Definition of Abnormal Behaviour 4 – Behavioural Dysfunction or Disability Disability is defined as whether a person is impaired in some important aspect of their life, for example, work, relationships and so on. This can be then defined as "abnormal". A phobia, for example, can cause distress and disability. If we are scared to go out, we may be so upset, we do not leave the house – our lives are therefore impaired. This is a complicated definition as both disability and distress are required. For example, a transvestite is still classed as mental disorder, but the transvestite may not find being a transvestite distressing. Another example, we may be desperate to be a professional football player, but not be very fast or very good at it – this may cause us distress, but it is not abnormal behaviour.

Definition of Abnormal Behaviour 5 – Unexpectedness Not all distress or disability is abnormal behaviour. Disability and distress can be considered "abnormal" when they are unexpected responses to an environmental stressor. Hunger can cause us distress – this is an expected response. If we are wealthy, but are constantly worrying about money, this is not an expected response, so can cause us psychological problems.

So, there is no key definition of abnormal behaviour or psychopathology. This is why it is such a wide and diverse topic, with so many different theories and pieces of research being conducted.

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