Diagnosing Dysfunctional Behaviour - Evaluation (2)

Deviation from Social norms - Limitations:

• This definition means if a particular society does not approve of a behaviour then it is dysfunctional.
• However, again this will make some behaviour dysfunctional in some cultures and not others.
• E.g. It is perfectly normal to wear  trousers in our society, but this behaviour is completely unacceptable in other cultures.
• There is a sense of ‘rightness’ – society is right and everyone else is wrong. If this was the case then societies would not be changed by forward-thinking people.

Failure to function adequately - Limitations:

• The context of the behaviour influences the view of it. E.g. Everyone probably talks to themselves at times.
• Or a person who has been involved in a house fire may obsessively check appliances before leaving the house.
• Therefore it is a subjective view of abnormality, and not the objective definition that it is aimed to be.