A Case-Study Assignment to Teach Theoretical Perspectives in Abnormal Psychology

Teaching students to consider alternative theoretical paradigms helps them understand how psychologists think about behavior. This article describes an assignment in which students organize, prepare, and revise a case study of abnormal behavior using a single theoretical perspective. The assignment is personally meaningful for students, provides an excellent opportunity to integrate psychology with other liberal arts, and has received very positive evaluations from hundreds of students over the past 10 years.