The idea that there is a fundamental rift between researchers and practitioners should not come as a surprise to anyone familiar with the current literature, trends, and general feelings in the field of clinical psychology. Central to this scientist-practitioner gap is an underlying disagreement over the nature of knowledge, namely that while researchers point to empirical studies as the foundation of truth, many practitioners would argue that clinical experience offers a more complete understanding of a topic. And while research findings can often seem irrelevant and counter-intuitive to the seasoned therapist in session with a client, the subjective and un-founded methods of many practitioners can appear misguided to an empirically-minded scientist. The fact that members of one 'camp' or the other generally spend little time and effort attempting to familiarize themselves with the theory, practice, and merits of their counterparts only perpetuates this distinct line, further widening this schism.

Scott O. Lilienfeld, Ph.D., is associate professor in the Department of Psychology at Emory University and a past president of the Society for a Science of Clinical Psychology. He is founder and editor-in-chief of The Scientific Review of Mental Health Practice, and sits on the editorial boards of nine other publications, including Clinical Psychology Review, Psychological Assessment, and Journal of Social and Clinical Psychology.

William T. O'Donohue, Ph.D., is a full professor in the Department of Psychology and honorary associate professor of philosophy, at the University of Nevada at Reno. He is director of the university's Victims of Crimes Treatment Center, and also its Sexual Assault Prevention and Counseling Services.

Foreword. About the Editors. Contributors. Introduction. How to Think Clearly About Clinical Science. O¿Donohue, Lilienfeld, Fowler, Science is an Essential Safeguard Against Human Error. Ruscio, The Clinician as Subject. Faust, Decision Research Can Increase the Accuracy of Clinical Judgment and Thereby Improve Patient Care. Wood, Garb, Nezworski, Psychometrics. Blashfield, Burgess, Classification Provides an Essential Basis for Organizing Mental Disorders. Paul, Psychotherapy Outcome Can Be Studied Scientifically. Lazarus, Davison, Clinical Case Studies are Important in the Science and Practice of Psychotherapy. Cummings, Treatment and Assessment Take Place in an Economic Context, Always. The Great Paradigms of Clinical Science.Timberlake, Evolution-Based Learning Mechanisms Can Contribute to Adaptive and Problematic Behavior. Waldman, Behavior Genetic Approaches are Integral for Understanding the Etiology of Psychopathology. Siegert, Ward, Evolutionary Theory Provides a Framework for Understanding Abnormal Behavior. Harkness, Personality Traits are Essential for a Complete Clinical Science. Ilardi, Rand, Karwoski, The Cognitive Neuroscience Perspective Allows Us to Understand Abnormal Behavior at Multiple Levels of Complexity. The Great Cross-cutting Perspective of Clinical Science. Tully, Goodman, Early Developmental Processes Inform the Study of Mental Disorders. Schneiderman, Siegel, Mental and Physical Health Influence Each Other. Lynn, Hallquist, Williams, Matthews, Lilienfeld, Some Forms of Psychopathology are Partly Socially Constructed. Chentsova-Dutton, Tsai, Cultural Factors Influence the Expression of Psychopathology. Lilienfeld, O'Donohue, The Great Ideas of Clinical Science Redux: Revisiting Our Intellectual Roots. Index