What is Abnormal Psychology?
Abnormal Psychology is a branch of psychology that studies the “abnormal” traits in individuals. In this, people study the unusual patterns of behaviors, emotions, and thoughts that may be connected to a mental disorder.
Defining “abnormal”
One of the fundamental challenges in this field is defining what the term “abnormal” means. Abnormal behavior is normally characterized by patterns that deviate from societal norms and expectations. However, defining “normal behavior” can vary across cultures and contexts. What may be normal in one culture may be unusual and “abnormal” to another. Because of this, the World Health Organization (WHO) emphasizes the cultural aspect when identifying these mental disorders.
Although it may be difficult to find the differences between what may be normal or not, psychologists use another method called the four D’s. As I have stated before in my previous blog about bipolar disorder, psychologists tend to look and identify the four D’s which are deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger. Deviance is one of the four D’s that connect to the term “abnormal”.
Deviance: Behaviors that deviate, or differ, from the social norms
What to consider
When thinking about what may be considered as being “abnormal,” you must consider the following:
- Cultural Context
- Context
- Not all unusual behaviors are abnormal
- Term is not absolute
As I stated before, knowing the cultural context is essential. What may be normal in one’s culture may be unusual or “abnormal” to another.
Sometimes, just knowing the context of the situation can also help to know whether a behavior is considered abnormal. Some behaviors or actions can seem unusual depending on the context of what is happening. For example, a firefighter running into a burning building may seem a bit abnormal.
However, this is not considered abnormal because it is the firefighter’s job to save anyone trapped in a burning building. Although it may seem that finding these abnormal behaviors may be easy, sometimes individuals may experience unusual behaviors or thoughts that are not qualified to be a mental illness or a mental disorder.
Although we have all these qualifications, the term “abnormal” still doesn’t have a complete universal definition that is agreed-upon, nor an agreeance between the usage of “abnormal” in Abnormal psychology.
Isn’t being called “abnormal” rude?
The goal of abnormal psychology is not to label or to judge individuals, but to understand and find ways to help individuals feel supported. This field focuses on identifying and treating problems that cause distress or impairment in an individual’s life. This is one of the biggest issues about Abnormal Psychology being called “abnormal”. Because of this, people need to understand how the term “abnormal” isn’t only used and meant in a negative way, but in a way where the identification of unusual behaviors in this field is given a name.
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