Abnormality and Normality

Concepts of rulerity and unnaturality The presence of a mental disorder may be considered a deviation from mental health norms and hence the consider of mental disorders is often known as subnormal psychology Normal and atypical, as applied to human behavior, atomic number 18 relative terms. Many people using up these classifications subjectively and carelessly, often in a judgmental manner, to suggest good or bad behavior. As defined in the dictionary, their accurate use would take care easy enough normalconforming to a typical pattern abnormal-deviating from a norm.The trouble lies in the word norm. Whose norm? For what age person? At what period of history ? In which culture ? The definition of the word abnormal is simple enough but applying this to psychology poses a complex problem what is normal? Whose norm? For what age? For what culture? The concept of abnormality is imprecise and difficult to define. Examples of abnormality can take many different forms and involve d ifferent features, so that, what at first sight seem quite reasonable definitions, turns out to be quite problematical.There are several different ways in which it is feasible to define abnormal as opposed to our ideas of what is normal 1. Deviation from statistical norms One way is the statistical approach which is based on the premise that abnormal behaviour is statistically rare. In some cases it is possible to gather data in a numeric form and derive a mean amount value. We can then say that the majority of values which are nearest to the mean are normal, and the minority of values farthest from the mean are abnormal.For example, if the average height of a set of people is five foot eight, with most values falling in the range four feet to half a dozen foot six, then a height of less than three foot or more than eight foot would or probably be considered abnormal. As another example, anxiety can be assessed using Spielbergers State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The mean score for trait anxiety is 40 and people who accomplish over 55 are seen as statistically rare as only 1 in 50 score that high. Therefore those with high pull ahead are seen as deviant from the greater majority of the population.Evaluation The statistical approach helps to address what is meant by normal in a statistical context. It helps us admit cut off points in terms of diagnosis but it still does not helps us define the term. There are many people who consider high levels of anxiety, but would still not be categorised as clinically abnormal it is also equally true that people with very scummy scores on the anxiety scale are also statistically abnormal The decision of where to start the abnormal classification is arbitrary.Who decides what is statistically rare and how do they decide ? For example, if an IQ of 70 is the cut-off point, how can we justify saying someone with 69 is abnormal, and someone with 70 normal ? An important consideration of statistically abnormal values is th at abnormal doesnt tell us about the desirability of the deviation. For example, obesity is a statistically normal but not associated with healthy or desirable. conversely high IQ is statistically abnormal, but may well be regarded as highly desirable