Wc. Follette, INTRODUCTION TO THE SPECIAL SECTION ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THEORETICALLY COHERENT ALTERNATIVES TO THE DSM SYSTEM, Journal of consulting and clinical psychology, 64(6), 1996, pp. 1117-1119
This introduction outlines a series of articles in the Journal of Cons
ulting and Clinical Psychology that represent a theoretically organize
d challenge to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorde
rs (DSM, e.g., 4th ed.; American Psychiatric Association, 1994). A cri
ticism of the DSM is offered on the basis that a taxonomy based on ina
dequately explicated theory has not been and cannot be a successful ba
sis for a scientific research program. The special section offers exam
ples of behaviorally based alternative ways of understanding behavior
of clinical interest. Others are invited to develop taxonomies based o
n different theoretically coherent foundations.