1.1.5 - Typical & Atypical Behaviour

Typical behaviour

Behaviour that usually occurs and is appropriate and expected in a given situation; the individual acts in their characteristic, customary way.

Atypical behaviour

Behaviour that is unusual for the individual or situation, markedly different from what most people would do, and considered uncommon or unnatural.

Psychological criteria (for typicality)

Standards used by psychologists to judge whether behaviour is typical or atypical, including cultural perspectives, social norms, statistical rarity, personal distress, and maladaptive behaviour.

Cultural perspectives

The influence of a society’s customs, beliefs, traditions, rules, etiquette, and attitudes toward mental health on what is considered acceptable behaviour.

Social norms

Society’s informal rules and expectations about how people should act; these standards vary across cultures, change over time, and include laws and social expectations.

Statistical rarity

A behaviour that falls outside the normal distribution of a large group’s behaviour, making it uncommon enough to be considered significant or atypical.

Personal distress

An intense, often self-focused emotional reaction involving extreme upset or suffering; considered typical if it is a reasonable cultural response to events.

Maladaptive behaviour

Actions that interfere with an individual’s ability to meet everyday demands, function effectively, or adjust to the environment; detrimental or counterproductive behaviour.

Normality

A state in which emotions, behaviours, and cognitions are viewed as adaptive for the individual and consistent with cultural or societal standards.

Neurotypicality

Having typical neurological development and functioning, often contrasted with neurodivergent conditions.

Neurodiversity

Recognition of the natural variations in human brain development across society, emphasising that neurological differences are normal rather than deficits.

Mental health workers

Professionals—including psychologists, psychiatrists, and related specialists—who support psychological development, diagnose atypical behaviour, and promote mental wellbeing.

Culturally responsive practices

Approaches used by mental health professionals that respect and integrate clients’ cultural backgrounds and norms into assessment, diagnosis, and care.