Read the passage given below to answer.
A person's thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates social norms. Norms are expected behaviour in a group. Every culture has certain standards for accepting behaviour as per socially acceptable norms. For example - child marriage was a norm about hundred years ago. Those who did not marry their girl child like everyone else were considered to be breaking the norm. The most obvious problem with defining abnormality using social norms is that there is no universal agreement over social norms. Another definition of abnormality states that a person is considered abnormal if he/she is unable to perform the behaviours necessary for day-to-day living eg. self care, holding a job, managing everyday tasks. We must understand that mental health issues are prevalent in all cultures as there is ignorance and fear about psychological disorders. It is believed that these disorders are something to be ashamed of.
The best criterion for determining the normality of behaviour is that it :
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 2
The correct answer is Option (2) → fosters overall wellbeing
Option (1) follows the norms of a society — Incorrect. This is the first approach, which treats abnormal behaviour as a deviation from social norms. Serious questions have been raised about it: it assumes that normality is nothing more than conformity to social norms, and norms differ from one society to another and change over time, as the child-marriage example of the passage shows.
Option (2) fosters overall wellbeing — Correct. Many psychologists believe that the best criterion for determining the normality of behaviour is not whether society accepts it but whether it fosters the well-being of the individual and eventually of the group to which she or he belongs. Well-being here is not mere survival; it also includes growth and fulfilment, the actualisation of one’s potential.
Option (3) is not distressing — Incorrect. Distress, behaviour that is unpleasant and upsetting to the person and to others, is only one of the ‘four Ds’ (deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger) that most definitions share. Behaviour can be free of distress and still be maladaptive, so the absence of distress alone cannot be the best test of normality.
Option (4) is not dangerous — Incorrect. Danger to the person or to others is another of the four Ds, and many disorders are not dangerous at all. A behaviour that harms no one can still interfere with a person’s optimal functioning and growth.
NCERT (2025-26): “Concepts of Abnormality and Psychological Disorders … Although many definitions of abnormality have been used over the years, none has won universal acceptance. Still, most definitions have certain common features, often called the ‘four Ds’: deviance, distress, dysfunction and danger. That is, psychological disorders are deviant (different, extreme, unusual, even bizarre), distressing (unpleasant and upsetting to the person and to others), dysfunctional (interfering with the person’s ability to carry out daily activities in a constructive way), and possibly dangerous (to the person or to others).…” “…Serious questions have been raised about this definition. It is based on the assumption that socially accepted behaviour is not abnormal, and that normality is nothing more than conformity to social norms. The second approach views abnormal behaviour as maladaptive. Many psychologists believe that the best criterion for determining the normality of behaviour is not whether society accepts it but whether it fosters the well-being of the individual and eventually of the group to which s/he belongs. Well-being is not simply maintenance and survival but also includes growth and fulfilment, i.e. the actualisation of potential, which you must have studied in Maslow’s need hierarchy theory. According to this criterion, conforming behaviour can be seen as abnormal if it is maladaptive, i.e. if it interferes with optimal functioning and growth.…” |