Normality (behavior)

In psychology, normality is defined as behavior that conforms to the social norms of one's community or overall culture. Social norms are informal, often unstated rules that dictate how a particular human society should operate. People who adhere to these norms are seen as displaying normal behavior. Those who do not are said to be deviant.

Nonetheless, psychologists and sociologists often find it difficult to distinguish between which behaviors are normal and which are deviant. Extreme social deviance may indicate mental illness in an individual, but the rejection of some social norms is not regarded as particularly troublesome if it does not diminish one's ability to interact productively in society. Additionally, definitions of normality and deviance are fluid across cultures because every society in the world employs different social norms. This means that a behavior considered normal in one culture can be deviant in another. Most people learn what is normal and deviant in childhood, making environments highly important factors in children's mental development.

Background

The simplest definition of normality is behavior that adheres to the established social norms of a particular culture or community. Social norms are unwritten rules that define polite society. Because all cultures are different, social norms vary greatly around the world. Social norms in the United States include not standing too close to people when speaking to them, not swearing in polite conversation, and offering food or beverages to visitors in one's home. A social norm in some Middle Eastern countries is not using one's left hand in public affairs, since, in these cultures, the left hand is considered unclean.

Sociologists have noted the difficulty of defining exactly what set of behaviors constitutes normalcy in a society. Some reject the proposal that normal behavior is composed simply of the actions people observe most of the time, for this would mean that normalcy is determined only by the amount of people engaging in a certain activity, whether is it considered socially desirable or not.

Psychologists sometimes describe normal behavior as the absence of mental illness and the ability to function as a sane person in society. According to one theory, "normal" people are happy most of the time, although they still experience shifting moods based on changing circumstances in their day-to-day lives. This theory further asserts that normal people can relate to others in appropriate ways, such as feeling secure and content among their family and friends and knowing when to be firm or remorseful. These people are capable of loving others, holding jobs, and enjoying life when they are not working.

This theory of normalcy, however, does not always apply, for it describes an idealized version of normal behavior that not all people practice. At the same time, not everyone who fails to conform to this description of normalcy can be considered socially deviant, for individuals can reject some of their society's norms and still function as thoughtful, responsible members of their communities. Eccentric people, for example, may appear strange or mentally unstable to their fellow citizens but still possess sound judgment. Sociologists often struggle to define where normalcy ends and deviancy begins; sometimes, deviant behavior can be nothing more than normalcy taken to an extreme, such as a person's desire to bathe an excessive number of times a day. Sociologists and psychologists use several methods to measure whether a person's behavior is normal or abnormal.

Overview

Scientists can use statistics to score people based on their symptoms of mental disorders. Scoring anywhere outside the "usual" range of symptoms might indicate the presence of such a disorder. For instance, in a test of how often people feel anxiety, most subjects would score moderately, meaning they sometimes feel a manageable amount of anxiety. Individuals would be considered abnormal if they rated too high or low on the scale, meaning they felt anxious either all the time or never. However, statistical abnormalities such as the ones noted in the anxiety test do not necessarily indicate social deviancy. This is because deviant behavior is almost always regarded negatively, while abnormal behavior can be considered good or bad. For example, it is abnormal for a person to have an extremely high IQ, but this is still seen as a positive irregularity.

Since measuring abnormalities statistically may produce misleading results, some sociologists instead study the abnormal behaviors that have been specifically associated with mental disorders. These behaviors are generally destructive to society and/or the individuals themselves and are considered deviant. Destructiveness is the primary difference between deviance and normality, for even individuals who reject and regularly violate various social norms are not considered deviants if their behavior does not genuinely harm either themselves or their communities. Behaviors commonly seen as deviant in Western countries include alcoholism, compulsive gambling, excessive lying, refraining from bathing, and engaging in any type of criminality such as theft or vandalism.

Many sociologists agree that people first learn about social norms and deviant behavior as children, who derive social cues in their environments, specifically the individuals in their reference groups. A reference group is any collection of people who individuals, such as children, use to determine which behaviors are appropriate. Parents, teachers, and friends may all be reference groups for children. Children who consistently observe their parents following social norms are more likely to grow into adults who do the same.

However, sociologists continue to emphasize the elusive nature of deviant behavior, since it is defined only in comparison to what is considered normal, and normality always differs based on culture and context. In some Muslim countries, it is seen as normal and even praiseworthy for a woman to stay at home all day. In the United States or another Western country, a woman who never leaves the house might be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder. Some Native American cultures attach no social taboos to experiencing visions in a spiritual context, while, in a country such as the United Kingdom, such visions would be classified as hallucinations and a symptom of a mental disorder.

Even an action within one culture can be normal or deviant, depending on the context. In the United States, disrobing in a place of business is seen as deviant and even criminal, but not if a patient does it in the examination room of a doctor's office. In general, sociologists argue that deviant behavior is best defined as any action that signals the presence of a mental disorder in the perpetrator, whereas normality is the absence of behaviors that would indicate such a disorder.

Bibliography

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Hutchison, Elizabeth D. Dimensions of Human Behavior: Person and Environment. Sage Publications, 2008, pp. 174–75.

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