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Elsevier

Books in Psychology general

Providing a comprehensive overview of psychological theories, research methods, and applications, this portfolio supports students, educators, and researchers. It features foundational concepts, recent advances, and interdisciplinary approaches that foster understanding of human behavior, mental processes, and mental health across diverse settings.

  • Personality: The Human Potential

    Pergamon General Psychology Series
    • 1st Edition
    • Melvin L. Weiner
    • Arnold P. Goldstein
    • English
    Personality: The Human Potential is a collection of psychological studies that reflect some of the author's experiences in analyzing human conflict and suffering. Based on the spirit of psychotherapeutic work whose goal is to uncover the core of the patient's personality, the book explores the major emotional problems of contemporary life, particularly the critical turning-points in people's lives. Its purpose and challenge is to indicate how our underdeveloped and conflicted minds may be better understood and, through understanding, help us to realize our human potentialities. It demonstrates how psychological understanding offers a person a rare, and not often repeated, challenge and opportunity to truly alter the course of his life. This volume consists of 17 chapters and begins with an introduction to the social and psychological ills of today, laying particular emphasis on the ""signals of decay."" Attention then turns to the emotional development of man from infancy to adulthood in hopes of understanding the roots of our irrationalities and inner conflicts and discovering ways of resolving them. The chapters that follow focus on the concept of repetition compulsion, the behavior of uncommitted people, and problems such as schizophrenia, drug addiction, homosexuality, suicide, sexual problems, and pregnancy and abortion. The book also discusses panic states, marital relationships, antisocial behavior, and how psychology can help resolve the basic roots of an individual's inner conflicts so that he may be freed to fully realize his potentialities. Patients and psychotherapists will find this book extremely helpful.

  • Human Judgment and Decision Processes in Applied Settings

    • 1st Edition
    • Martin F. Kaplan + 1 more
    • English
    Human Judgment and Decision Processes in Applied Settings is the second to two volumes that attempt to define the areas of progress in the understanding of human decision making processes. The first volume, Human Judgment and Decision Processes (Academic Press, 1975) was concerned with formal and mathematical approaches to the problems of judgment and decision making. The major theoretical orientations (information integration theory, signal detection theory, portfolio theory, and multiattribute-utili... measurement) were presented and their rationales discussed. The present volume is concerned with the application of these theories, and the various techniques derived from them, to the problems of decision making in the everyday world. The chapters reflect the many modifications and adjustments that must be made to mathematical rules in order to apply decision theory models in the real world. The tools described serve a broad variety of interests: those of the urban health or social planner, the organizational manager, the researcher, the educator, and, in fact, all of those who must weight evidence to reach decisions. Planner, manager, researcher, teacher, policymaker—all will find assistance in overcoming the commonly encountered roadblocks when one must choose between alternatives in what remains an uncertain world.

  • Psychology of the Americas

    Mestizo Perspectives on Personality and Mental Health
    • 1st Edition
    • Manuel Ramirez
    • Arnold P. Goldstein
    • English
    Psychology of the Americas: Mestizo Perspectives on Personality and Mental Health presents the framework for a personality psychology and psychiatry of the Americas. This framework is based on the mestizo world view, a perspective that emerged from sociopolitical events which are unique to the development of many of the nations of the Americas. The word "mestizo" refers to the synthesis of native American and European people, cultures, and life styles. This book is divided into nine chapters and starts with a discussion of the concepts and principles of developmental, personality, community, and clinical psychology/psychiatr... which are reflected in the cultures of the indigenous peoples of North and South America, as well as the Caribbean. Considerable chapters offer some models that are based on the paradigms of diversity and synthesis, specifically a values/belief systems-cognitive styles framework based on research that has explored the relationship between traditionalism-moder... and cognitive styles. The specific models focus on individual development of pluralistic identities, the mental health of families coping with acculturation stress, person-environment fit of migrating individuals who are mismatched with institutions and agencies of the community, and on intergroup and international relations in situations of conflict. The remaining chapters deal with the tenets and assumptions of a psychology and psychiatry, including theories and approaches which differ in many respects from the European world view-based personality psychology and psychiatry of the past. This book is of value to psychologists, psychiatrists, researchers, and students.

  • College and Student

    Selected Readings in the Social Psychology of Higher Education
    • 1st Edition
    • Kenneth A. Feldman
    • English
    College and Student: Selected Readings in the Social Psychology of Higher Education is a collection of papers that provides a sociological analysis of higher education. The title empathizes on in-depth analysis of topics rather than covering a wide variety of higher education topics. The text first covers the structure and process in higher education, and then proceeds to tackling the transition from high school to college. Next, the selection deals with the change and stability during college years. The fourth part talks about the assessment of the influence on different college environments. Part Five discusses the students and college substructures, while Part Six tackles the students, student culture, and teachers. The text talks about recommendations, innovations, experimentations, and reform. The book will be of great use to educators, sociologists, and behavioral scientists.

  • Points of View in the Modern History of Psychology

    • 1st Edition
    • Claude E. Buxton
    • English
    Points of View in the Modern History of Psychology is a collection of papers that presents each individual contributor's expert knowledge of history in the field of psychology. One paper examines Wilhelm Wundt's concept of psychology as the propaedeutic science surviving and inspiring a generation or more of psychologists. Another paper discusses the early sources and the basic conceptions of functionalism as used in America. John B. Watson proclaims behaviorism as a new discipline in psychology with defining features, such as an objective, deterministic, scientific, and experimental method that can be used in both human and animal studies. Lieberman (1979), Mackenzie (1977) Miller, Galanter, and Pribram (1960) oppose behaviorism on the grounds that it slights the purpose of psychology, and focuses more on methodology to the detriment of theory. One paper notes that the acceptance or influence that a point of view has is based in some ways on the range and clarity of its connections with experimental and observational reality. This collection can prove useful for psychologists, behavioral scientists, psychiatrists, psycho-analysts, students of psychology, philosophy or general history who are interested in the many viewpoints of psychology.

  • People and Information

    Pergamon General Psychology Series
    • 1st Edition
    • Harold B. Pepinsky
    • English
    People and Information focuses on the problems in information-processi... The selection first takes a look at generalized information systems, including the composition of generalized information systems; initial quantification of information transfer; quantitative consideration of information transfer; and decision making. The text surveys the problems in management development training programs. Concerns include managerial role competence; rationales of management training programs; and role competence in a foreign environment. The book describes the relationship of sociology and attitude of everyday life, including research conducted on this concern. The text also focuses on the factors that affect data-processing system development. Applications of data-processing in the courts, restricted access, delay, and methodology are explained. The book also evaluates the relationship between information-processi... and political thoughts and actions. The selection is a vital reference for readers interested in information-processi...

  • Progress in Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology

    • 1st Edition
    • Alan N. Epstein + 1 more
    • English
    Progress in Psychobiology and Physiological Psychology: Volume 12 is a collection of studies that discuss certain topics in behavioral neuroscience from different experts in the field. The book is divided into five chapters. Chapter 1 discusses the relationship between the consumption of carbohydrates and satiety, as well as the effects of hexose. Chapter 2 explains the different perspectives and theories on how running accelerates growth. Chapter 3 tackles the anatomical and and functional integration of the limbic and motor systems. Chapter 4 covers the activity of the monoaminergic unit of the brain, and Chapter 5 talks about the psychological and neural aspects of the attribute model of emory. The monograph will interest neurologists and psychologists who would like to study the specific areas mentioned or make their own studies in the related areas.

  • Psychology in Contemporary China

    • 1st Edition
    • L. B. Brown
    • English
    Psychology in Contemporary China focuses on the advancement of psychology in China and the different areas to which this field is applied. The book proceeds by outlining the evolution, nature, and characteristics of Chinese psychology. The text then points out that studies on this discipline is generally difficult, because of the lack of publication of resources in English. The process of learning this field is often done through visitations, with specialists going to China to conduct research and lectures. The text investigates the evolution of psychology in China, as well as its progress through education. The relationship of this discipline with political and social concerns is highlighted, and the progress of this field in universities in China is emphasized. The practice of psychology in China is somewhat limited. This lack is expressed by the fact that psychologists avoid questions that have political content. An examination of the attitudes of Chinese is also presented, and their views on individuality, self-criticism, violence, child-rearing, religion, and modernization are discussed. The book is of great importance for scholars and readers who research on the evolution, growth, and contributions of psychology to society.

  • The Psychology of Humor

    Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues
    • 1st Edition
    • Jeffrey H Goldstein
    • English
    The Psychology of Humor: Theoretical Perspectives and Empirical Issues examines theoretical perspectives and empirical issues concerning the psychology of humor. Theoretical views of humor range from the physiological to the sociological and anthropological. The relations between humor, laughter, and smiling are considered, along with the connection between collative variables and arousal. Comprised of 13 chapters, this book begins with an introduction to the history of thought and major theoretical issues on humor, followed by a description of models of different aspects of humor. The next section deals with empirical issues in which selected research areas are given detailed attention. The relations between humor, laughter, and smiling, on the one hand, and collative variables and arousal, on the other, are analyzed. Subsequent chapters explore the cognitive origins of incongruity humor by comparing fantasy assimilation and reality assimilation; a two-stage model for the appreciation of jokes and cartoons; and the social functions and physiological correlates of humor. The relationship between arousal potential and funniness of jokes is also explored, together with humor judgments as a function of reference groups and identification classes. The final chapter presents an annotated bibliography of published papers on humor in the research literature and an analysis of trends between 1900 and 1971. This monograph will be of interest to psychologists, sociologists, anthropologists, and behavioral scientists.

  • Applying the Assessment Center Method

    Pergamon General Psychology Series
    • 1st Edition
    • Joseph L. Moses + 1 more
    • English
    Applying the Assessment Center Method presents the findings, knowledge, strategies, and applications concerning the assessment center method. This book describes the mechanics and operations of individual assessment centers. Organized into three parts encompassing 15 chapters, this book begins with an overview of the assessment center method as a means of formally identifying potential. This text then examines the various components which make an assessment center what it is, including a series of characteristics to be measured, a means of measurement, and trained staff to administer and interpret the behaviors. Other chapters consider the empirical base of validation. This book discusses as well administrative cost of assessment centers. The final chapter deals with the trends in assessment at the predictor and criterion end of the selection equation. This book is a valuable resource for psychologists and managers. Researchers involved in implementing assessment operations in their respective organization will also find this book extremely useful.

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