Look up the words normal and abnormal in the dictionary. What do you find? When we ask how a society defines psychological abnormality, what we are doing is asking where that society draws the line between acceptable and unacceptable patterns of thought and behavior.

There are several perspectives on how to decide what is considered to be normal. We utilize norms, statistical rarity, personal discomfort, maladaptive behavior, and deviation from an ideal.

Norms: are rules that tell us what is "right" and "wrong" to do, and where, when and with whom we can do certain things.

Statistical Rarity: This means one moves away from the average. The most readily notable example here is mental disabilities.

Personal Discomfort: If people are comfortable with their lives then it is ok. If they are distressed by thoughts and behaviors the they may require treatment.

Maladaptive Behavior: Here we ask if the person's behavior enables him or her to meet the demands of his or her life.

Deviation from an Ideal: Several theories describe an ideally, well-adjusted personality.

Your Task

1. Main Entry: In five sentences or more present your views on what defines normal behavior and what is the dividing line between it and abnormal behavior. When doing so utilize the knowledge you have gained from your text and research (our UMGC library, internet search).