Question

You are planning a continuing education seminar with your service's medical director. After you both decide that behavioral emergencies need to be addressed, he asks you to define normal behavior. You would reply:

Answer 1

Normal behavior is that which conforms to societal norms, allowing individuals to integrate and function within their community. Emergent-norm perspective might describe behavior changes in a crowd, influenced by shared emotions and spontaneous norms. Regular events, such as pay periods, showcase the structured norms of society.

Step-by-step explanation:

Defining normal behavior within the context of a medical or psychological setting can be challenging, as it largely pertains to the behaviors most common and accepted within a society or culture. Normal behavior is typically that which aligns with the established norms and values of a society, enabling individuals to function and interact within their community effectively and without causing disruption. These behaviors are learned through social interaction and the cultural propriety that one adheres to in daily routines, such as commuting to work.

An example of an emergent-norm perspective from personal experience could be adopting different behaviors in a crowd during an unexpected event, such as a public demonstration. The behavior may be guided by the shared emotions and the developing norms within the group, even if it differs from how one might behave individually in a calm setting.

Events with regular periodicity, like receiving a paycheck, exemplify structured societal norms. These events have a set period and frequency, which contribute to stability and predictability in daily life.