Abnormal Psychology combines an emphasis on the excitement of research with an examination of the evolutionary perspective as a way to integrate biological and psychological explanations for abnormal psychology.

Raulin uses three key themes to make psychopathology come alive for students:

Excitement of Research—Because scientific research has consistently produced the most significant breakthroughs in understanding psychopathology, Abnormal Psychology presents information that has the strongest scientific background, rather than that which has the widest play in popular markets. Research is presented throughout the text—and highlighted in Examining the Evidence sections—to give students a feel for the research process and to help them appreciate the excitement of scientific discovery.

Theoretical Perspectives—Raulin covers those theoretical perspectives that have had the greatest impact on our understanding of the disorders or have produced effective treatments. In addition, he includes a perspective normally left out of abnormal psychology texts - the cognitive neuroscience perspective.

Evolutionary Impact— Abnormal Psychology is the first text in the field to thoroughly examine the evolutionary perspective in addition to the other prominent theoretical perspectives used to explain abnormal behavior. The text shows how evolutionary theory has shaped modern psychology—both positively and negatively.