Indiana Social Studies P.6.1
The Standard
Describe the characteristics defining maladaptive behavior and its diagnostic criteria (deviant, distressful, dysfunctional).
2026 Indiana Academic Standards: K-12 Social Studies
Teacher's field guide
What This Standard Means
What Students Need to Do
- Students identify when a behavior differs from social or cultural norms, causes distress, or interferes with daily life. They use details from a fictional case to explain each sign without diagnosing the person.
What Mastery Looks Like
- Given a short case, a student points to evidence for each sign and notices when evidence is missing. They explain why unusual behavior alone does not show that someone has a disorder.
Common Misconceptions
- Students may call any unusual habit a disorder or think stress before a test is enough. They may judge behavior by their own cultural norms or overlook whether it disrupts daily life.
How to Assess It
- Exit ticket: Jordan checks the front door lock for two hours each morning, feels scared when trying to stop, and misses class. Identify one detail showing unusual behavior, one showing distress, and one showing disrupted daily life.
Lesson moves
Ways to Teach It
Give groups fictional case cards and three colored sticky notes to tag details showing unusual behavior, distress, or trouble with daily tasks.
Ask, “Can breaking a social norm alone show a mental health problem?” Have students explain with a fictional example.
Run a matching round with fictional case details and three criterion labels; students match each detail and explain their choices.
Show a mock social media post claiming one unusual habit proves a disorder; students write a two-sentence correction.
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Printable P.6.1 Worksheet
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Related Standards
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Discuss major categories of maladaptive behavior and distinguish which disorders (mood, anxiety, obsessive compulsive, schizophrenia, depressive, sleep) classif...
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- P.6.3
Identify and describe the theories of maladaptive behaviors.
- P.6.2
Explain how both cultural and historical influences have affected the definition of maladaptive behavior, including the harmful effects of diagnostic labeling a...
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