Abnormal Psychology - Behaviors That Lay Outside the Norm

What is Abnormal Behaviour?

Abnormal behaviour can be made up of the following:

* Norm Violation: Norms are the social rules that guide us and tell us what is right or wrong behaviour. Norms are culturally influenced – what one culture believes to be normal behaviour may be strange and unusual. Therefore, one who lives in a certain culture and violates that cultures norms, may be seen as acting abnormally. However, one must be careful when using this criteria due to the fact that norms from one culture to the next vary so much.

* Statistical Rarity: Something that is a “statistical rarity” is something that deviates from what is considered average. Something that lies outside of the range of the majority can be considered abnormal. For example, someone who has a significantly lower I.Q. than the average adult, may be seen as abnormal.

* Personal Discomfort: Behaviour can be seen to be abnormal if a person experiences distress over their own thoughts and behaviours.

* Maladaptive behaviour: Maladaptive behaviour is abnormal behaviour. Behaviour can be said to be maladaptive if someone cannot perform their normal daily duties such as going to work and paying their bills. This can be considered to be a problem and indicate that the behaviour is abnormal in some way.

Please read the related links below on the different types of abnormal psychological problems. These include both emotional and behavioural disorders as well as psychotic and neuropsychological disorders.