Essay Sample on Abnormalities: Deviations from Social Norms

Introduction

In some cases, an abnormality is described as a deviation from the social norms whereby people are labeled abnormal is they have certain behaviors that are different from what is expected as the norm in a particular community or society. In most cases, social norms are written down in the form of laws and therefore referred to as explicit. Those that are unwritten are considered to be implicit. These terms refer to the unspoken rules in the different community setups. If people do not adhere to these rules, they are identified as deviating from the general norms and therefore, abnormal.

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The definition is general and can be used to refer to various types of behaviors. Some of these behaviors include dressing a certain way, standing too close to an individual face when conversing - both of which are implicit forms of abnormality. If an individual commits other types of crimes such as theft of murder, they break explicit rules.

The limitations to this definition include the fact that in some cases, eccentricity might be the reason behind social deviation rather than an abnormality. In those cases, those that break implicit norms may not necessarily be abnormal. In other cases, a behavior might appear to deviate from what is considered to be the norm, but it is taken out of context and therefore not an abnormality. In many cases, the individual is defined as being abnormal. The fact that norms change from one society to another as well as from time to time, it difficult to effectively identify an abnormality. In some cases, it is difficult to label abnormal individuals while in other, it is difficult to generalize the definition of norm.

Failure to Function Adequately

Another definition is the failure to function adequately. If an individual is suffering or unable to carry out his or her daily routine, they are defined as abnormal. In most cases, psychologists will identify and assess a person with the help of the DSM-IV, followed by an assessment of the different functioning levels found in the Global Assessment of Functioning. In society, people function at different stages and levels. These means that if an individual is identified as abnormal, then the next step is assessing who much he or she is a risk to him/herself and the people that surround this individual in that particular society.

If it is established that the person is not a threat either to him/herself and the people around him or her, then very little intervention is needed. For example, is a person scores 10 in the Global Assessment of Functioning, that particular individual is a threat to him/herself because they are suicidal. If another scores an average of 60, they are likely to be suffering from mild anxiety and moderate panic attacks.

The limitations of this definition include the fact that it does not capture the entire picture. This means in terms of describing what abnormality is; this definition does not indicate the extent of the abnormality. Instead, it looks at the extent of ta a particular problem as well as the likelihood of professional intervention. Another limitation is based on the exceptional rule that indicates that in some cases, people can behave inadequately or uncharacteristically, but that does not necessarily mean that they are abnormal which means that this definition cannot be used to define all individuals. Finally, there might be a different direction of causality whereby the inability to handle life and all its aspects might be the reason behind the mental disorder and not necessarily a symptom of one.

Deviation From Ideal Mental Health

The other definition is the deviation from the best form of mental health. In this case, the characteristics of mental health are studied rather than considering mental illness. For an individual to be referred to as normal, they need to meet a particular criterion. Anyone who does not conform to the various characteristics that are associated with ideal mental health and optimal living is described as abnormal. The criterion often looks at adapting to the changes in the environment, accurate perception of reality, personal autonomy, resistance to stress, positive attitude towards self, and self - actualization. If an individual does not meet the criteria, they are defined as abnormal.

The limitations of this definition, however, including meeting the criteria that deem one normal, which is difficult and demanding. In most cases, a majority of people will fall short of the idea of ideal mental health. One such example is self-actualization, which is difficult to achieve since many people in society fail to meet their full potential. This, therefore, means that many people in society would be labeled abnormal if the definition was to utilized. The criterion also indicates that an individual should have the capacity to resist stress, yet there are some befits of stress, especially for people who work best under stress. Such individuals would be wrongly labeled as abnormal. In other cases, the definition is met by cultural resistance, whereby the definition can only be applied to certain cultures. Therefore, in cultures where the criterion cannot be utilized, members of that culture would be considered abnormal.

Statistical Infrequency

Statistical infrequency is another definition of abnormality. It indicates that behavior can be categorized as abnormal is it is uncommon based on statistics. This means that for a behavior to considered normal, it must be seen very often in a community or society. Nevertheless, it is important to indicate how rare a behavior or a trait needs to be for it to be classified as abnormal. For example, individuals who have IQs above or below the average level can be classified as abnormal. One significant benefit of this particular definition is the fact that it helps make a cut-off point when diagnosing for abnormality.

The limitations of this definition is based on the failure to distinguish the difference between undesirable and desirable traits or behaviors. Some traits or behaviors, such as being left-handed, cannot be associated with either abnormality or normality. The definition is also limited by the fact that there is an unclear point on where the classification of abnormality should begin. Finally, the definition implies that people should statistically abnormal or unusual which is not the case because, at some point in every individual's life, they are likely to exhibit prolonged abnormality or mental disorder which is statistically common.

References

Polivy, J., and Herman, C.P., 2002. Causes of eating disorders. Annual review of psychology, 53(1), pp.187-213.

Laessle, R.G., Platte, P., Schweiger, U. and Pirke, K.M., 1996. Biological and psychological correlates of intermittent dieting behavior in young women. A model for bulimia nervosa. Physiology & behavior, 60(1), pp.1-5.

Cardwell, M., and Flanagan, C., 2005. Psychology AS. Cheltenham: Nelson Thornes. p. 139. ISBN 0748794638.