Statistical infrequency

• Statistical infrequency 


  Abnormality is often described in terms of statistical infrequency. Using descriptive statistics (mean, median ect) the typical value of a set of data is identified.

  Statistics inform us about the typical (normal) values of things, e.g the average shoe 👟 size for 10 year olds.

  • By defining what is common, we can identify what is not common (abnormal)
• AO3, statistical infrequency

  Some abnormal behaviours are desirable 


  Being abnormal often has negative connotations, but behaviours that are abnormal may be infact desirable. E.g. people may have an IQ over 150, the average IQ is 100, but this abnormity is desirable.

  Using statistical infrequency to define abnormality does not mean we can distinguish between desirable and undesirable behaviour.
• AO3, statistical infrequency

  The cut-off point is subjective 


  If abnormality is defined in terms of statistical infrequency, we need to decide where to separate normality from abnormality. E.g. a symptom of depression is difficultly sleeping 😴, some people may think abnormal sleep is less than 6 hours, others may think it's less than 5.

  There are many disagreements on when something is abnormal, so it is difficult to describe abnormality in terms of statistical infrequency
• AO3 statistical infrequency

  It's sometimes appropriate

  Some situations show statistical criteria can be used to define abnormality

  • Intellectual disability is defined in the terms of the normal distribution using standard deviation to establish a cut-off point for abnormality
  • Someone with and IQ more than 2 standard deviations below the mean is judged as having a mental disorder
  • This diagnosis will be made with a correlation between a failure to function adequately.

  Statistical infrequency is one of the many tools 🔥 used to define abnormality
• AO3 statistical infrequency

  Cultural relativism

  Behaviours seen as statistically infrequent in one culture may be statistically more frequent in another.

  E.g. Schizophrenia has the symptoms of hearing voices, this is a common experience in some cultures however.

  There are no universal ♾️ standards or rules for labelling behaviour as abnormal