Читать книгу Abnormal Psychology - William J. Ray - Страница 13

In the same way that psychology offers important insights in terms of human behavior and experience, abnormal psychology must also consider these perspectives. This not only includes the signs and symptoms seen in particular disorders, but the abilities of individuals with these disorders to live productive lives. From this perspective, you will read stories of people with even serious mental disorders who have made important contributions in their professional and personal lives.

Behavior and experience take place on a number of levels, and it is imperative that abnormal psychology texts begin to offer such an integrative perspective. For example, recent thinking in social neuroscience suggests that it is not productive to teach brain anatomy or emotionality in one chapter of a textbook and social relationships, influence, and perception in another. Within the community of abnormal psychology researchers, there is an increasing understanding of the manner in which various disorders reflect impairments in social processes and the brain functions associated with them. With such an integrated approach, students can come to understand the nature of impaired relationships on a variety of levels including cognitive, affective, and motor processes.