Weaknesses

• P -> One strength of this definition is that it gives flexibility of what is abnormal across different situations.
• Ev -> For example, this definition recognises that some situations would be seen as abnormal at certain times, but not others (e.g. the way someone dresses in certain situations will affect the judgement of abnormality, such as when it is acceptable to wear a bikini). It also recognises differences in abnormalities across age groups, such as emotional responses (e.g. temper tantrums are normal in childhood but abnormal in adulthood)
• Ex -> It is more flexible than other definitions where what is seen as abnormal is quite rigid, such as statistical infrequency (uncommon behaviours are not always seen as abnormal in society). This definition instead recognises that certain situations would change that judgement, meaning that someone will not always be labelled as abnormal.
• L -> Therefore this definition is useful when judging abnormality across situations which would change whether the person would be seen as abnormal or not.
• P -> One issue of this definition is that it fails to account for cultural relativism.
• DEFINITION: cultural relativism is the idea that behaviour can only be understood when we take into account the cultural context (e.g. what is normal in one culture may be abnormal in others).
• Ev -> For example, in Western cultures, hearing voices might be indicative of a psychotic disorder (like schizophrenia). However, in other cultures, hearing voices is celebrated and seen as a form of communicating with a higher entity, like their God.
• Ex -> This means that this definition fails to recognise variations in cultures and that behaviour should be understood in the context of that culture. In terms of mental health, in one culture, a person could be diagnosed with a mental illness and in another, they aren’t - if this is a valid definition of abnormality, someone should always be abnormal.
• L -> Therefore, this definition cannot be used cross-culturally as what is seen as abnormal changes between cultures.
• P -> One issue of this definition is that there are historical issues for what is considered abnormal.
• Ev -> For example, homosexuality used to be seen as a mental illness and was also illegal. Nowadays, people within the LGBTQ+ community are no longer seen as abnormal in some cultures due to changes in laws (e.g. the Equality Act and legalisation of same-sex marriage) and the fact that society has become more accepting.
• Ex -> This means that views of abnormality change over time, showing that there is not a static or consistent view of what is normal and abnormal. This can explain why there are generational differences in people’s opinions, but it makes defining abnormality very difficult.
• L -> Therefore, this definition is not particularly useful when looking at trends across time in terms of abnormalities.