NORMAL BEHAVIORvs

ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

Is Being DIFFERENT Abnormal?Different: not the same as another

dissimilar in nature, form or qualitydistinct or separate

Yao Mingdiffers from most people in height

Mariah Careydiffers from most people in vocal range

Stephen Hawkingdiffers from most people in intelligence

These people certainty possess qualities which most people do notTheir ‘abnormalities’ (extreme height, vocal range and intelligence) are not negative

Their unusual abilities result in positive contributions to society and do not cause distress or appear to impair daily functioning

BEING DIFFERENT IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABNORMAL

Is Being DEVIANT Abnormal?Deviant: behavior that violates societal and cultural norms

The BeatlesIn 1964 they looked, behaved,

and sounded deviant in the context of the prevailing

cultural norms

Nick keeps a night-light on in his bedroom every night to keep the monsters away, however Nick is 4 years old and therefore does not

have the cognitive capacity to understand that monsters are not

under his bed

These people exhibit behaviors which violate societal and cultural norms

Their behaviors are not deviant due factors such as age and cultural

BEING DEVIANT IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABNORMAL

Is Being DANGEROUS Abnormal?Dangerous: likely to cause harm or to have adverse consequences

Jon drove his wife’s car into the store she owns. Jon was charged with the accident and during questioning it was determined that Jon was psychologically healthy and his behaviors

were a result of an intense emotional state stemming from a quarrel he had with his wife.

Frank suddenly found himself experiencing thoughts of suicide

and checked himself into a hospital. It was later determined that the thoughts were caused by a rare adverse reaction to a new allergy medication his doctor has

prescribed to him.

Most people with psychological disorders do not engage in dangerous behaviors

Behavior that is dangerous may signal the presence of a psychological disorder, but dangerous behavior alone is not

necessary or sufficient to diagnose psychological abnormality

BEING DANGEROUS IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABNORMAL

Is Being DYSFUNCTIONAL Abnormal?Dysfunctional: not operating normally or properly

deviating from the norms of social behavior in a way regarded as bad

Robert spends five to ten minutes checking his doors, windows, oven and stove in his apartment every time before he leaves or goes to sleep. Robert does not feel the need to check multiple times and his behaviors never interfere with his life or make him late. Robert does not experience distress or impairment and his behavior would be considered normal checking not a psychological abnormality.

Acting dysfunctionally does not necessarily indicate a psychological problem, although it can

If no distress or impairment is experienced then a disorder is not present

Stan loves his car. He often eats meals in his car and spends many hours of his free time waxing and cleaning his car. His neighbors find

his behavior strange but Stan his not bothered by it.

BEING DYSFUNCTIONAL IS NOT THE SAME AS BEING PSYCHOLOGICALLY ABNORMAL

What is ABNORMAL?Abnormal: behavior that is inconsistent with the individual’s

developmental, cultural, and social norms and creates emotional distress and/or interferes with daily functioning

As a general rule if the individual does not experience distress or impairment of daily functioning

as a result of the behaviors then a psychological disorder is not

present, though there are some exceptions to this.