Abnormal psychology is the branch of
psychology that studies unusual patterns of
behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not
be understood as precipitating a mental disorder.
There is a long history of attempts to understand
and control behavior deemed to be aberrant or
deviant (statistically, morally or in some other
sense), and there is often cultural variation in the
approach taken. The field of abnormal psychology
identifies multiple causes for different conditions,
employing diverse theories from the general field of
psychology and elsewhere, and much still hinges on
what exactly is meant by "abnormal".
