Link to the spec….
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.
Seligman’s Definitions
1. Statistical Infrequency
2. Deviation for social Norm’s
3. Failure to Function Adequately
4. Deviation from Ideal Mental Health
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxPZh4AnWyk
Discuss!
Statistical Infrequency
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”.
The statistical definition
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.
The IQ intelligence quotient is often given as an example of the working of this definition.
IQ is normally distributed across the population and anyone outside the normal limits is said to have an abnormal IQ.
IQ has a standard deviation of 15 and a mean of 100. One standard deviation either side would be from 85 to 115, two
standard deviations either side is from 70-130, this is where normal ends.
An IQ score of 130 and above is abnormally high IQ score, and the same for an IQ score of 70 and below
•
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Only 2.2% of the IQ score is above 130 and below 70.
This is further illustrated by the fact that having an IQ below 70 is one of the criteria's for mental disorder.
Normal Distribution
•
To understand the idea of abnormality is anything that is statistically infrequent
•
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
•
In the middle of the scores this simply means that there are roughly the same
number of scores on each side of the average the scores are normally distributed
around the average
•
Any score that is two standard deviations or more away from the mean denotes
abnormality
• This is not only applied to IQ but to other mental health criteria
For example: DASS (depression, anxiety, and stress scale) uses a questionnaire to measure
depression, anxiety and stress, a very high score would be considered abnormal and in
need for treatment, the DASS score would be expected to fall in the middle to be
considered normal.
Knowing that the data is normally distributed
means that anyone a long way away outside the
average could be regards as abnormal.
Evaluation….
Lets have a discussion
evaluation
• 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.
weaknesses
• Abnormal in both statistical and a mental health sense may not be
undesirable an IQ score of 130+ is likely to be seen as desirable, what is
statistically infrequent such as genius may not be bad
 IQ scores of 130+ are just as infrequent but you wouldn’t call these people
abnormal
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Jodie Foster
Albert Einstein
Sharon Stone
Madonna
Charles Darwin
Bill Gates
Abraham Lincoln
Hillary Clinton
Sir Isaac Newton
• There are statistically frequent behaviours which
are considered as abnormal depression is
frequent is the UK, however it is considered a
mental health disorder and abnormal, again this
shows the limitations of the definition
• What about left-handedness?
• Abnormal behaviour is not rare, most people are
likely to show abnormal behaviour some time in
their life.
 Some one who fits the criteria for mental retardation
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
Deviation from Social Norms
What are social norms?
Queuing for
one hour in the
Post Office
Being covered
head to toe in
tattoos
Hearing voices
in our head
Counting the
number of
times you chew
your food
Having big
holes in your
earlobes
Wearing
appropriate
clothes when
its cold.
Stealing from
the local shop
Not standing
too close to
someone when
you speak
Being part of a
gay community
Being a member
of an church
group that meets
daily
Saying please
and thank you
Wearing a
diving suit
when walking
down the road
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.
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
• If someone’s behaviour goes against a particular society norms it is
understandable that their behaviour would be called abnormal
• This is what the social norms definition of abnormality says, there
are aspects of society though to be taken into account like the
situation, age gender and historical context.
It is therefore seen as difficult to
define norms
• In IRAN 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 effect of context
• 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???
• 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!
The effect of age and gender
• 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!
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)
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 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
Deviation from social norms
Two disorders that can be classified using the
Deviation from Social Norms definition are
Schizophrenia
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Pick one of these and discuss with your partner how
they relate to both definitions of abnormality.
Then join with another pair and share your ideas
about your disorder.
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.
Unit 4 Synoptic Link:
How have these two definitions of abnormality
resulted in instances of social control in recent
history?
Use your textbooks / AS notes to brainstorm
ideas.