ABSTRACT
Th e focus of this book is on the study of psychopathology and its assessment. Understanding psychopathology is an important part of the science of psychology in its own right, but it is more than pure science. Psychopathology research plays an important role in the development of interventions to ameliorate mental disorders and to promote well being. Almost every chapter in part II of this text includes material on treatment for the disorders in question, usually based on the outcome of treatment research. Where does this information come from? In this chapter we will describe the process by which psychotherapy research is conducted, and the controversies surrounding the proper nature and role of such research.
