Q.Can a long-standing pattern of deviant behaviour be considered abnormal? Elaborate.

A long-standing pattern of deviant behaviour is not automatically abnormal simply because it is deviant. One approach does view abnormal behaviour as a deviation from social norms — behaviour, thoughts and emotions that break a society's norms are called abnormal. But this criterion is weak: norms grow out of a particular culture, so a behaviour judged deviant in one society may be accepted in another, and a society's values change over time. It wrongly assumes that whatever is socially accepted is normal and that normality is merely conformity. …

The word 'abnormal' literally means 'away from the normal', implying deviation from some clearly defined norm or standard. But psychology has no single 'ideal model' or 'normal model' of behaviour to use as a base for comparison, and two basic, conflicting views emerge on how to judge behaviour.

First approach: abnormality as deviation from social norms

Many psychologists say that 'abnormal' is simply a label given to behaviour that is deviant from social expectations. Each society has norms — stated or unstated rules for proper conduct — and behaviours, thoughts and emotions that break these norms are called abnormal. However, a society's norms grow out of its particular culture (its history, values, institutions, habits and arts). Therefore:

• A behaviour accepted in one culture may be judged abnormal in another (for example, aggressive behaviour may be acceptable in a competitive society but unacceptable in one that emphasises cooperation and family values).
• A society's values may change over time, so its views of what is abnormal change too.
• Serious questions have been raised about this definition because it assumes that socially accepted behaviour is not abnormal and that normality is nothing more than conformity to social norms.

So a long-standing deviant pattern, taken by itself, cannot reliably be called abnormal.

Second approach: abnormality as maladaptive behaviour …