Various psychologists and sociologists have studied this subject in great detail and their findings make it clear that deviant behavior is not necessarily immoral in nature, it can thus be any kind of behavior which is queer or strange when compared with pre-existing behavior models. This is a very interesting finding and one that helps us understand why certain behavior patterns are considered abnormal and why some 'thinking' or thought pattern is labeled as unconventional. For one, these findings remove the old notion that deviance is closely associated with immorality or anti-social thinking and embraces a board spectrum of eccentric behavior. Secondly, it also dispels the old perception that deviant behavior is another name for irrational behavior. This is not true at all because most of the time people who are guilty of deviant behavior have very valid and reasonable arguments in support of their thinking. For example ask someone who sells cocaine and he would give you some very solid reasons why he is engaged in this anti-social activity. Whether you agree with the person or not is an entirely different issue, but you will certainly learn that irrationality has nothing to do with deviant behavior because many of those indulging in unconventional activities or professions appear to be sane and rational human beings. Keeping all of this in mind, we need to understand that there is something essentially 'different' about deviant behavior, which is the reason why it is considered abnormal. Even if it doesn't appear to be irrational or insane, this kind of behavior pattern does contain some ingredients which often make it offensive to a society which has been conditioned in a certain manner.

             In his book 'Deviant behavior", Erich Goode has tried to dispel many pre-conceived notions regarding this kind of behavior and has given the following definition of deviance. In other words, while not everyone may find it objectionable, there would be one large section of the society which would consider that kind of behavior wrong and would want to eradicate it to preserve old social and moral values.