Applied Psychology Putting Theory into Practice

by Bekerian, D. A.; Levey, A. B.

• ISBN13: 9780199260379
• ISBN10: 0199260370
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-11-03
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

For many students, the lecture hall or seminar room may seem vastly removed from the reality of everyday life. Applied Psychology: Putting Theory into Practice demystifies the link between the study of psychology, and psychology in the real world, illustrating how the application of psychologycan be of benefit in many everyday settings. The book is structured as a series of themed 'rooms' which the reader is encouraged to explore, with each room examining a real world situation in which the psychologist has an important impact. These include the Work Room, the War Room, and the Sport Room. Each room contains an overview of the key psychological concepts which are applied in each situation, before leading the reader through a number of scenarios - case studies which present the concepts in an applied context, and show how the psychologist's expertise is drawn upon, and what effecttheir input can have. Applied Psychology: Putting Theory into Practice is an invaluable resource for all students of psychology, showing just how psychology extends beyond the lecture hall to have a vital impact on our everyday lives.

Author Biography

Debra Bekerian is a former senior scientist at the Medical Research Council Applied Psychology Unit in Cambridge.
Archie Levy is a former senior scientist at the Medical Research Council Applied Psychology Unit in Cambridge.

Table of Contents

Preface	xi
Foreword	xiii
Professor Alan Baddeley
PART ONE The transition from theory to practice
About this book	3	(7)
Applied research	3	(1)
Working hypotheses	4	(1)
The role of theory	4	(1)
The nature of theories	5	(2)
An absurd example	6	(1)
An alternative approach	6	(1)
The structure of this book	7	(1)
The structure of the rooms	8	(2)
Five basic questions	8	(2)
The origins and scope of applied psychology	10	(22)
The role of philosophy	10	(4)
In the beginning	11	(1)
Modern origins	12	(2)
The eighteenth century: the Age of Enlightenment	14	(1)
The conquest of nature	15	(2)
The role of physiology	16	(1)
Psychology becomes a science	17	(2)
Divided opinions	17	(2)
The story so far	19	(1)
The other face of industrialization	19	(1)
The intelligence quotient (IQ)	20	(2)
How stupid is stupid?	21	(1)
The decline of the IQ	21	(1)
The scope of applied psychology	22	(2)
Pure and applied science	23	(1)
The modern hospital	24	(5)
Technical skills in applied psychology	26	(1)
Communication skills	26	(1)
Questionnaire design	27	(1)
Scaling	27	(2)
Selected case studies	29	(3)
Case study one: consciousness under anaesthesia	29	(1)
Case study two: day-case anaesthesia	30	(2)
Applying theory to practice	32	(9)
Content of rooms	32	(2)
Major theoretical themes	34	(2)
General approaches to applied problems	36	(5)
PART TWO The rooms
The crime room	41	(39)
Crime	41	(2)
The complexity of crime investigation	42	(1)
Traditional topics in the crime room	43	(5)
The stages of crime investigation	45	(1)
Roles in the investigation of crime	46	(2)
Collaborations between psychologists and the police	48	(8)
The problem of identification	49	(2)
A disturbing example	51	(1)
Developing interview techniques	51	(1)
Serial crime and profiling	52	(2)
Two approaches to investigative profiling	54	(2)
Summary of the crime room	56	(1)
Scenarios one and two	57	(23)
The court room	80	(24)
Functions of the court	80	(3)
The adversarial system	81	(1)
The inquisitorial system	81	(2)
Psychological issues involved in the court room	83	(1)
Psychology in law	84	(4)
Plea-bargaining	84	(1)
False confessions	85	(1)
False memories	86	(1)
Assessment of risk	87	(1)
Psychology and law	88	(1)
Asking the right question	88	(1)
The `expert' witness	89	(2)
The importance of experience	90	(1)
Scenarios one and two	91	(13)
The work room	104	(32)
The concept of work	104	(2)
The psychologist's role	105	(1)
Early investigations in the work room	106	(3)
The first time-and-motion studies	106	(1)
The role of incentive	107	(1)
Two basic approaches	107	(2)
Recent topics considered in the work room	109	(5)
Personnel psychology	110	(1)
Task analysis	111	(1)
Training and assessment	112	(1)
Learning and individual differences	113	(1)
The place of cognitive psychology	114	(2)
Human--computer interaction (HCI)	115	(1)
The problem of stress	116	(1)
Organizational psychology	116	(4)
The evolving group	117	(1)
Cohesion and leadership	118	(2)
Scenarios one and two	120	(16)
The war room	136	(16)
The nature of conflict	136	(2)
The psychology of war versus military psychology	137	(1)
The historical context of psychology and war	138	(1)
Assessment, selection, and training	138	(7)
The First World War	139	(1)
The Second World War	140	(1)
The Korean War	141	(1)
Who makes a good fighter?	142	(1)
Who makes a good leader?	143	(2)
Morale and the fighting spirit	145	(2)
Components of morale	145	(2)
Motivation	147	(3)
Why are soldiers motivated by aggression?	147	(2)
Internal and external motivators	149	(1)
Identification with the primary group	150	(2)
Psychological roles within the combat group	150	(1)
The emotional consequences of combat	151	(1)
Scenarios one and two	152	(1)
The treatment room	152	(52)
Introduction	170	(1)
Modern treatment rooms	170	(4)
Stages in the treatment room	172	(1)
An ethical dilemma	173	(1)
The psychodynamic orientation	174	(4)
Sigmund Freud and early psychoanalysis	175	(1)
Sources of the Freudian model	176	(2)
Modern psychodynamic models and treatment techniques	178	(2)
Objections to the psychodynamic model	179	(1)
The humanistic orientation	180	(1)
Basic assumptions	180	(1)
Carl Rogers and the person-centred approach	181	(2)
Treatment in person-centred models	182	(1)
Other humanistic models of treatment	183	(2)
The existentialist approach	184	(1)
Scenarios one and two	185	(19)
The sport room	204	(39)
The importance of physical activity	204	(4)
Physical activity and science	205	(2)
Physical activity and psychology	207	(1)
The psychological approach	207	(1)
Traditional topics in the sport room	208	(2)
Exercise	209	(1)
Sport	209	(1)
Skills acquisition	210	(2)
Varieties of skill	211	(1)
Skilled performance	211	(1)
Motor learning	212	(3)
The characteristics of skilled performance	212	(1)
Skill and practice	213	(2)
Thoughts, feelings, and sport	215	(3)
Motivation	216	(2)
Thoughts and the body	218	(2)
Cognitive skills	219	(1)
Summary and prospect	220	(1)
Scenarios one and two	221	(22)
Glossary	243	(8)
Bibliography	251	(10)
Subject Index	261	(8)
Index of Names	269