This text investigates the etiology of neurotic disorders through the lens of learning theory and the application of behavioral conditioning as a primary therapeutic intervention. Hans J. Eysenck and S. Rachman, both prominent figures in clinical psychology, synthesize experimental data to challenge traditional psychoanalytic interpretations of neurosis. They argue that neurotic behaviors are learned responses that can be unlearned through systematic application of conditioning principles, establishing a framework for evidence-based clinical practice.

Experts recognize this work as a foundational text that helped shift clinical psychology toward empirical behavioral methodologies. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a rigorous introduction to the scientific study of behavior modification.