AQA A Level Psychology复习笔记4.1.1 Definitions of Abnormality: Deviation From Social Norms

• Abnormality has always been incredibly hard to define in psychology. This is down to psychologists being unable to agree on the causes of abnormalities, they disagree about the causes of mental disorders. Is it flawed biology, learning difficulties or could it be down to personality?
• As psychologists cannot agree on the causes, it makes it hard to define, also, each theory has been favoured at different periods of time and in different cultures, again, emphasising the difficulty to define abnormality.

Deviation from social norms

• Social norms vary in each society, they are a set of unwritten rules to follow. One way to define abnormal behaviour, is to see if it goes against the societal norms. the definition has a clear line between desirable and undesirable behaviours. It labels those individuals with undesirable behaviours as socially deviant
• One thing we have to remember is that social norms are specific to the culture we currently live in and are often different for different generations and cultures. E.g. Homosexuality was deemed abnormal in our culture in the past in the UK but today it is accepted and homophobia is a crime
• However, homosexuality is still seeming as abnormal and illegal in some cultures globally

There are strengths to using 'Deviation from social norms' as a definition of abnormality:

Developmental norms

• This definition allows for developmental norms, E.g. it may be normal for a 1-year-old to be carried everywhere by its parent, but this would be abnormal if it was a 50-year-old

Social dimension

• This definition gives a social dimension to the idea of abnormality

Protects society

• This definition looks at an individual's abnormal behaviour and seeks to protect society from it

Distinguishes between normal and abnormal

• This definition has a clear indication of what is considered normal and abnormal as most of us understand and are aware of social norms in our own culture

Helps people

• This definition allows society to get involved in individuals abnormal behaviour and help them, when they may not be able to seek or identify the help they need

There are limitations to using 'Deviation of social norms' as a definition of abnormality:

Changes over time

• This definition does not explain abnormality changing over time
• Homosexuality was not removed from the ICD until the 1990s

Ethnocentric

• This definition is based on western societal norms and reflects the majority, which is a white population
• Cochrane (1977) found that in Britain, black people were more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than white people, however, this was not in countries with a majority black population, such as Jamaica, which suggests there is a diagnostic bias

Cultural differences

• This definition does not make it clear how to deal with cultural differences in normal and abnormal behaviour
• E.g. Walking around barefoot in London, would be seen as abnormal, however, in a tribal community, this would be the norm

Individualism

• This definition does not account for those who do not conform to social norms but are not abnormal, such as those that are individualistic or eccentric in their behaviour