Understanding Abnormal Behavior

Abnormal Psychology by Sue, Sue, and Sue was the first text in its field to present a thoroughly integrated multicultural perspective; the Eighth Edition continues to offer integration of multicultural models and the most extensive coverage available. This program provides students with an understanding of abnormal behavior as both a scientific and a clinical field, while offering insight into the tools used by mental health professionals to study and treat disorders. The text combines a student-friendly approach to understanding abnormal psychology with scholarship of the highest quality. This edition includes thoroughly updated research and case studies, and is accompanied by a comprehensive support package for both instructors and students. New! Mental Health & Society boxes have replaced the earlier "Focus On" sections to better reflect the content of contemporary issues in the field. Topics in these boxes address controversial issues with wide implications for our society. They are intended to stimulate critical thinking, evoke alternative views, provoke discussion, and draw students into issues that help them better explore the wider meaning of abnormal behavior in our society. Updated and Enhanced! Critical Thinking boxes provide factual evidence and thought-provoking questions that raise key issues in research, examine widely held assumptions about abnormal behavior, or challenge the student\'s own understanding of the text material. These boxes prompt students to think about issues as a psychologist would, weighing the evidence and applying theoretical perspectives and personal experiences to arrive at an evaluation. This feature can spark lively class discussions while providing the student with additional critical-thinking practice. A New web icon appears on many of the boxes in the text to indicate that there is a corresponding interactive exercise on the student web site that furthers their understanding of the topic. Updated! Myth vs. Reality discussions help to dispel students\' preconceived notions regarding mental health issues. This feature is intended not only to challenge the many myths and false beliefs that have surrounded the field of abnormal behavior, but also to help students to realize that what may appear to be "common sense" must be checked against scientific facts and knowledge. As with other text features, Myth vs. Reality provides a mechanism for enhancing critical analytical thinking. New and Updated! Case Studies and Examples make issues of mental health and mental disorders come to life for students and instructors. Many of the cases are taken from actual clinical files and often touch upon controversial topics affecting the mental health profession. New examples include the case of Kendra Webdale, a young woman whose murder in 1999 spurred New York state to enact an assisted outpatient commitment law, known as "Kendra\'s law," and the suicide in 2000 of MIT student Elizabeth Shin, and its major legal implications for the Family Rights and Privacy Act. Chapter-opening Outlines and Focus Questions, provided in the first two pages of every chapter, give students an overview of the topics that will be discussed. The lively, thought-provoking questions are intended to guide students in seeking answers as they journey through the chapter. Integrated Chapter Summaries keyed to the Focus Questions provide students with a concise overview of the chapter\'s most important concepts and ideas and are written in a way that provides tentative answers to the focus questions asked at the beginning. This approach to learning helps students to form an integrated understanding of the content contained in each chapter.David Sue is the author of 'Understanding Abnormal Behavior', published 2005 under ISBN 9780618528288 and ISBN 0618528288.