physical matter
are regarded as between distinct structures.
independent of
changes in state of
mind.

27. Biomedical model Biopsychosocial model
Illness may have
psychological
consequences,
but not
psychological
Psychological factors are
What is
the role of
causes. For seen as not only possible
example, cancer
psychology
may cause consequences of illness but
in health
unhappiness but as contributing to it's
and illness?
mood is not seen
as related to aetiology.
either the onset
or progression
of the cancer.