Engaging features reveal the clinical and personal aspects of abnormal psychology · Utilizing a unique integrative systems approach , the authors focus on what is known today rather than the theoretical paradigms of the past that are no longer relevant. The authors present the latest evidence on the multiple risk factors that contribute to psychological disorders, as well as the most effective psychological and biomedical treatments, to help students see how all the pieces that make up the mind might fit together. · Coverage of the DSM-5 throughout the 9th Edition ensures that students have access to up-to-date information on this influential diagnostic system. Beyond simply reporting the revisions to DSM-5 , the authors integrate critical evaluation of the content of DSM-5 throughout of every chapter. And as in past edition, the authors continue to highlight the theoretical issues behind various diagnoses throughout the text. · Thinking Critically About DSM-5 features give students insights into the DSM-5 while prompting critical thinking about definitions, causes, and treatments of various disorders. These features were designed to help students understand the principles behind classification and diagnosis in general as well as to recognize some of the practical and political agendas that influence what, in the context of our culture and times, is or isn''t classified as a mental disorder. · Critical Thinking Matters features address timely, often controversial, and always critically important topics.
These features are designed to help students to think critically about science, about pseudo-science, and about themselves. · In the text''s Getting Help features , the authors address the personal side of psychological disorders and try to answer the sorts of questions that students often pose privately after a lecture or during office hours. These features provide responsible, empirically sound, concrete guidance on personal issues such as: o What treatments should I seek out for a particular disorder?; o What can I do to help someone I know who has a psychological problem?; and o Where can I get reliable information from books, the Internet, or professionals in my community? · Brief Research Methods features explain the methods psychologists use (and invent) in order to perform scientific detective work. Teaching methods in the context of content helps students appreciate the importance of scientific procedures and makes learning research methods more manageable. · Case studies bring the human side of the discipline to life, taking readers along the human journey of pain, triumph, frustration, and fresh starts that is abnormal psychology. In extended cases near the beginning of each chapter, in subsequent briefcases, and in first-person accounts throughout, students see how ordinary lives are disrupted by psychological problems - and how effective treatment can rebuild shattered lives. · Student-focused pedagogy brings coherence to the course. Each of the text''s chapters on disorders follows the same structure to provide a coherent framework.
The chapter opens with an overview followed by one or two extended case studies. The authors then discuss symptoms, diagnosis, frequency, causes, and, finally, treatment. New and updated content and references keeps the text current · NEW! The incorporation of contemporary topics and fresh coverage of classic issues helps the text keep pace as the discipline continues to evolve. Highlights of new and updated content include the following: o Chapter 3 includes new evidence on the complexity of placebos, stigma and treatment seeking, and meta-analyses of efficacy of medication versus psychotherapy; o Chapter 7 offers discussion of controversies about PTSD among veterans, including the appropriateness of exposure therapy, the (limited) benefits of hypnotherapy, and new research on depersonalization and illness anxiety disorder; o Chapter 10 covers new research on eating disorders among dancers, the latest evidence on the Maudsley method, and the prevalence of eating disorders; o Chapter 12 offers expanded coverage of asexuality as a possible orientation, with a new discussion of the distinction between hypoactive sexual desire and asexuality and its implications for understanding the origins and treatment of sexual dysfunctions; and o Chapter 17 offers an updated discussion of successful aging, including psychological, social, and economic considerations. · NEW! References to hundreds of new studies represent the latest "clues" psychological scientists have unearthed while trying to solve the many mysteries of abnormal psychology. Highlights of new research include the following: o Chapter 4 offers a revised discussion of the reliability of diagnosis, based on new evidence from the DSM-5 field trials; o Chapter 8 includes new research on the treatment of chronic pain, including mindfulness approaches; o Chapter 11 offers new evidence regarding the frequency of overdose deaths attributed to opioid painkillers, which has increased dramatically in recent years; o Chapter 15 has been updated to include more questions about the autism spectrum, the so-called epidemic of autism, and estimates of the prevalence of autism spectrum disorder; and o Chapter 18 offers updated discussion of how diagnostic thresholds are a matter of life and death in the case of intellectual disabilities, including new Supreme Court rulings about IQ thresholds. Dynamic content designed for the way today''s students read, think, and learn brings concepts to life · Videos and interactives integrated directly into the author-created narrative keep students engaged as they read through each chapter. All of the videos embedded into the text have been carefully selected by the author team, and several of them were filmed specifically for the 10th Edition.
o Created in collaboration with the authors, exclusive Speaking Out videos depict people suffering from psychological disorders telling their stories in their own words. These interviews give students a window into the lives of people who in many ways may not be that different from anyone else, but who do struggle with various kinds of mental disorders. · Embedded assessments such as review quizzes at the end of each major section and chapter afford students opportunities to check their understanding at regular intervals before moving on. Assessments in Revel(tm) let instructors gauge student comprehension frequently, provide timely feedback, and address learning gaps along the way. · The Revel mobile app lets students read, practice, and study - anywhere, anytime, on any device. Content is available both online and offline, and the app syncs work across all registered devices automatically, giving students great flexibility to toggle between phone, tablet, and laptop as they move through their day. The app also lets students set assignment notifications to stay on top of all due dates. · The writing functionality in Revel enables educators to integrate writing - among the best ways to foster and assess critical thinking - into the course without significantly impacting their grading burden.
o Self-paced Journaling Prompts throughout the narrative encourage students to express their thoughts without breaking stride in their reading. o Assignable Shared Writing Activities direct students to share written responses with classmates, fostering peer discussion. o Essays.