DEVIATION FROM SOCIAL NORMS

• WHAT IS DEVIANT BEHAVIOUR?

  behaviour considered undesirable by the majority
• WHAT ARE SOCIAL NORMS?

  rules that a society has about what are acceptable behaviours, values and beliefs
• WHAT ARE THE TWO TYPES OF SOCIAL NORM RULES?

  explicit or implicit
• WHAT HAPPENS IF PEOPLE REPEATEDLY DEVIATE FROM SOCIAL NORMS?

  regarded as having a psychological disorder
• WHY WILL SOMEONE'S BEHAVIOUR BE CLASSED AS ABNORMAL EXAM QUESTION KEY POINTS?

  • definition of abnormality
  • psychological disorder
  • society's standards of acceptable
  • in this context
  • breaks a social norm
  • deemed inappropriate by majority
  • categorised as psychologically abnormal
• STRENGTH OF THIS DEFINITION?

  useful when working out severity of disorder based on number of norms broken (has real world application and helpful when suggesting treatments)
• WEAKNESSES OF THIS DEFINITION?

  • can lead to misdiagnosis (eccentric)
  • potential for abuse (against non-conformists)
  • deviation may not be obvious (some can go undiagnosed)
  • cultural relativism