Psychologists define abnormality in several ways: 1) Deviation from social norms, or behavior that violates what is expected or acceptable in a social group. 2) Failure to function adequately, or an inability to cope with the demands of daily life. 3) Statistical infrequency, where a trait or behavior is considered abnormal if it is rare or unusual compared to the general population.

1. DEFINITIONS OF
ABNORMALITY
efining a person or behaviour as ‘abnormal’ implies something
undesirable and requiring change
herefore, we must be careful how we use the term
sychologists need methods for distinguishing ‘normal’ from
‘abnormal’

2. DEFINITIONS OF ABNORMALITY
ur definition of abnormality must be objective:
• It must not depend on anyone’s opinion or point of view
• It should produce the same results whoever applies it
t must not be under- or over-inclusive
• It must not label as ‘abnormal’ or ‘normal’ behaviours or traits that
aren’t

3. DEFINITIONS OF
ABNORMALITY
ou MUST have an understanding of the following three
definitions for the exam:
1. Deviation from social norms
2. Failure to function adequately
3. Deviation from ideal mental health
ou could have an understanding of the following definition for
the exam:
• Statistical infrequency

4. STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY
nder this definition, a person’s trait, thinking or behaviour is classified
as abnormal if it is rare or statistically unusual.
ith this definition it is necessary to be clear about how rare a trait or
behaviour needs to be before we class it as abnormal

5. STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY
Average IQ in the
population is 100pts. The further from 100
you look, the fewer
people you find
frequency
70 100 130
IQ Scores

6. A very small subset of
STATISTICAL INFREQUENCY
the population (<2.2%)
have an IQ below 70pts.
Such people are
statistically rare. We
regard them as having
frequency
abnormally low IQs
70 100 130
IQ Scores

7. DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL
NORMS
nder this definition, a person’s thinking or behaviour is classified as
abnormal if it violates the (unwritten) rules about what is expected or
acceptable behaviour in a particular social group.
heir behaviour may:
• Be incomprehensible to others
• Make others feel threatened or uncomfortable

8. DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL
NORMS
ith this definition, it is necessary to consider:
• The degree to which a norm is violated, the importance of that norm
and the value attached by the social group to different sorts of
violation.
• E.g. is the violation rude, eccentric, abnormal or criminal?

9. FAILURE TO FUNCTION
ADEQUATELY
nder this definition, a person is considered abnormal if they are
unable to cope with the demands of everyday life.
hey may be unable to perform the behaviours necessary for day-to-
day living e.g. self-care, hold down a job, interact meaningfully with
others, make themselves understood etc.

10. FAILURE TO FUNCTION
ADEQUATELY
osenhan & Seligman (1989) suggest the following characteristics:
• Suffering
• Maladaptiveness (danger to self)
• Vividness & unconventionality (stands out)
• Unpredictability & loss of control
• Irrationality/incomprehensibility
• Causes observer discomfort
• Violates moral/social standards

11. DEVIATION FROM IDEAL
MENTAL HEALTH
nder this definition, rather than defining what is abnormal, we define
what is normal/ideal and anything that deviates from this is regarded
as abnormal
his requires us to decide on the characteristics we consider necessary
to mental health

12. DEVIATION FROM IDEAL
MENTAL HEALTH
sychologists vary, but usual characteristics include:
• Positive view of the self
• Capability for growth and development
• Autonomy and independence
• Accurate perception of reality
• Positive friendships and relationships
• Environmental mastery – able to meet the varying demands of day-
to-day situations