Statistical infrequency

• Statistical infrequency


  The idea that abnormal behaviour is behaviour which is rare (uncommon)
• Any behaviour that strays FAR from the average would be seen as abnormal
• People who use this definition measure specific characteristics and assess how these characteristics are distributed in the general population
• Normal distribution curve


  Bell shaped curve that tells us for a given characteristic most people score around the middle (mean)
• About 5% of the population who fall outside the 'normal distribution' are perceived as being abnormal
• Psychological Behavior


  • Schizophrenia is suffered by 1 in 100 people and so is statistically infrequent
• Statistical infrequency definition

  • It is objective and sometimes appropriate
  • It focuses on the FREQUENCY of behaviour, NOT its desirability
• People who have an IQ in the range from 85-115 are viewed as normal


  Only 2% have a score below 70, so those individuals scoring below 70 are rare and are therefore labelled as having IDD
• All assessment of patients with psychological disorders includes some kind of measurement of how severe their symptoms are as compared to statistical norms
• Behaviours that are statistically infrequent in one culture


  May be statistically more frequent in another
• Depression, a frequently diagnosed disorder in Western culture, appears to be absent in Asian cultures
• The reason for this is that Asian people tend to live within extended families with ready access to social support, and they tend to consult the doctor only for physical problems and rarely with 'emotional' distress
• Statistical infrequency merely reflects the statistical likelihood of seeking professional help, rather than an indication of whether a disorder is present or absent in a particular culture