Outline and evaluate two or more definitions of abnormality. (16 marks)
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Course
Psychopathology
Institution
AQA
I finished my psychology A-level last year with an A*. I have compiled a list of improvised essays I done as mocks and each of these essays fall into band 4 (13-16 marks)
Outline and evaluate two or more
definitions of abnormality. (16
marks)
"Deviation from social norms" refers to one type of abnormality. A social norm is an
unwritten standard for what is appropriate in a certain society. Therefore, according to
this definition, a person is considered abnormal if their thought or behaviour deviates
from these accepted social norms. For instance, you could consider someone strange if
they were to roam the streets of London whilst being completely naked. However, this
same behaviour would be regarded as completely natural as a part of their culture by a
remote African tribe.
This notion of abnormality some issues since societal norms evolve over time, a
problem known as hindsight bias. For instance, until 1973, homosexuality was viewed
as a mental disease in the UK, frequently leading to institutionalisation. Today, it is
merely seen as a variation of normal behaviour. This indicates that, historically, the use
of social norm deviation as a criterion of abnormality may have led to the wrongful
treatment of individuals who, by modern standards, would be considered "abnormal."
It may be argued that these diagnoses were applied to minority groups as a type of
social control to keep individuals who did not fit in out. The intensity of an individual's
"behaviour" and the surrounding circumstances determine how far they depart from a
certain social norm. For instance, breaking a social standard once might not constitute
deviant behaviour, but doing it repeatedly over time may indicate a psychological
problem. Similar to how wearing nothing but a top when strolling along a beach would
be accepted as natural, wearing it to work would be seen as strange and perhaps a sign
of a psychological issue. As a result, this definition falls short of providing a
comprehensive explanation on its own, as various inferences are drawn in various
circumstances and places.
Outline and evaluate two or more definitions of abnormality. (16 marks) 1
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