Dr Padawi wishes to explain to a group of hospital volunteers how psychiatrists

try to make decisions about abnormality. Dr Padawi decided to start by

explaining how abnormality is defined.
Describe and evaluate two definitions of abnormality. In your answer you must
refer to how Dr Padawi might explain definitions of abnormality to the
volunteers.
Dr Padawi would explain the first definition of abnormaility as deviation from
social norms. Social norms are guidelines for appropriate or acceptable
behavior. A person who breaks social norms and violates peoples sense of right
and wrong will be considered abnormal. Abnormality consists of behavior that
is different from what is normally acceptable in society and can make people
feel uneasy when they see the behavior. Abnormality is when behavior is bizarre
or out of the ordinary, it is not traditional social behavior. It has to be clear to
everyone what the social norms are, so that abnormal behavior is seen as such
by everyone in that society. What is considered as breaking social norms is
defined by the society one is in, and so it is culture dependent and can vary over
time. If the patient comes from a different culture than the doctor s/he may not
recognize normal behavior as normal. He might give an example of how men
would not wear skirts or dresses as this would mean they will be breaking the
social norms and would be seen as abnormal.
Dr Padawi would explain the second definition of abnormality as deviation
from statistical norms. Anything that occurs rarely is abnormal, this definition
can be used when dealing with human characteristics that can be reliable
measures such as intelligence, weight and depression, most peoples behavior
clusters around the mean average, as we move further away from the average,
and fewer people will display such behavior and thus be deemed as abnormal.
Individual characteristics are measured (behavior/personality) and compared to
the distribution of these characteristics within a population.
Standard deviation is used when measuring abnormality as deviation from
statistical nroms. An example of this is when measuring intelligence. The
average IQ score is 100. 95% of the population have an IQ score of between 70
and 130 and so are thought to be normal. 2.5% have an IQ below 70 and 2.5%
have an IQ of above 130 and they are deemed abnormal because they are in the
extreme of the population. The cut-off is generally at +/- 2 SDs from the mean.
If the behavior falls 2 SDs from the average it is considered abnormal.
Dr Padawi would suggest that deviation from statistical norms definition of
abnormality is good and useful as it is objective because the data is wuantitative
therefore the results can only be seen in one way. Furthermore it is reliable

because quantitative data is obtained which can be repeated to achieve

consistent results on the abnormality of the patient. It is also useful as it is easy
to use and is clear about what is classified as normal and abnormal behavior,
this is because it is statistically done therefore there are set boundaries on what
is normal and abnormal. Also the definition adapts as society changes over time
as the statistics also change to suit what is normal and abnormal at that specific
time. In addition to that the definition has clinical application because people
can easily see whether they fall into the normal or abnormal category.
However Dr. Padawi would suggest that deviation from statistical norms
definition of abnormality is not useful as it does not always fall in line with
common sense judgements of abnormality. This is because a person with an IQ
of above 130 would be classified as abnormal however common sense
judgement would not see him as abnormal. Furthermore this definition may
wrongly classify behaviors as normal or abnormal. For example a mental
disorder like depression would statistically be seen as normal as 20% of the
population is considered to be depressed but a mental disorder like depression is
not normal. You could also argue that this could cause psychological harm to a
person suffering from depression as they will not receive the support that is
needed if they are wrongly classified as normal. Last but not least, this
definition may not be useful as it is ethnocentric because western research
decided on the statistics gathered from the western culture which may not apply
to other cultures. Dr Padawi may give an example of how statistics gathered in
USA/UK cannot generalize as normality or abnormality to a small tribal culture
because it may wrongly identify people as abnormal as the statistics are based
on western research.
Dr Padawi would suggest that deviation from social norms definition of
abnormality is not useful as it is subjective because there is no fixed answer for
what is deemed as normal or abnormal in society. It is based on societys rules
and opinions. Also it is not reliable because societys perception of what is
deemed as acceptable changes over time therefore it cannot be reapplied for
consistency. Furthermore this definition could wrongly classify behavior as
abnormal as it depends on the context in which the behavior occurs. Dr Padawi
might give an example of this using the study of Calvin. Calvin was assessed as
abnormal because he was judged by the way he dressed and spoke. However
Calvin was a Rastafarian which was why he dresses and spoke in that certain
way. This supports the fact that behaviors can be wrongly classified. This is also
an ethical issue as Calvin was wrongly labelled as abnormal which is a negative
implication that he would have on him for the rest of his life. This may also
cause him psychological harm as a psychiatrist may conduct more tests on
Calvin causing distress when he was perfectly normal. Also it shows us how the
definition is ethnocentric as it is focused on western ideas of social norms which

may not apply to other cultures suggesting that the definition is not useful. Last
but not least this definition does not have clinical application because it is
subjective and therefore it is hard to determine what is considered to be
abnormal or normal so it is hard to acknowledge whether an individual is
abnormal or normal and requires treatment.
On the other hand, Dr Padawi would suggest that the deviation from social
norms definition of abnormality is good and useful as it is in line with common
sense judgements of abnormality as society is aware of the social norms and
there is a consistency across the country. Also it is easy to use and clear what is
classified as abnormal as people are aware of the social norms so behavior that
is seen as deviating from society norms would stand out and so be clear. In
addition to that this definition adapts as society changes over time as the
opinions and views of people change. He might give an example of
homosexuality as it is no longer seen as an abnormality.
In conclusion, Dr Padawi may say that both definitions have strengths and
weaknesses and that a reasonable way for psychiatrists to make decisions on
abnormality is to maybe combine both of the definitions in order to come up
with a final decision.