PSYCHOLOGY: The Science of Mind and Behavior by Richard Gross – Sixth Edition pdf

WHAT IS THIS THING CALLED PSYCHOLOGY?

When a psychologist meets someone for the first time at, say, a party and replies truthfully to the standard opening line,‘What do you do for a living?’, the reaction of the newly-made acquaintance is likely to fall into one of the following categories:

• ‘Oh, I’d better be careful what I say from now on’ (partly defensive, partly amused)
• ‘I bet you meet some right weirdos in your work’ (partly intrigued, partly sympathetic)
• ‘What exactly is psychology?’ (partly inquisitive, partly puzzled).

The first response seems to imply that psychologists are mind-readers and have access to other people’s thoughts (they don’t), while the second seems to imply that psychologists work only or largely with people who are ‘mentally ill’ or ‘mad’ (again, they don’t, although many do). The third reaction perhaps implies that the boundaries between psychology’ and other subject disciplines aren’t clearly’ drawn (they’ aren’t), and what this chapter aims to do is make them sufficiently’ clear to enable you, the reader, who may’ be ‘visiting’ psychology’ for the first time, to find y’our way’ around this book — and the subject — relatively easily’.

The opening chapter in any’ textbook is intended to ‘set the scene’ for what follows, and this normally’ involves defining the subject or discipline. In the case of psychology’ this isn’t as straightforward as you might expect. Definitions of psychology’ have changed frequently’ during its relatively short history’ as a separate field of study’. This reflects different, and sometimes conflicting, theoretical views regarding the nature of human beings and the most appropriate methods for investigating them.

Ask Yourself

• If you’re completely new to psychology, how might you react?
• If you’ve studied it before, how would you define it and what’s the range of topics/subjects it covers?
• How does it differ from other disciplines, such as physiology, sociology and anthropology?

CONTENTS

PART 1: THE NATURE AND SCOPE OF PSYCHOLOGY
PART 2: THE BIOLOGICAL BASIS OF BEHAVIOUR AND EXPERIENCE
PART 3: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
PART 4: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
PART 5: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY
PART 6: INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES
PART 7: ISSUES AND DEBATES

Language: English
Pages: 912