M1-psy215

· Post an article, video, or visual to reinforce a peer’s idea or challenge them to see their point from a different perspective.

· Engage in conversation or consider asking a question from history, pop culture, the media, or other societal examples that frame abnormal behavior as being weird or uncomfortable.

Peer 1-CS

· How has abnormal behavior been defined throughout history?

Abnormal behavior that deviates from what is expected and normal. Abnormal behavior is very hard to define, people have to agree on what’s normal this can vary widely both within and outside cultures. An example from HIS 200 class is when British settlers first moved to America they were used to fencing land and raising livestock on it they had a good idea of the difference between public and private land however the American Indians viewed land as a public thing and didn’t understand the concept of dancing parts off further they used the land to raise crops not livestock to the Indians the white man’s way of fencing lands and keeping animals in pens seemed very abnormal. With that said abnormal behavior throughout history has its strengths and also has its problems. One would be violation of social norms, behavior that goes against what is considered by society is abnormal. With my example, culture plays a role in social norms as does age. 

· In your own words, how would you define abnormal behavior?

Abnormal behavior compared to the members of given society often a person’s thinking or behavior is considered abnormal if it violates the unwritten social norms or rules about what is expected or acceptable in a particular culture or social group.

· What are some of the ways in which abnormal behavior might be defined across different cultures?

One way of looking at the normal vs abnormal distinction is to use social norms as the basis of what is normal. Within social groups norms develop which dictate the typical accepted way of doing things for members of that group, deviation from the group norm may be an indication of abnormality as it potentially demonstrates as it potentially demonstrates that a person is unable to understand or recognize group norms. An example would be to get through your day performing the typical daily tasks that we all aim to do: get up in the morning, brush your teeth, remember to eat, go to work or school, maintain social contact with family or friends. If your able to do all of these things without undue difficulty then you could be said to be normal on the other side of the coin someone with OCD who’s unable to go to work due to their obsessive compulsive behaviors may be considered to be functioning abnormally.

· What are some of the factors that contribute to abnormal behavior?

There’s a societal bias loaded onto a term like adequate functioning, an example does the ability to hold down a job count as normal behavior or adequate functioning (social factor). Are all unemployed people therefore inadequately functioning and therefore identified as having abnormal behavior (psychological factors). I don’t think there’s a strong argument to suggest this is the case, so to avoid being judgmental (biological factor) in the definition of abnormal behavior we can turn to statistics instead is impersonal but non-judgmental (cultural factors) way of defining abnormal behavior.