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Books > Social sciences > Psychology > Philosophy & theory of psychology > Behavioural theory (Behaviourism)
Structural Modelling by Example offers a comprehensive overview of the application of structural equation models in the social and behavioral sciences and in educational research. It is devoted in nearly equal proportions to substantive issues and to methodological ones. The substantive section comprises case studies of the use of these models in a number of disciplines. The authors emphasize the reasons for modelling by these methods, the processes involved in defining the model, and the interpretation of the results. The methodological section comprises investigations of the behavior of structural equation modelling methods under a number of conditions. The aim is to clarify the situations in which these methods can usefully be applied and the interpretations that can be made. All researchers with a basic understanding of regression and factor analysis will find this book to be an invaluable resource as they seek to evaluate the possibilities of these new approaches for their own data.
First published in 1991, this stimulating volume on vision extends well beyond the traditional areas of vision research and places the subject in a much broader philosophical context. The emphasis throughout is to integrate and illuminate the visual process. The first three parts of the volume provide authoritative overviews on computational vision and neural networks, on the neurophysiology of visual cortex processing, and on eye-movement research. Each of these parts illustrates how different research perspectives may jointly solve fundamental problems related to the efficiency of visual perception, to the relationship between vision and eye-movements and to the neurophysiological 'codes' underlying our visual perceptions. In the fourth part, leading vision scientists introduce the reader to some major philosophical problems in vision research such as the nature of 'ultimate' codes for perceptual events, the duality of psycho-physics, the bases of visual recognition and the paradigmatic foundations of computer-vision research. This volume will be of interest to all neuroscientists, cognitive scientists, neurophysiologists, psychologists and to those working on neural networks, AI and computer vision.
Microdevelopment is the process of change in abilities, knowledge and understanding during short time-spans. This book presents a new process-orientated view of development and learning based on recent innovations in psychology research. Instead of characterising abilities at different ages, researchers investigate processes of development and learning that evolve through time and explain what enables progress in them. Four themes are highlighted: variability, mechanisms that create transitions to higher levels of knowledge, interrelations between changes in the short-term scale of microdevelopment and the crucial effect of context. Learning and development are analysed in and out of school, in the individual's activities and through social interaction, in relation to simple and complex problems and in everyday behaviour and novel tasks. With contributions from the foremost researchers in the field Microdevelopment will be essential reading for all interested in cognitive and developmental science.
Motor Control and Learning, Sixth Edition With Web Resource, focuses on observable movement behavior, the many factors that influence quality of movement, and how movement skills are acquired. The text examines the motivational, cognitive, biomechanical, and neurological processes of complex motor behaviors that allow human movement to progress from unrefined and clumsy to masterfully smooth and agile. This updated sixth edition builds upon the foundational work of Richard Schmidt and Timothy Lee in previous editions. The three new authors-each a distinguished scholar-offer a range and depth of knowledge that includes current directions in the field. The extensively revised content reflects the latest research and new directions in motor control and learning. Additional new features of the sixth edition include the following: * A web resource that includes narratives and learning activities from Motor Control in Everyday Actions that correspond with the chapters in the book, giving students additional opportunities to analyze how research in motor learning and control can be expanded and applied in everyday settings * An instructor guide that offers sample answers for the learning experiences found in the student web resource * New content on sleep and movement memory, the role of vision, illusions and reaching, the OPTIMAL theory of motor learning, the neuroscience of learning, and more Motor Control and Learning begins with a brief introduction to the field and an introduction to important concepts and research methods. Part II thoroughly covers motor control with topics such as closed-loop perspective, the role of the central nervous system for movement control, speed and accuracy, and coordination. Part III deals with motor learning, exploring the effects of attentional focus, the structure of practice sessions, the role of feedback, theoretical views of motor learning, and the retention and transfer of skills. Throughout the book, art and practical examples are included to elucidate complex topics. Sidebars with historical examples, classic research, and examples of real-world applications highlight the importance of motor control and learning research and bring attention to influential research studies and pioneers. End-of-chapter summaries and student assignments reinforce important concepts and terms and provide review opportunities. For instructors, an image bank complements the new instructor guide; it is available to course adopters at www.HumanKinetics.com/MotorControlAndLearning. The updated research, new features, and highly respected authors of Motor Control and Learning, Sixth Edition With Web Study Guide, provide a solid foundation for both students and practitioners who study and work in fields that encompass movement behavior.
Intended for graduate and upper level undergraduate courses in
behavioural ecology where students are already familiar with the
basic ideas, this book continues to define the subject. A
completely new set of contributions has been brought together once
more to take account of the many exciting new developments in the
field. Each chapter presents a balanced view of the subject,
integrating a clear exposition of the theory with a critical
discussion of how predictions have been tested by experiments and
comparative studies. In addition, the book points to unreconciled
issues and possible future developments. Edited by two of the most
highly regarded experts in the field, this new volume contains
contributions from an international authorship and continues the
tradition of clarity and accessibility established by the three
previous editions.
Research on the mental abilities of chimpanzees and bonobos has been widely celebrated and used in reconstructions of human evolution. In contrast, less attention has been paid to the abilities of gorillas and orangutans. This 1999 volume aims to help complete the picture of hominoid cognition by bringing together the work on gorillas and orangutans and setting it in comparative perspective. The introductory chapters set the evolutionary context for comparing cognition in gorillas and orangutans to that of chimpanzees, bonobos and humans. The remaining chapters focus primarily on the kinds and levels of intelligence displayed by orangutans and gorillas compared to other great apes, including performances in the classic domains of tool use and tool making, imitation, self-awareness, social communication and symbol use. All those wanting more information on the mental abilities of these sometimes neglected, but important primates will find this book a treasure trove.
Personality is now understood to be a function of both biological and environmental influences. This revised and updated edition of Psychobiology of Personality describes what is currently known about the biological basis of the primary personality traits, including genetic, neurological, biochemical, physiological, and behavioral influences. Emphasis is placed on understanding the connections between phenomena at these levels. The research discussed makes use of animal models, based on experimental brain research, as well as human clinical and normal personality research. Chapters are devoted to temperament and personality trait structure, psychobiological methods, and each of four major personality traits: extraversion, impulsive, sensation seeking, and aggression. Recent advances in psychobiological methods, such as molecular genetics and brain imaging have enabled us to begin to unravel the genetic and neurological sources of behavior and personality. These advances are discussed in this new edition, making it essential reading for advanced students of psychology and psychiatry.
Personality is now understood to be a function of both biological and environmental influences. This revised and updated edition of Psychobiology of Personality describes what is currently known about the biological basis of the primary personality traits, including genetic, neurological, biochemical, physiological, and behavioral influences. Emphasis is placed on understanding the connections between phenomena at these levels. The research discussed makes use of animal models, based on experimental brain research, as well as human clinical and normal personality research. Chapters are devoted to temperament and personality trait structure, psychobiological methods, and each of four major personality traits: extraversion, impulsive, sensation seeking, and aggression. Recent advances in psychobiological methods, such as molecular genetics and brain imaging have enabled us to begin to unravel the genetic and neurological sources of behavior and personality. These advances are discussed in this new edition, making it essential reading for advanced students of psychology and psychiatry.
Would you ask a honeybee to point at a screen and recognise a facial expression? Or ask an elephant to climb a tree? While humans and non-human species may inhabit the same world, it's likely that our perceptual worlds differ significantly. Emphasising Uexkull's concept of 'umwelt', this volume offers practical advice on how animal cognition can be successfully tested while avoiding anthropomorphic conclusions. The chapters describe the capabilities of a range of animals - from ants, to lizards to chimpanzees - revealing how to successfully investigate animal cognition across a variety of taxa. The book features contributions from leading cognition researchers, each offering a series of examples and practical tips drawn from their own experience. Together, the authors synthesise information on current field and laboratory methods, providing researchers and graduate students with methodological advice on how to formulate research questions, design experiments and adapt studies to different taxa.
Why do birds often live in pairs and rear chicks together, whereas female mammals usually live in groups and rear their young without male help? Why do males sometimes live with a single mate when they are capable of fertilizing more than one female's eggs? Is male helping behavior important for monogamous partnerships? This book provides answers concerning the biological roots of social monogamy in animal groups as diverse as ungulates, carnivores, rodents, birds and primates (including humans) for students and researchers in behavioral ecology, evolutionary anthropology and zoology.
At present, doctors and psychiatrists are professing their inability to develop theoretical approaches that lead to effective clinical methods to help women suffering from eating disorders. Michelle Lelwica puts forward a hypothesis that has both theoretical and clinical implications. She identifies eating disorders as a specifically religious problem and contends that it can be addressed with religious resources. She argues that the remnants of religious legacies that have historically effaced the diversity and complexity of women's spiritual yearnings and struggles are alive and well under the guise of a host of "secular" practices, pictures and promises. Until these legacies are recognized, contested and changed, she predicts, many girls and women will continue to turn to the symbolic and ritual resources most readily available to them - food and their bodies - in a passionate but precarious quest for freedom and fulfillment.
From the O.J. Simpson verdict to peace-making in the Balkans, the critical role of human judgment--complete with its failures, flaws, and successes--has never been more hotly debated and analyzed than it is today. This landmark work examines the dynamics of judgment and its impact on events that take place in human society, which require the direction and control of social policy. Research on social policy typically focuses on content. This book concentrates instead on the decision-making process itself. Drawing on 50 years of empirical research in decision theory, Hammond examines the possibilities for wisdom and cognitive competence in the formation of social policies, and applies these lessons to specific examples, such as the space shuttle Challenger disaster and the health care debate. Uncertainly, he tells us, can seldom be fully eliminated; thus error is inevitable, and injustice for some unavoidable. But the capacity for make wise judgments increases to the extent that we understand the potential pitfalls and their origin. The judgment process for example involves an ongoing rivalry between intuition and analysis, accuracy and rationality. The source of this tension requires an examination of the evolutionary roots of human judgment and how these fundamental features may be changing as our civilization increasingly becomes an information and knowledge-based society. With numerous examples from law, medicine, engineering, and economics, the author dramatizes the importance of judgment and its role in the formation of social policies which affect us all, and issues the first comprehensive examination of its underlying dynamics.
This bold and brilliant book asks the ultimate question of life sciences: How did the human mind acquire its incomparable power? Origins of the Modern Mind traces the evolution of human culture and cognition from primitive apes to the era of artificial intelligence, and presents an original theory of how the human mind evolved from its presymbolic form. Illustrated with line drawings.
Jon Elster has written a comprehensive, wide-ranging book on the emotions in which he considers the full range of theoretical approaches. Drawing on history, literature, philosophy and psychology, Elster presents a complete account of the role of the emotions in human behaviour. While acknowledging the importance of neurophysiology and laboratory experiment for the study of emotions, Elster argues that the serious student of the emotions can learn more from the great thinkers and writers of the past, from Aristotle to Jane Austen. He attaches particular importance to the work of the French moralists, notably La Rochefoucauld, who demonstrated the way esteem and self-esteem shape human motivation. The book also maintains a running dialogue with economists and rational-choice theorists. Combining methodological and theoretical arguments with empirical case-studies and written with Elster's customary verve and economy, this book has great cross-disciplinary appeal.
How do creative people think? Do great works of the imagination
originate in words or in images? Is there a rational explanation
for the sudden appearance of geniuses like Mozart or Einstein? Such
questions have fascinated people for centuries; only in recent
years, however, has cognitive psychology been able to provide some
clues to the mysterious process of creativity. In this revised
edition of Notebooks of the Mind, Vera John-Steiner combines
imaginative insight with scientific precision to produce a
startling account of the human mind working at its highest
potential.
This book explains the principles of effective communication and demonstrates how techniques adopted from theoretical models like operant learning, classical learning, social learning, and cognitive therapy can be used to enhance the interactive and problem-solving skills of patients. These skills can help patients develop better coping mechanisms and form healthier relationships.
Obsessive-compulsive disorder is currently the subject of considerable research, because recent epidemiological studies have suggested that the condition is more prevalent than was originally believed. This book offers a critical discussion of the most important theories that have been put forward to explain this disorder. The book includes behavioral/learning accounts (and cognitive-behavioral supplements of these), accounts based on Pavlovian personality theories (such as those by Eysenck, Gray, and Claridge), Pierre Janet's account, cybernetic approaches, psychodynamic approaches, Reed's cognitive-structural account, and biological approaches. Therapeutic approaches to the disorder are also considered insofar as they are relevant to these theories. An analysis of the concept of OCD is also presented, together with a critique of the existing definitions of the disorder. This book is unique in both the comprehensiveness and the depth of its coverage of theories of OCD. It also offers an entirely new approach to the definition of the disorder.
A Volume in the Jossey-Bass Library of Current Clinical Technique This book is thorough and comprehensive and brings together a wealth of up-to-date and practical treatment information of tremAndous value to the clinician. Offers an illuminating picture of the psychological problems related to anxiety. It outlines effective interventions for problems such as panic attacks, agoraphobia, and social phobias. Also described are specific techniques, including exposure therapy, cognitive behavioral therapy, relaxation, psychodynamic, and psychotherapy.
Over the last fifteen years, psychological research regarding sexual orientation has seen explosive growth. In this book, Anthony R. D'Augelli and Charlotte J. Patterson bring together top experts to offer a comprehensive overview of what we have discovered - and what we still need to learn - about lesbian, gay, and bisexual identities. Writing in clear, nontechnical language, the contributors cover a range of topics, including conceptions of sexual identity, development over the lifespan, family and other personal relationships, parenting, and bigotry and discrimination. Lesbian, Gay, and Bisexual Identities Over the Lifespan is essential reading for researchers, students, social scientists, mental health practitioners, and general readers who seek the most up-to-date and authoritative treatment of the subject available.
While it is often assumed that behavioural development must be based upon both physical law and the biological principles of morphogenesis and selection, forging a link between these disciplines has remained an elusive goal. This book addresses the question of how familiar human functional acts - eating, walking, manipulating objects, smiling, etc. - emerge during infancy due to both intrinsic dynamics and selective processes. The central thesis of the book is that during perceptually guided spontaneous activity, a variety of biodynamic devices for doing different kinds of work are assembled and adapted to specific tasks. Following the introductory chapters, which explore principles from the fields of dynamics and ecological psychology, the author introduces a theory of the development of action systems based upon both self-organisation in complex systems and perceptually guided selective processes. The theory is then examined in the context of development of each of several action systems. The book addresses many long-standing issues in behavioural development, including the apparent disappearance of so-called primitive behaviours, the emergence of new skills, and the role of the caregiver on skill acquisition. The prospects for extending the theory to atypical development and to other domains such as cognition and language are also considered.
Are the risks of smoking exaggerated? Has there been an open and rational discussion about the risks of smoking? This book attempts to answer these and many other questions about the subject, providing a detailed empirical presentation on smoking behavior as a risky consumer decision. Using new empirical data based on several national and regional surveys, Viscusi addresses a number of important issues, including: the sources of information that people have about the risks of smoking, the accuracy of their perceptions of the risks associated with smoking, and the consistency of smoking decisions with other risky behavior - scrutinizing issues such as whether smokers value risk differently than those who wear safety belts. Viscusi also looks at the differences in age groups and how they assess these risks based on public information. He provides new insight into the degree to which individuals understand smoking risks and take these risks into account in their behavior. With its detailed empirical data and its examination of individual decision-making processes, this work will interest researchers in public health, public policy, psychology, and economics, as well as anyone concerned with this important issue.
This stimulating volume on vision extends well beyond the traditional areas of vision research and places the subject in a much broader philosophical context. The emphasis throughout is to integrate and illuminate the visual process. The first three parts of the volume provide authoritative overviews on computational vision and neural networks, on the neurophysiology of visual cortex processing, and on eye-movement research. Each of these parts illustrates how different research perspectives may jointly solve fundamental problems related to the efficiency of visual perception, to the relationship between vision and eye-movements and to the neurophysiological 'codes' underlying our visual perceptions. In the fourth part, leading vision scientists introduce the reader to some major philosophical problems in vision research such as the nature of 'ultimate' codes for perceptual events, the duality of psycho-physics, the bases of visual recognition and the paradigmatic foundations of computer-vision research.
Individual decision making can often be wrong due to misinformation, impulses, or biases. Collective decision making, on the other hand, can be surprisingly accurate. In Democratic Reason, Helene Landemore demonstrates that the very factors behind the superiority of collective decision making add up to a strong case for democracy. She shows that the processes and procedures of democratic decision making form a cognitive system that ensures that decisions taken by the many are more likely to be right than decisions taken by the few. Democracy as a form of government is therefore valuable not only because it is legitimate and just, but also because it is smart. Landemore considers how the argument plays out with respect to two main mechanisms of democratic politics: inclusive deliberation and majority rule. In deliberative settings, the truth-tracking properties of deliberation are enhanced more by inclusiveness than by individual competence. Landemore explores this idea in the contexts of representative democracy and the selection of representatives. She also discusses several models for the "wisdom of crowds" channeled by majority rule, examining the trade-offs between inclusiveness and individual competence in voting. When inclusive deliberation and majority rule are combined, they beat less inclusive methods, in which one person or a small group decide. Democratic Reason thus establishes the superiority of democracy as a way of making decisions for the common good.
Everyone, it seems, is talking and arguing about Evidence-Based Practice (EBP). Those therapies and assessments designated as EBP increasingly determine what is taught, researched, and reimbursed in health care. But exactly what is it, and how do you do it? The second edition of Clinician's Guide to Evidence-Based Practices is the concise, practitioner-friendly guide to applying EBPs in mental health. Step-by-step it explains how to conduct the entire EBP process-asking the right questions, accessing the best available research, appraising the research, translating that research into practice, integrating that research with clinician expertise and patient characteristics, evaluating the entire enterprise, attending to the ethical considerations, and when done, moving the EBP process forward by teaching and disseminating it. This book will help you: * Formulate useful questions that research can address * Search the research literature efficiently for best practices * Make sense out of the research morass, sifting wheat from chaff * Incorporate patient values and diversity into the selection of EBP * Blend clinician expertise with the research evidence * Translate empirical research into practice * Ensure that your clients receive effective, research-supported services * Infuse the EBP process into your organizational setting and training methods * Identify and integrate ethics in the context of EBP Coauthored by a distinguished quartet of clinicians, researchers, and a health care librarian, the Clinician's Guide has become the classic for graduate students and busy professionals mastering EBP. |
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Hardcover
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