How to Apply Psychology to Your Everyday Life: A Guide to Psychology: From Inquiry to Understanding (4th Edition)
Psychology: From Inquiry To Understanding (4th Edition) Books.pdf
Are you interested in learning more about psychology and how it applies to your everyday life? Do you want to develop the critical thinking skills and open-minded skepticism needed to distinguish psychological misinformation from psychological information? If so, you might want to check out Psychology: From Inquiry To Understanding (4th Edition) Books.pdf, a comprehensive and engaging textbook that provides the framework to go from inquiry to understanding.
Psychology: From Inquiry To Understanding (4th Edition) Books.pdf
Introduction
What is this book about?
This book is an introductory psychology textbook that empowers students to apply scientific thinking to the psychology of their everyday lives. It covers the major topics and subfields of psychology, such as biological psychology, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning, memory, thinking, reasoning, intelligence, human development, emotion, motivation, personality, social psychology, psychological disorders, and psychological treatments. It also introduces six principles of scientific thinking that serve as a clear framework for learning about psychology. These principles are ruling out rival hypotheses, correlation vs. causation, falsifiability, replicability, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and Occam's razor.
Who are the authors?
The authors of this book are Scott O. Lilienfeld, Steven J. Lynn, and Laura L. Namy. Scott O. Lilienfeld is Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of Psychology at Emory University and a visiting professor at the University of Melbourne in Australia. He received his BA in psychology from Cornell University in 1982 and his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of Minnesota in 1990. He is a leading researcher and author on topics such as pseudoscience in psychology, personality disorders, anxiety disorders, dissociative disorders, and evidence-based practice. Steven J. Lynn is Distinguished Professor of Psychology at Binghamton University (SUNY). He received his BA in psychology from the University of Michigan in 1971 and his PhD in clinical psychology from Indiana University in 1976. He is a renowned scholar and clinician on topics such as hypnosis, memory, suggestibility, dissociation, trauma, and psychotherapy. Laura L. Namy is Associate Professor of Psychology at Emory University. She received her BA in psychology and linguistics from Northwestern University in 1995 and her PhD in cognitive psychology from Stanford University in 2000. She is an expert on topics such as language development, conceptual development, social cognition, and categorization.
What are the main features of this book?
This book has many features that make it an excellent choice for students and instructors alike. Some of these features are:
Revel: This book is available via Revel, an interactive digital learning environment that replaces the print textbook, enabling students to read, practice, and study in one continuous experience. Revel is ideal for courses where student engagement and mobile access are important.
MyLab Psychology: This book can be packaged with MyLab Psychology, an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. MyLab Psychology is ideal for courses requiring robust assessments.
Scientific Thinking Modules: These modules introduce students to the six principles of scientific thinking that serve as a clear framework for learning about psychology. They also provide examples of how these principles can be applied to real-world situations and controversies.
Inquiry to Understanding Features: These features help students connect what they learn in each chapter to their own lives and experiences. They include Inquiry to Understanding Questions (which pose thought-provoking questions at the beginning of each chapter), Inquiry to Understanding Answers (which provide answers to these questions at the end of each chapter), Inquiry to Understanding Activities (which invite students to apply what they learn to their own lives), Inquiry to Understanding Videos (which show real people discussing how psychology relates to their lives), and Inquiry to Understanding Podcasts (which feature interviews with experts on various topics related to psychology).
Visual Summary Tables: These tables summarize key concepts and findings in a visual format that helps students organize and review the material.
Research Close-Ups: These boxes highlight interesting and influential research studies that illustrate important concepts and methods in psychology.
Psychological Misinformation Alerts: These alerts warn students about common myths and misconceptions that pervade popular culture and media.
Critical Thinking Applications: These applications challenge students to apply their critical thinking skills and scientific thinking principles to evaluate claims and arguments related to psychology.
Career Paths: These boxes introduce students to various careers that involve psychology or require psychological knowledge.
Diversity Matters: These boxes explore how culture, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, age, and other factors influence psychological phenomena.
Six Principles of Scientific Thinking
One of the main goals of this book is to help students develop the critical thinking skills and open-minded skepticism needed to distinguish psychological misinformation from psychological information. To achieve this goal, the authors introduce six principles of scientific thinking that serve as a clear framework for learning about psychology. These principles are:
Principle 1: Ruling Out Rival Hypotheses
This principle states that whenever we evaluate a psychological claim or finding, we should ask ourselves whether we have ruled out other possible explanations for it. For example, if we observe that people who drink coffee tend to be more alert than those who do not, we should not jump to the conclusion that coffee causes alertness. We should consider other factors that might account for this observation, such as self-selection (maybe people who are naturally more alert choose to drink coffee), reverse causation (maybe people who are less alert need more coffee), or confounding variables (maybe people who drink coffee also have other habits or characteristics that affect their alertness).
Principle 2: Correlation vs. Causation
This principle states that whenever we observe a correlation between two variables, we should not assume that one variable causes the other. Correlation means that two variables are related or associated, but not necessarily that one variable influences or affects the other. For example, if we observe that people who watch more violent TV shows tend to be more aggressive than those who watch less violent TV shows, we should not assume that watching violent TV shows causes aggression. It could be that aggression causes people to watch more violent TV shows, or that there is a third variable (such as parental supervision or personality traits) that influences both aggression and TV viewing preferences.
Principle 3: Falsifiability
This principle states that whenever we evaluate a psychological claim or theory, we should ask ourselves whether it can be disproved or tested by evidence. Falsifiability means that a claim or theory must make specific predictions that can be confirmed or disconfirmed by observation or experimentation. For example, if someone claims that they can read minds, we should ask them to demonstrate their ability under controlled conditions, such as guessing what cards someone is holding or what words someone is thinking. If they fail to do so consistently, their claim is falsified by evidence.
Principle 4: Replicability
This principle states that whenever we evaluate a psychological finding or result, we should ask ourselves whether it can be replicated or reproduced by other researchers using similar methods. Replicability means that a finding or result must be observed again when the same study is repeated under the same conditions. Replicability is important for ensuring the reliability and validity of psychological research. It also helps to correct errors and biases that might occur in single studies. For example, if a researcher finds that listening to classical music improves memory performance, other researchers should be able to replicate this finding using the same or similar methods and materials. If the finding is not replicated, it might suggest that the original result was due to chance, measurement error, sampling error, or other confounding factors.
Principle 5: Extraordinary Claims Require Extraordinary Evidence
This principle states that whenever we encounter a psychological claim or theory that contradicts what we already know or that seems too good or too bad to be true, we should demand a higher standard of evidence before accepting it. Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence because they challenge the existing body of knowledge and require more convincing proof to overcome our skepticism. For example, if someone claims that they have discovered a miracle cure for depression that works for everyone and has no side effects, we should not believe them unless they provide strong and consistent evidence from multiple sources and methods.
Principle 6: Occam's Razor
This principle states that whenever we evaluate a psychological claim or theory, we should choose the simplest explanation that accounts for all the available evidence. Occam's razor means that we should avoid unnecessary assumptions and complications when simpler alternatives are available. For example, if we observe that people who eat more chocolate tend to be happier than those who eat less chocolate, we should not assume that chocolate has some magical mood-enhancing properties. A simpler explanation might be that people who are happier tend to eat more chocolate because they enjoy it more or because they have fewer dietary restrictions.
Topics Covered in this Book
This book covers the major topics and subfields of psychology in 16 chapters. Each chapter provides an overview of the main concepts, theories, methods, and findings of the topic, as well as examples of how they apply to everyday life and current issues. Here is a brief summary of each chapter:
Biological Psychology
This chapter explores how the brain and other biological systems influence our behavior, thoughts, and feelings. It covers topics such as neurons and neurotransmitters, brain structures and functions, genetics and epigenetics, hormones and endocrine system, nervous system and peripheral nervous system, and brain imaging techniques.
Sensation and Perception
This chapter examines how we sense and perceive the world around us through our five senses: vision, hearing, smell, taste, and touch. It covers topics such as sensory receptors and transduction, thresholds and adaptation, attention and perception, perceptual organization and constancy, depth and motion perception, and perceptual illusions.
Consciousness
This chapter investigates the nature and functions of consciousness, as well as its variations and alterations. It covers topics such as levels of consciousness, circadian rhythms and sleep stages, sleep disorders and dreams, hypnosis and meditation, altered states of consciousness, psychoactive drugs and addiction, and the effects of drugs on the brain and behavior.
Learning
This chapter explains how we acquire new behaviors and information through learning processes. It covers topics such as classical conditioning, operant conditioning, observational learning, cognitive learning, biological influences on learning, and applications of learning principles to education and behavior modification.
Memory
This chapter describes how we encode, store, and retrieve information in our memory systems. It covers topics such as sensory memory, short-term memory, working memory, long-term memory, types of long-term memory, memory encoding and retrieval strategies, memory errors and distortions, forgetting and memory loss, and improving memory.
Thinking, Reasoning, and Intelligence
This chapter explores how we use mental processes to solve problems, make decisions, and evaluate claims. It covers topics such as concepts and categories, problem-solving strategies and obstacles, decision making and judgment heuristics, cognitive biases and errors, deductive and inductive reasoning, intelligence theories and tests, and intelligence and creativity.
Human Development
This chapter traces how we grow and change throughout our lifespan, from conception to death. It covers topics such as prenatal development and birth, physical development and health, cognitive development and language, social and emotional development, moral development and identity formation, gender and sexuality development, and aging and death.
Emotion and Motivation
This chapter investigates how we experience and express emotions, and how we pursue our goals and needs. It covers topics such as theories of emotion, physiological and neural bases of emotion, cultural and gender differences in emotion, emotional regulation and expression, happiness and well-being, types and theories of motivation, biological and social motives, intrinsic and extrinsic motivation, and self-determination theory.
Personality
This chapter examines how we develop our unique patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that make us who we are. It covers topics such as personality traits and types, personality assessment methods, personality theories (such as psychoanalytic, humanistic, social-cognitive, trait, and biological), personality stability and change, and personality and culture.
Social Psychology
This chapter investigates how we interact with and influence each other in social situations. It covers topics such as social cognition and perception, attitudes and persuasion, social influence and conformity, group behavior and leadership, prejudice and discrimination, aggression and violence, prosocial behavior and altruism, attraction and close relationships, and social psychology and the law.
Psychological Disorders
This chapter explores the nature and causes of various psychological disorders that affect human functioning and well-being. It covers topics such as defining and classifying psychological disorders, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive and related disorders, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, depressive disorders, bipolar and related disorders, schizophrenia spectrum and other psychotic disorders, personality disorders, dissociative disorders, somatic symptom and related disorders, eating disorders, substance-related and addictive disorders, neurodevelopmental disorders, neurocognitive disorders, and gender dysphoria and sexual dysfunctions.
Psychological Treatments
This chapter examines the various methods and techniques that are used to help people with psychological problems. It covers topics such as the history of psychological treatments, types of mental health professionals, psychotherapy approaches (such as psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral, cognitive, cognitive-behavioral, group therapy, family therapy, and couples therapy), biological treatments (such as psychopharmacology, electroconvulsive therapy, and neurosurgery), integrative and eclectic treatments, psychotherapy effectiveness and ethics, and barriers and challenges to psychological treatments.
Conclusion
In conclusion, this article has provided an overview of the book Psychology: From Inquiry To Understanding (4th Edition) Books.pdf, a comprehensive and engaging textbook that provides the framework to go from inquiry to understanding. This book covers the major topics and subfields of psychology, such as biological psychology, sensation and perception, consciousness, learning, memory, thinking, reasoning, intelligence, human development, emotion, motivation, personality, social psychology, psychological disorders, and psychological treatments. It also introduces six principles of scientific thinking that serve as a clear framework for learning about psychology. These principles are ruling out rival hypotheses, correlation vs. causation, falsifiability, replicability, extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence, and Occam's razor. This book has many features that make it an excellent choice for students and instructors alike. Some of these features are Revel, MyLab Psychology, Scientific Thinking Modules, Inquiry to Understanding Features, Visual Summary Tables, Research Close-Ups, Psychological Misinformation Alerts, Critical Thinking Applications, Career Paths, and Diversity Matters. This book is available via Revel, an interactive digital learning environment that replaces the print textbook, enabling students to read, practice, and study in one continuous experience. This book can also be packaged with MyLab Psychology, an online homework, tutorial, and assessment program designed to work with this text to engage students and improve results. This book is suitable for anyone who wants to learn more about psychology and how it applies to their everyday lives. It is also ideal for courses where student engagement and mobile access are important.
FAQs
Here are some frequently asked questions about this book:
What is the difference between the 4th edition and the previous editions of this book?
The 4th edition of this book has been updated and revised to reflect the latest research and developments in psychology. It also includes new topics such as positive psychology, mindfulness, epigenetics, social neuroscience, implicit bias, and artificial intelligence. It also features new Inquiry to Understanding Podcasts that feature interviews with experts on various topics related to psychology.
How can I access the online resources that accompany this book?
If you have purchased a new copy of this book or an access code separately, you can register and log in to Revel or MyLab Psychology using the instructions provided in the book or on the website. If you have purchased a used copy of this book or do not have an access code, you can purchase access to Revel or MyLab Psychology online.
How can I use this book to prepare for exams?
This book provides various tools and features that can help you review and test your knowledge of the material. You can use the Inquiry to Understanding Questions and Answers at the beginning and end of each chapter to check your understanding of the main concepts. You can also use the Visual Summary Tables to organize and recall the key information. You can also use the online quizzes and tests in Revel or MyLab Psychology to practice and assess your skills.
How can I use this book to enhance my learning experience?
This book provides various tools and features that can help you engage with and apply the material. You can use the Inquiry to Understanding Activities to relate what you learn to your own life and experiences. You can also use the Inquiry to Understanding Videos and Podcasts to hear real people discuss how psychology relates to their l