definitions of social norms

• Deviation from social norms

  Social norms are norms that are created by society (ie. people) and they are the acceptable standards of behaviour set by a social group. The people who live in this social group adhere to and follow these social norms and anyone who does not, and deviates from the social norms, is seen as abnormal
• Explicit social norm


  A written rule/law, for example that we do not use our mobile phones when driving
• Explicit social norm example


  • In the UK, all children under the age of 18 should be attending full time education
• Implicit social norm


  Not a written rule but one that we tend to follow such as eating dinner with cutlery
• Social norms will vary across cultures, situations, ages and even gender-so what is acceptable in one culture, situation, age or gender will not be in others
• One important consideration is the degree to which a social norm is deviated from and how important society sees that norm as being
• Failure to function adequately


  An individual who is failing to function adequately and unable to continue with their normal everyday activities, such as going to work, washing or taking part in social activities, would be considered abnormal using this definition
• Features of behaviour indicating failure to function adequately (rosenhan and seligman)


  • Observer discomfort
  • Unpredictability
  • Irrationality
  • Maladaptiveness
  • Personal suffering and distress
• One strength of the failure to function adequately definition is that it takes the individual's own interpretation of their experiences into account
• A further strength of failure to function adequately as a definition of abnormality is that it is relatively easy to judge who is considered abnormal according to this definition
• Statistical infrequency


  This approach defines abnormality as behaviour that deviates from the average, thus the less often the behaviour occurs (statistically) the more likely it is to be abnormal. Therefore the majority of people are normal and minority are abnormal
• Big 5 personality characteristics


  • Openness
  • Conscientiousness
  • Extraversion
  • Agreeableness
  • Neuroticism
• Statistical infrequency


  Defining abnormality as behaviour that deviates from the average, the less often the behaviour occurs the more likely it is to be abnormal
• The concept of normal distribution is used to decide which behaviour is statistically normal and abnormal
• This explanation only refers to characteristics that are normally distributed, which the big five personality characteristics are
• Approximately 68% of people fall within one standard deviation from the mean, 95% within 2 standard deviations, and 99.73% within 3 standard deviations
• Any score 2 standard deviations or more away from the mean denotes an abnormality
• The DASS (depression, anxiety and stress scale) uses a questionnaire to measure depression, anxiety and stress, with a very high score considered 'abnormal' and in need of treatment
• Strengths of statistical infrequency definition


  • It gives a quantitative measure which is objective
  • There is a clear cut-off point as to what is and is not abnormal, making it more reliable
  • not affected by culture
• Limitations of statistical infrequency definition


  • It treats everyone the same and does not view people as individuals
  • Not all abnormal behaviours are infrequent, like depression which affects 10% of the population
• Deviation from ideal mental health


  Abnormality is defined as any deviation from the characteristics of ideal mental health
• Characteristics of ideal mental health (johoda)


  • Positive attitude towards oneself
  • Self-actualisation
  • Autonomy
  • Resisting stress
  • Accurate perception of reality
  • Environmental mastery
• Strengths of deviation from ideal mental health definition


  • It is a more positive approach focusing on the ideal rather than the abnormal
  • It allows for specific goals to be set to facilitate self-growth and remove abnormality
• Limitations of deviation from ideal mental health definition


  • It is culturally specific, what is ideal in one culture may not be in another
  • No one achieves ideal mental health, so it cannot be a true measure of abnormality
• strengths of deviation from social norms

  • good practical applications
• limitations of deviation from social norms

  • social norms change between cultures and over time
  • classification of abnormality can only be in the context in which behaviour occurs
  • raises ethical concerns
• strengths of failure to function adequately

  • practical application
• limitations of failure to function adequately

  • culturally specific
  • many people engage in behaviour that is maladaptive that we don't class as abnormal (e.g. smoking)
  • not all abnormal or disordered people feel personal distress