This easy-to-understand presentation and explanation of basic principles of psychology uses current popular introductory psychology textbooks as a guideline for updates to this edition, including: new combined chapter on Methodologies and Statistics; new information on the effects of the nervous system; expanded chapter on consciousness; updated theories of emotions; revised chapter on Cognitive Processes; and new material on stress and health psychology.

Arno F. Wittig, Ph.D. (Muncie, IN) has been a professor of psychology for almost 35 years and Dean of the Honors College at Ball State University in Indiana for the past eleven years.

Psychology: Definition and History.

Definition and Purpose.

Areas of Study.

The Background and Beginning of Psychology.

Early Development of Psychology.

Current Outlooks in Psychology.

Methodology and Statistics.

The Experimental Method.

The Hypothesis.

Experimental and Dependent Variables.

Extraneous and Confounding Variables.

Sampling.

Experimenter Bias.

Other Psychological Methodologies.

Statistics.

Frequency Distributions.

Measures of Central Tendency.

Measures of Variability.

The Normal Probability Distribution.

Correlation.

Inferential Statistics.

Biological Foundations.

Elements of a Neuron.

Transmission of a Signal.

Organization of the Nervous System.

The Glandular Systems.

Developmental Psychology.

Genetics.

Evolution and Genetics.

Physical Development.

Cognitive Development.

Social Development.

Sensation and Perception.

Basic Sensory Processes.

Signal Detection Theory.

Types of Sensory Processes.

Perception: External Cues.

Perception: Internal Cues.

Unusual Perceptual Experiences.

Consciousness.

Characteristics of Consciousness.

Altered States of Consciousness: Internal Influences.

Altered States of Consciousness: External Influences.

Learning.

Classical Conditioning.

Operant Conditioning.

Cognitive Social Learning.

Retention and Forgetting.

Definitions.

Types of Storage.

Measures of Retention.

Theories of Forgetting.

Ways to Improve Memory.

Special Issues in Retention.

Cognitive Processes.

Conceptual Thinking.

Problem Solving.

Decision Making.

Language.

Motivation and Emotion.

The Motivation Cycle.

Principles of Motivation.

Types of Motives.

Conflict.

General Characteristics of Emotions.

Basic Types of Emotions.

Theories of Emotion.

Special Topics in Emotion.

Psychological Testing and Individual Differences.

Characteristics of a Good Test.

Measuring Intelligence.

Composition of Intelligence.

Assessing Personality.

Other Testing Areas.

Testing Concerns.

Personality Principles.

General Factors Influencing Personality.

Freud's Theory of Personality.

Other Psychodynamic Theories.

Dispositional Theories of Peronality.

Learning Theories of Personality.

Humanistic Theories of Personality.

Cross-Cultural Differences in Personality.

Abnoral Personality Patterns.

Definition of Abnormal Personality Patterns.

Perspective on Abnormal Behaviors.

Anxiety Disorders.

Somatoform Disorders.

Mood Disorders.

Schizophrenic Disorders.

Personality Disorders.

Considerations for Diagnosis of Abnormality.

Therapies.

General Overview of Therapy.

Biomedical Therapies.

Psychodynamic Therapies.

Humanistic Therapies.

Cognitive Therapies.

Group Therapies.

Other Concerns With Therapy.

Social Psychology.

Social Knowledge.

Attitudes.

Prejudice.

Interpersonal Attraction.

Group Behavior.

Examination I.

Examination II.

Examination III.

Final Examination.

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