Transcript Seligman’s Definitions Write a brief summary for each of

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.
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
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
Strengths
• It gives a quantitative measure that is
objective. (Useful to have a definitive cut off).
• On a practical level this can be useful as
evidence in support of requests for assistance
and funding for those identified.
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.
• Some people who are considered normal may
need some help.
• There are statistically frequent behaviours which are
considered as abnormal.
ie - depression is frequent is the UK, however it is
considered a mental health disorder and abnormal.
What about left-handedness?
Abnormal behaviour is not rare, most people are likely to
show abnormal behaviour some time in their life.
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, cultural, gender and historical context.
The effect of context
• In some countries 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 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???
The effect of age and gender
• 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!
• 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)

 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
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.