Distinguishing Normal and Abnormal Behavior in Psychology

Quote to use: Here is one of my favorite quotes to illustrate the often times difficult distinction between normal and abnormal: (connect the meaning of this quote to what you’re doing in Discussion 1 and I will be very impressed! Bonus point maybe???) “Who in the rainbow can draw the line where the violet tint ends and the orange tint begins? Distinctly we see the difference of the colors, but where exactly does the one first blendingly enter into the other? So with sanity and insanity.” Prompt: You learned that being different and behaving differently do not necessarily mean abnormal. You also learned about the role of emotional distress and whether or not the behavior interferes with daily functioning. Knowing all of that, consider the following cases: 1. Tom is uncomfortable riding on escalators. As a result, Tom avoids using any escalator. (2 points) 2. Chris has been caught urinating in the corner of the bedroom. (2 points) 3. Bill, your neighbor, sweeps his driveway daily. (2 points) Write a short paragraph for each scenario in which you address the following for each case (you should have 3 distinct paragraphs): After reading the material in the text (pp. 3-8), tell me two things for each case: (a) under what circumstances would the behavior be considered abnormal and (b) under what circumstances would the behavior NOT be abnormal. The definition of abnormal behavior (p. 8) should be very helpful. Your answer should clearly demonstrate you have read the material, Include at least one specific point from the text for each case of ABNORMAL. Answer: Good evening, After reading the texts and reviewing the PowerPoint notes, I have listed circumstances that would render each behavior abnormal and some circumstances that would not: 1. Tom is uncomfortable riding on escalators. As a result, Tom avoids using any escalator. If Tom were an adult who avoided escalators whenever he happens to encounter them at a mall or in an airport, simply because they make him uncomfortable, this would not be considered abnormal behavior. It may be considered deviant behavior, as it goes against the norm of taking whatever the most convenient route is, but it would not be abnormal. Alternatively, if Tom’s refusal to use escalators causes him to be late to events because he must take a longer route to avoid an escalator or if were to miss an event entirely because he experienced anxiety that an escalator might be present at the event, this could be considered abnormal. Missing events and experiencing anxiety are both evidence of distress and dysfunction which can indicate abnormal behavior. 2. Chris has been caught urinating in the corner of the bedroom. As mentioned on page 5 of the text, age is yet another important factor to take into context. For example, if Chris is an American two years old, urinating in the corner of his room once would not be considered abnormal behavior. This is due to the cultural and developmental norm of children around this age, in America, still learning to use the restroom properly. Alternatively, if Chris is a twenty-two year old American, and is frequently found urinating in the corner of his bedroom, this could be considered abnormal. The behavior becoming frequent and, due to the need to clean up the urine and the strain it may cause on any relationships of those who have witnessed such behavior, causing suffering to Chris could deem the behavior abnormal. 3. Bill, your neighbor, sweeps his driveway daily. Witnessing someone sweeping their driveway is typical, in American culture, considered very normal behavior. For example, if someone drove by their adult neighbor, Bill, and saw that he briefly sweeps his driveway, it would not be considered abnormal. While the behavior occurs frequently, in the context of American culture, this is still considered a normal behavior and does not cause distress or dysfunctionality. If Bill were to sweep his driveway for hours every day, and experience anxiety whenever he is away from the driveway, worrying that it might not remain clean, this may be considered abnormal. The distress Bill is feeling, as mentioned in the text on page 7, could be an indicator that his behavior is abnormal. As mentioned multiple times in the text and the PowerPoint notes, no behavioral display can be properly deemed abnormal without knowing the full context. Just as the quote from the notes states, “Who in the rainbow can draw the line where the violet tint ends and the orange tint begins? Distinctly we see the difference of the colors, but where exactly does the one first blendingly enter into the other…” While it is easy to view a behavior as abnormal at first glance when it deviates from the cultural or societal norms and expectations, being able to define what is normal and abnormal behavior is completely subjective to the context and factors such as age, location, the person’s background, their history, and so many other factors.