Rock climbing is dangerous and statistically few people engage in this behavior. Yet few would consider it socially unacceptable in individualistic cultures (even if they assess it as unusual and dangerous). What would be abnormal, however, is a person who rock climbs naked, since in that case they are going against even the accepted "norms" of the rock climbing community (provided they are not part of a nudist rock climbing group where such behavior could be deemed appropriate).
To take another example: depression and anxiety disorders are common in U.S. society. They are not dominant, but they are frequent enough to question whether they are abnormal from a statistical perspective. If one decides statistically that depressive behavior is not abnormal, one is left to search other criteria. Is depression familiar or unfamiliar? Is depression socially acceptable or socially maladaptive? Does it place the person in conflict with their surroundings with such intensity as to be viewed as distressful to the individual or dangerous to society, and thus as abnormal? This is the kind of process one has to think through when considering issues of at-risk behavior or thought patterns.
To reach the level of pathology, deviant (abnormal) behavior is often repeated or habitual rather than a singular occurrence. Pathology happens when deviance (abnormality) continues its process repetitively. For example, an unacceptable behavior, thought, or feeling that occurs just once typically does not attain the level of pathological deviance. It is an isolated act which, while abnormal, is nonetheless not necessarily a pathological pattern.
How does one actually decide about what is abnormal? One must apply the criteria of abnormality (given above) with cultural and situational sensitivity. I can use my own history as an example. Born in the 1960's, I am the youngest of three girls. I was educated in a private catholic girls-only college. I was raised to believe that any behavior that was considered illegal or non-Christian was "abnormal." Despite being taught tolerance, I tended to be judgmental of others...
For example, smoking, dancing, gambling, and pre-marital sex were abnormal for me. Not only were they not part of my environment and experience growing up, these activities were prohibited to me by the value system I was taught. As a result, I thought they were abnormal, even unethical. Now I realize that these behaviors can be normal, not abnormal, for me and for others. I realize that they need not be unusual, unfamiliar, socially unacceptable, and dangerous, nor even unethical (although they can be). I feel as though it is important, because of what I have argued, that I try to keep an open mind when assessing such behaviors. I will be better able to determine true abnormality if I am aware of differences in people's backgrounds and cultures.
In terms of evaluating causes of abnormality, one possible answer is that it stems from hostile supernatural forces. Those who believe this operate out of a worldview that accepts the controlling presence of spiritual forces. Assessing and treating abnormality would depend on spiritual forms of healing. Another answer is biological. Here one is in the realm of medical science. The causes of abnormality can be assessed and controlled by reference to physiological processes that require biological manipulation (say, pharmaceutical treatments). The abnormal person can hope to find change in alteration of their chemical or biological makeup. A third major approach to the cause of abnormality is psychological. Here a problem of mental perception (conscious or unconscious) gives rise to abnormal behavior. The skewed perception may be the result of developmental misfires, traumatic events, or unhealthy social contexts. In this case, the proper resolution toward normalcy hinges on cognitive adjustment, behavioral modification, or some type of talking analysis by which the perceived abnormal behavior can be corrected.
Bibliography
American Psychiatric Association. (2000). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. 4th Ed. Washington, DC: Author.
