Afterword
Richard J. Crisp
in Social Psychology: A Very Short Introduction
So that’s a very short introduction to social psychology. We’ve taken a tour of the social mind and seen the profound impact that our relationships have on attitudes, beliefs, and ...
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Afterword: The heart has its reasons
Dylan Evans
in Emotion: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
When people speak of cognition and emotion, or of reason and the passions, they are usually referring to two distinct mental faculties. One of them is cool, calm, and collected and works ...
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6. Aggression, depression, and paranoia
Anthony Storr
in Freud: A Very Short Introduction
‘Aggression, depression, and paranoia’ looks at how Freud thought society controls the aggressive instincts of its citizens. Freud explained that a double redirection of aggressive ...
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1. All about us
Richard J. Crisp
in Social Psychology: A Very Short Introduction
Social psychology is all about the ‘social universe’ and the people who populate our everyday lives. It’s the study of how society, culture, and context shape attitudes, behaviour, and ...
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7. Altered states of consciousness
Susan Blackmore
in Consciousness: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
‘Altered states of consciousness’ discusses the states of consciousness during sleep, dreaming, hallucinations, out-of-body experiences, near-death experiences, meditation, and after taking ...
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7. Always the bridesmaid?
David Canter
in Forensic Psychology: A Very Short Introduction
‘Always the bridesmaid?’ considers the future for forensic psychology. Until recently, forensic psychologists were seen as providing a supporting role, but there is now increasing ...
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5. Analytic space, time, and technique
Daniel Pick
in Psychoanalysis: A Very Short Introduction
A patient may have spent years building defences against areas of anxiety and psychic pain; getting past them may take some time. To facilitate analysis, Freud proposed use of a fixed ...
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12. The appeal of psychoanalysis
Anthony Storr
in Freud: A Very Short Introduction
‘The appeal of psychoanalysis’ explains why Freud's work became so popular. Freud did not invent the subconscious, but he was the first to apply it clinically. Despite his lack of interest ...
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7. The appetite for music
Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis
in The Psychology of Music: A Very Short Introduction
Music can seem captivating and integral to our lives, yet these affective dimensions are precisely the ones for which understanding remains most elusive. It is relatively straightforward to ...
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5. Are smarter people faster?
Ian J. Deary
in Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
A long-standing idea is that people who do well on intelligence tests might be better at some basic psychological processes, such as mental speed, which is also called processing speed. ...
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3. Are there sex differences in intelligence?
Ian J. Deary
in Intelligence: A Very Short Introduction (2nd edn)
‘Are there sex differences in intelligence?’ considers the data sets from the Scottish Mental Survey of 1932, the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth from 1979, and the Cognitive ...
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6. Are we rational?
Jonathan St B. T. Evans
in Thinking and Reasoning: A Very Short Introduction
Human thinking and reasoning can be compared with a ‘normative’ standard—a formal theory of right and wrong answers. The normative theories mostly applied are decision theory, probability ...
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8. Art and literature
Anthony Storr
in Freud: A Very Short Introduction
‘Art and literature’ explores Freud's attitudes to art and artists. Freud believed that art stemmed from the sublimation of unsatisfied libido. If an individual did not repress their ...
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1. The art and science of music psychology
Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis
in The Psychology of Music: A Very Short Introduction
Music can seem to be the human behavior that is least susceptible to explanation, but a long history exists of applying various frameworks to try to understand it. The cognitive science of ...
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7. Arts versus sciences
Andrew Robinson
in Genius: A Very Short Introduction
‘Arts versus sciences’ considers the differences and similarities between the work and approach of famous scientists and artists. It is generally said that a mathematical of scientific ...
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3. Attitudes and influence
Richard J. Crisp
in Social Psychology: A Very Short Introduction
‘Attitudes and influence’ discusses how attitudes form, change, and predict behaviour; and how they are inherently social, defined, and refined in response to people in the world around us. ...
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4. Autism as a neurodevelopmental disorder
Uta Frith
in Autism: A Very Short Introduction
‘Autism as a neurodevelopmental disorder’ asks: why is autism a neurodevelopmental disorder? Mental disorders that are ultimately due to genetic causes and present from early childhood are ...
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1. The autism spectrum
Uta Frith
in Autism: A Very Short Introduction
‘The autism spectrum’ examines three individuals from different parts of the autism spectrum. It explains how all of the ‘autisms’ originate from before birth, and all affect the developing ...
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1. Babies and what they know
Usha Goswami
in Child Psychology: A Very Short Introduction
‘Babies and what they know’ explores the early development of children both before birth and during the first stage of childhood, focusing in particular on the importance of interaction. ...
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6. Beyond happiness: well-being
Daniel M. Haybron
in Happiness: A Very Short Introduction
Well-being should not be confused with happiness. Well-being is a matter of value: what is good for us. ‘Beyond happiness: well-being’ considers what we need to attain a sense of ...
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