ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

The subtitle of our textbook reflects a central approach, which makes this book unique. In discussing psychological disturbances, we prefer to view these experiences as points on a continuum of human behavior, rather than extreme phenomena that affect only other people in some faraway place. For example, we begin the discussion of anxiety dis-orders by urging the student to think about personal expe-riences involving anxiety, then to imagine what it might be like to endure fear and apprehension that is many times more intense. This conversational approach is character-ized by simple and direct language and lively expression.