AO3 - SI

• A strength of statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality is that it has practical applications. This is because statistical infrequency is used in the real world as part of diagnosis and as a way to assess the severity of an individual’s symptoms. For example, a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorders requires an IQ of below 70 (bottom 2%). Therefore statistical infrequency as a definition of abnormality is an important part of applied psychology as it is a useful part of clinical assessment.
• However, just because a behaviour is rare does not necessarily mean it needs to be treated as an abnormality. One limitation of statistical infrequency is that it does not differentiate between desirable and undesirable behaviour when defining abnormality. For example, a high IQ is desirable and we would not consider it abnormal. However, a high IQ is statistically rare and would therefore be abnormal by this definition. This is a limitation and means that it could never be solely used to make a diagnosis and treatment plan.