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If you think all Introductory Psychology texts are essentially the same, you owe it to yourself to take a serious look at this exciting new text by Jim Nairne. Nairne presents all the conventional content of an introductory course in a traditional 16-chapter sequence, but with a twist. Rather than beginning with theory or research (as most texts do), he begins each topic with an everyday example of a "problem" to be solved (for example, how to remember a telephone number or how we can "know" that a rattlesnake's rattle signals an event). As Nairne states, "I've been teaching Introductory Psychology for 15 years, and the single most-asked question students have is 'Why are we studying this? It's all about rats and drooling dogs, but what is the point?' " To write a text that would answer students' questions in a meaningful way, Nairne took a novel "adaptive problem-solving" approach. The response from professors has been overwhelmingly positive. Many find the Nairne text the "book they've been waiting for!" In every chapter, Nairne "reframes" the subject matter of psychology by placing the major emphasis on how particular behaviors, cognitive processes, and emotions help people solve important adaptive problems -- not just survival problems, but everyday problems. For example, the principles for classical conditioning are introduced as "solutions" to the problem of how people learn about signals in their environment; neural transmission is introduced as a "solution" to the problems associated with communicating internally; and short-term memory is introduced as a "solution" to the problem of how people remember information over the short term.

Tabla de contenidos provista por Syndetics

• Chapter 1 An Introduction to Psychology(p. 2)
• Previewing the Conceptual Problems(p. 5)
• Defining and Describing Psychology(p. 6)
• Tracking Psychological Thought: A Brief History(p. 11)
• Setting Directions in Modern Psychology(p. 20)
• Solving the Conceptual Problems(p. 26)
• Chapter 2 The Tactics of Psychological Research(p. 30)
• Previewing the Conceptual Problems(p. 33)
• Observing Behavior: Descriptive Research(p. 34)
• Predicting Behavior: Correlational Research(p. 44)
• Explaining Behavior: Experimental Research(p. 48)
• The Ethics of Research: Human and Animal Guidelines(p. 55)
• Solving the Conceptual Problems(p. 59)
• Chapter 3 Biological Processes(p. 62)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 65)
• Communicating Internally: Connecting World and Brain(p. 65)
• Initiating Behavior: A Division of Labor(p. 75)
• Regulating Growth and Internal Functions: Extended Communication(p. 91)
• Adapting and Transmitting the Genetic Code(p. 94)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 98)
• Chapter 4 Human Development(p. 102)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 104)
• Developing Physically(p. 105)
• Developing Intellectually(p. 114)
• Developing Socially and Personally(p. 130)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 145)
• Chapter 5 Sensation and Perception(p. 148)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 151)
• Vision: Building a World of Color and form(p. 152)
• Hearing: Identifying and Localizing Sounds(p. 175)
• The Skin and Body Senses: from Movement to Touch(p. 180)
• The Chemical Senses: Smell and Taste(p. 184)
• From the Physical to the Psychological(p. 187)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 190)
• Chapter 6 Consciousness(p. 194)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 197)
• Setting Priorities for Mental Functioning: Attention(p. 198)
• Sleeping and Dreaming(p. 205)
• Altering Awareness: Psychoactive Drugs(p. 217)
• Altering Awareness: Induced States(p. 222)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 227)
• Chapter 7 Learning From Experience(p. 230)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 232)
• Learning about Events: Noticing and Ignoring(p. 233)
• Learning What Events Signal: Classical Conditioning(p. 236)
• Learning About the Consequences of Behavior: Operant Conditioning(p. 247)
• Learning From Others: Observational Learning(p. 260)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 263)
• Chapter 8 Memory(p. 266)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 269)
• Remembering Over The Short Term(p. 269)
• Storing Information for the Long Term(p. 278)
• Recovering Information from Cues(p. 286)
• Updating Memory(p. 292)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 299)
• Chapter 9 Language and Thought(p. 302)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 304)
• Communicating with Others(p. 306)
• Classifying and Categorizing(p. 315)
• Solving Problems(p. 320)
• Making Decisions(p. 327)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 333)
• Chapter 10 Intelligence(p. 336)
• Previewing the Conceptual and Practical Problems(p. 339)
• Conceptualizing Intelligence(p. 339)
• Measuring Individual Differences(p. 347)
• Discovering the Sources of Intelligence: The Nature-Nurture Issue(p. 358)
• Solving the Conceptual and Practical Problems(p. 367)
• Chapter 11 Motivation and Emotion(p. 370)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 372)
• Activating Behavior(p. 373)
• Meeting Biological Needs: Hunger and Eating(p. 380)
• Meeting Biological Needs: Sexual Behavior(p. 387)
• Expressing and Experiencing Emotion(p. 393)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 405)
• Chapter 12 Personality(p. 408)
• Previewing the Conceptual and Practical Problems(p. 411)
• Conceptualizing and Measuring Personality(p. 411)
• Determining How Personality Develops(p. 419)
• Resolving the Person--Situation Debate(p. 433)
• Solving the Conceptual and Practical Problems(p. 438)
• Chapter 13 Social Psychology(p. 442)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 445)
• Interpreting the Behavior of Others: Social Cognition(p. 446)
• Behaving in the Presence of Others: Social Influence(p. 461)
• Establishing Relations with Others(p. 474)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 482)
• Chapter 14 Psychological Disorders(p. 486)
• Previewing the Conceptual and Practical Problems(p. 489)
• Conceptualizing Abnormality: What Is Abnormal Behavior?(p. 489)
• Classifying Psychological Disorders: The Dsm-IV(p. 496)
• Understanding Psychological Disorders: Biological, Cognitive, or Environmental?(p. 511)
• Solving the Conceptual and Practical Problems(p. 518)
• Chapter 15 Therapy(p. 522)
• Previewing the Conceptual and Practical Problems(p. 524)
• Treating the Body: Biomedical Therapies(p. 525)
• Treating the Mind: Insight Therapies(p. 532)
• Treating the Environment: Behavioral Therapies(p. 542)
• Evaluating and Choosing Psychotherapy(p. 547)
• Solving the Conceptual and Practical Problems(p. 552)
• Chapter 16 Stress and Health(p. 556)
• Previewing the Adaptive Problems(p. 558)
• Experiencing Stress(p. 559)
• Reacting to Prolonged Stress(p. 569)
• Reducing and Coping with Stress(p. 575)
• Living a Healthy Lifestyle(p. 581)
• Solving the Adaptive Problems(p. 586)