DEFINATION OF ABNORMALITY
Abnormality has been given different definitions overtime by psychologist; it has been defined as deviation from social norms whereby an individual who does something differently from the way the society does been classified as abnormal, another definition is where a behavior which is found to be statistically frequent been classified as normal while the one found to be statistically rare classified as abnormal (Benet, 2003). Failure to function adequately and deviation from ideal mental health has also been given as a definition of abnormality.
Statistical frequency has been used as one way of defining abnormality, this is where behavior which occurs frequently among human being classified as normal while behaviors which occur rarely among human being classified as abnormal (Benet, 2003), this explanation tries to explain abnormality using a normally distributed curve whereby the behavior which is far away from the mean been classified as abnormal. For example a person who is below or above average human height can be said to be abnormal. The strength of this definition is that it is not ambiguous therefore simple to understand and apply as it deals with figures (David, 2004).
The weakness of statistical frequency to define abnormality is that it supports the mediocre life only, it suggest that if you are not average person then you are abnormal. This world would have been a boring place to live if all of us would have possessed the same behavior; therefore a positive deviation from normal behavior is good for everybody as many people who have made innovations in many fields such as arts and technology are those people who deviated from the average behavior of human being (Hassel, 2005). Another weakness of this definition is that it terms a person with IQ which is above average as abnormal person which does not make a lot of sense because someone with high intelligence is even desired by the society.
Psychologists also use social norms to define abnormality, whereby a person who deviates from society’s way of doing things is defined as abnormal (David, 2004). Society influences us a lot in the way we do our things for example the dressing code, the way we eat and the way we relate to our seniors. And anybody who deviates from these unwritten rules is perceived to be abnormal. The strength of this definition is that it provides a broad view of understanding norms and it also provides members of society to know behaviors which are regarded normal and which are regarded abnormal. The weakness of this definition is that the society’s norm depends on their culture which varies depending on the community, for example the dressing code of Americans is different from that one of Africans. Norms are also based on historical context therefore the society will be rigid to change as nobody will be willing to deviate from the norm for fear of been termed as abnormal (Benet, 2003). Social norms also keep on changing for example homosexuality was termed as unacceptable in many societies thus abnormal but now it is acceptable in many societies (David, 2004).
Abnormality can also be defined as failure to function adequately; this is whereby an individual fails to provide for his day to day living like taking care of himself, hold down to a job and interaction with people (Hassel, 2005). Society has an expectation about how someone is supposed to carry on with his life, and if an individual does not fulfill these expectations then a person is termed as abnormal. The strength of this model is that it help medical psychologist to identify someone who has not been functioning effectively in a society and assisting him appropriately. The weaknesses of this definition are that it is very subjective as it depends solely on societies judgments about an individual, and at some point in life it is also not possible to function effectively for example after a loss of a loved one, and that does not mean that an individual is abnormal.
Deviation of ideal mental health is also used to define abnormality, when an individual is not autonomous in making decisions, has negative view of self and does not meet varying demands of life like taking care of him then a person is considered to be abnormal (Benet, 2003). The strength of the definition is that it outlines clearly the behaviors which are regarded to be abnormal therefore it is not biased and subjective as other definitions discussed above. However the weakness of this definition is that it is so broad and if these factors are to be considered, then majority of people would have been termed as abnormal.
Bennet P, 2003. Abnormal and Clinical Psychology. Maidenhead. Open University Press.
Hansell, J, 2005. Abnormal Psychology. Saint Louis Von Hoffman Press.
David H, 2004. Abnormal Psychology: An Integrative Approach. Belmont. Thomson Wadsworth.
