Journal of Abnormal Psychology® Editor: David Watson, PhD ISSN: 0021-843x Published Quarterly, beginning in February

Journal Description

The Journal of Abnormal Psychology® publishes articles on basic research and theory in the broad field of abnormal behavior, its determinants, and its correlates. The following general topics fall within its area of major focus:

1. psychopathology—its etiology, development, symptomatology, and course;
2. normal processes in abnormal individuals;
3. pathological or atypical features of the behavior of normal persons;
4. experimental studies, with human or animal subjects, relating to disordered emotional behavior or pathology;
5. sociocultural effects on pathological processes, including the influence of gender and ethnicity; and
6. tests of hypotheses from psychological theories that relate to abnormal behavior.

Thus, studies of patient populations, analyses of abnormal behavior and motivation in terms of modern behavior theories, case histories, and theoretical papers of scholarly substance on deviant personality and emotional abnormality would all fall within the boundaries of the journal's interests.

Each article should represent an addition to knowledge and understanding of abnormal behavior in its etiology, description, or change.

In order to improve the use of journal resources, it has been agreed that the Journal of Abnormal Psychology will not consider articles dealing with the diagnosis or treatment of abnormal behavior, and the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology will not consider articles dealing with the etiology or descriptive pathology of abnormal behavior.

Therefore, a study that focuses primarily on treatment efficacy should be submitted to the Journal of Consulting and Clinical Psychology. However, a longitudinal study focusing on developmental influences or origins of abnormal behavior should be submitted to the Journal of Abnormal Psychology.