Lesson 3: Sociocultural Causes of Abnormal Behaviour

Introduction

Behaviour

For most of us, there is little doubt that social and cultural influences in our lives shape our behaviour patterns from childhood through old age. Some individuals, for reasons of temperament, conditioning, and other personal reasons, may reject the culture in which they have been raised. While avoiding the negative aspects of their cultures, these people may miss the benefits of the positive elements of their cultures. In either case, social and cultural influences may act to increase the likelihood of developing disordered behaviour.