Description
Book SynopsisHow different are men and women's brains? Does altruism really exist? Are our minds blank slates at birth? And do dreams reveal our unconscious desires?
Psychology is everywhere in today's society. No crime fiction, documentary, chat show or medical consultation is complete without the introduction of a psychological angle. Psychology seeks to understand and explain thoughts, feelings and behaviour through a dizzying array of ideas and theories, shedding light on everything from memory, social mobility and attitude formation to delusions of grandeur, alcoholism and computer phobia, to name a few.
In 50 Psychology Ideas You Really Need to Know, Professor Adrian Furnham explains the central ideas of psychology in 50 concise and accessible essays. Packed with the latest research, most important case studies and arguments of key thinkers, this book is the perfect introduction to psychological theory.
Contents include: Placebo effect; Kicking the habit; Hallucinations; Positive psychology; Emotional intelligence; IQ and you; Multiple intelligences; The Rorschach inkblot test; Detecting lies; Obedience to authority; Self-sacrifice or selfishness; Gambler's fallacy; Remembrance of things past; Artificial intelligence; Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon; Psychosexual stages; Tabula rasa; Phrenology; Dyslexia.
Table of ContentsIntroduction. A DISEASED MIND: Abnormal behaviour; Placebo effect; Kicking the habit; Lost touch; Not neurotic, just different; Seem sane; Stress. ILLUSION AND REALITY: Visual illusions; Psychophysics; Hallucinations; Delusions; Are you conscious? HEARTS AND MINDS: Positive psychology; Emotional intelligence; What are emotions for? Cognitive therapy. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES: IQ and you; Flynn effect; Multiple intelligences; Cognitive differences. PERSONALITY AND SOCIETY: The Rorschach inkblot test; Detecting lies; Authoritarian personality; Obedience to authority; Fitting in; Self-sacrifice or selfishness; Cognitive dissonance; Gambler's fallacy. RATIONALITY AND PROBLEM-SOLVING: Judgement and problem-solving; Too much invested to quit; Rational decision-making; Remembrance of things past. COGNITION: What the witness saw; Artificial intelligence; Perchance to dream; Try to forget; Tip-of-the-tongue phenomenon. DEVELOPMENT: Psychosexual stages; Cognitive stages; Ducks in a row; Tabula rasa. LEARNING: Stay hungry; Behaviourism; Reinforcement schedules; Mastering complexity. THE BRAIN: Phrenology; Breaking up is hard to do; Aphasia; Dyslexia; Who's that? Glossary. Index.
