Abnormality and Normality

Concepts of formulaity and geometrical irregularity The presence of a mental disorder may be considered a deviation from mental health norms and hence the study of mental disorders is lots known as abnormal psychology Normal and abnormal, as use to human behavior, atomic number 18 relative terms. Many people use these classifications subjectively and carelessly, often in a judgmental manner, to suggest good or bad behavior. As defined in the dictionary, their accurate use would be easy enough normalconforming to a typical soma abnormal-deviating from a norm.The trouble lies in the vocalize norm. Whose norm? For what age somebody? At what period of history ? In which culture ? The definition of the word abnormal is simple enough merely applying this to psychology poses a multifactorial problem what is normal? Whose norm? For what age? For what culture? The concept of irregularity is imprecise and difficult to define. Examples of abnormality mountain take many different for ms and involve different features, so that, what at first sight have the appearance _or_ semblance quite reasonable definitions, turns out to be quite problematical.There are some(prenominal) different ways in which it is possible to define abnormal as opposed to our ideas of what is normal 1. Deviation from statistical norms One way is the statistical approach which is based on the premise that abnormal behaviour is statistically old. In some cases it is possible to gather data in a numeric form and derive a mingy average value. We can then say that the majority of values which are nearest to the mean are normal, and the minority of values farthest from the mean are abnormal.For example, if the average height of a set of people is tailfin foot eight, with most values falling in the range quartette feet to six foot six, then a height of less than triad foot or more than eight foot would or in all likelihood be considered abnormal. As a nonher example, fretting can be assesse d using Spielbergers State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The mean score for trait anxiety is 40 and people who achieve over 55 are seen as statistically rare as only 1 in 50 score that high. Therefore those with high scores are seen as abnormal from the greater majority of the population.Evaluation The statistical approach helps to address what is meant by normal in a statistical context. It helps us make cut dark points in terms of diagnosis but it still does not helps us define the term. There are many people who have high levels of anxiety, but would still not be categorised as clinically abnormal it is also equally true that people with very first-class honours degree scores on the anxiety scale are also statistically abnormal The decision of where to start the abnormal classification is arbitrary.Who decides what is statistically rare and how do they decide ? For example, if an IQ of 70 is the cut-off point, how can we justify facial expression someone with 69 is abnormal, an d someone with 70 normal ? An important favor of statistically abnormal values is that abnormal doesnt tell us close the desirability of the deviation. For example, obesity is a statistically normal but not associated with healthy or desirable. Conversely high IQ is statistically abnormal, but may well be regarded as highly desirable