![]() |
Welcome to Loot.co.za!
Sign in / Register |Wishlists & Gift Vouchers |Help | Advanced search
|
Your cart is empty |
||
|
Books > Social sciences > Psychology > Philosophy & theory of psychology > Behavioural theory (Behaviourism)
In this volume leading academics explore the relationship between the experiences of terror and helplessness, the way in which survivors remember and the representation of these memories in the language and form of their life stories.
This book considers one of the most fundamental, but only
infrequently considered, issues in psychology--Are mental processes
accessible by means of verbal reports and/or experimental assays?
It is argues that this is the main characteristic distinguishing
between behaviorism and mentalistic cognitivism. The answer posed
by the author is that, with few exceptions and for the most
fundamental reasons, mental processes are not accessible and that
any psychology, such as contemporary cognitivism, based on a
putative analysis of mind into its mental components must be
fallacious.
Do you know what makes boys tick? In recent years suicide has
drastically escalated among young males and academic
underachievement is common, so it is of vital importance that our
understanding of the young male psyche is well informed and not
merely 'received wisdom'. John Head gets to the heart - and mind -
of the matter, by tackling difficult, pertinent questions. Has male
behaviour in school worsened, or has media hype inflated the
proportions of a 'good story'? What is at the root of male
violence? Are biological or social explanations telling the whole
story? Head shows that it is only by engaging boys in new arenas of
thought and feeling that we can hope to understand and help
overcome the difficulties faced by boys today.
This volume addresses topics related to the nature of the stress
response, the role of environment in individual differences in
stress, and the different strategies used for coping with stressful
events. The chapters present theoretical and empirical work focused
on a wide range of issues related to stress, soothing, and coping.
Authored by recognized authorities with innovative research
programs in the field, this volume addresses topics from diverse
perspectives in child development, clinical psychology, pediatrics,
psychophysiology, and psychobiology. Adaptive and maladaptive
outcomes of stress and coping are addressed in various pediatric,
medical, and clinical populations. This book also covers recent
research on the effects of both prenatal and postnatal stress on
subsequent coping, stress reactivity, and socioemotional
functioning in the human and nonhuman primate. With this diversity
of papers, this volume should be of special value to child
development professionals with interests in behavioral and
physiological approaches to temperament, emotional expression, and
emotional regulation; to those interested in mother-child
interaction; and to researchers and clinicians in many different
disciplines.
How does the sense of basic fairness--or selflessness versus selfishness--arise? How is it exhibited behaviorally? How is it maintained? Few topics hold more contemporary significance or have proved more elusive to specification in precise scientific terms. Current research perspectives on altruism, narcissism, and comity by distinguished behavioral scientists from around the world were brought together in a special issue of Current Psychology (Summer 1998) and are offered here in a useful compendium. Chapters and contributors include: "Equity, Justice, and Altruism" by Graham F. Wagstaff; "Reactions to the Fate of One's Brainchild After Its Disclosure" by Sidney Rosen and Shannon Wheatman; "Need Norm, Demographic Influence, Social Role, and Justice Judgment" by Helen E. Linkey and Sheldon Alexander; "Adaptive and Maladaptive Narcissism" by Robert W. Hill and Greg Yousey; "Perceptions of Self-Oriented and Other-Oriented Help-Providers" by Mark A. Barnett, Guy D. Vitaglione, Jeffrey S. Bartel, Birgit S. Valdez, Lee Ann Steadman, and Kimberly K. G. Harper; and "Pathological Narcissism and Serial Homicide" by Louis B. Schlesinger. Altruism, Narcissism, Comity will benefit students, researchers, and practitioners in the psychological sciences, sociology, political science, philosophy, law, and other disciplines concerned with the nature of selflessness, heroism, justice, and their variants.
In an era where students suffer more than ever from fatigue and tension, and when, because of television and other factors, their concentration is in serious need of improvement, the subject of Suggestopedia is more relevant than ever. Studies consistently show that Suggestopedia and its adaptations alleviate stress and improve focusing and memorization. Suggestopedia and Language Acquisition examines methods for unconscious assimilation, and in particular, Suggestopedia, its variants, its adaptations, and its background elements.
Humor permeates every aspect of society and has done so for thousands of years. People experience it daily through television, newspapers, literature, and contact with others. Rarely do social researchers analyze humor or try to determine what makes it such a dominating force in our lives. The types of jokes a person enjoys contribute significantly to the definition of that person as well as to the character of a given society. Arthur Asa Berger explores these and other related topics in An Anatomy of Humor. He shows how humor can range from the simple pun to complex plots in Elizabethan plays. Berger examines a number of topics--ethnicity, race, gender, politics--each with its own comic dimension. Laughter is beneficial to both our physical and mental health, according to Berger. He discerns a multiplicity of ironies that are intrinsic to the analysis of humor. He discovers as much complexity and ambiguity in a cartoon, such as Mickey Mouse, as he finds in an important piece of literature, such as Huckleberry Finn. An Anatomy of Humor is an intriguing and enjoyable read for people interested in humor and the impact of popular and mass culture on society. It will also be of interest to professionals in communication and psychologists concerned with the creative process.
Human behavior often violates the predictions of rational choice
theory. This realization has caused many social psychologists and
experimental economists to attempt to develop an
experimentally-based variant of game theory as an alternative
descriptive model. The impetus for this book is the interest in the
development of such a theory that combines elements from both
disciplines and appeals to both.
Social trust is a crucial issue to many aspects of modern society. Policy makers continually aspire to winning it and corporations frequently run the risk of losing it. The 'trust deficit' raises vital questions and problems to which until recently there have been few answers or solutions. Experts from both sides of the Atlantic explore the importance for trust of various influences, from individual perceptions to organizational systems, and consider the conditions involved in building or undermining trust. Several authors examine practical hazard management issues, including medical vaccination programmes and popular participation in pollution control and waste management as strategies for enhancing social trust. This book provides insightful analysis for researchers and students of environmental and social sciences and is essential reading for those engaged in risk management in both the public and private sectors.
In writing The Psychology of Politics, Hans Eysenck had two aims in mind: to write a book about modern developments in the field of attitude studies which would be intelligible to the layman; and one that would integrate into one consistent theoretical system a large number of contributions on the topic from different fields. Eysenck believes that science has something to say about such problems as anti-Semitism, the origin and growth of fascist and communist ideologies, the causal determinants of voting behavior, the structure of opinions and attitudes, and the relationship between politics and personality. He seeks to rescue these factual findings from the obscurity of technical journals and present them in a more accessible form. The research presented in this book outlines the main principles of organization and structure in the field of attitudes. These principles account in a remarkably complete and detailed manner for the systems of political organization found in Great Britain, that is, the Conservative, Liberal, and Socialist parties, and the communist and fascist groups. Next, Eysenck relates these principles to the system of personality structure which for many years formed the main focus of research activity at the Institute of Psychiatry in London. The Psychology of Politics integrates attitude research with modern learning theory. In his new introduction, Eysenck writes that his research and personal experiences in Germany led him to believe that authoritarianism could appear equally well on the left as on the right. He saw Stalin as equally authoritarian as Hitler, and communism as equally totalitarian as Nazism. The Psychology of Politics contains the evidence and arguments Eysenck used to demonstrate his approach. This volume is of enduring significance for psychologists, political theorists, and historians. It is by indirection a major statement in modern liberalism.
During the past decade a diverse group of disciplines have simultaneously intensified their attention upon the scientific study of emotion. This proliferation of research on affective phenomena has been paralleled by an acceleration of investigations of early human structural and functional development. Developmental neuroscience is now delving into the ontogeny of brain systems that evolve to support the psychobiological underpinnings of socioemotional functioning. Studies of the infant brain demonstrate that its maturation is influenced by the environment and is experience-dependent. Developmental psychological research emphasizes that the infant's expanding socioaffective functions are critically influenced by the affect-transacting experiences it has with the primary caregiver. Concurrent developmental psychoanalytic research suggests that the mother's affect regulatory functions permanently shape the emerging self's capacity for self-organization. Studies of incipient relational processes and their effects on developing structure are thus an excellent paradigm for the deeper apprehension of the organization and dynamics of affective phenomena. This book brings together and presents the latest findings of socioemotional studies emerging from the developmental branches of various disciplines. It supplies psychological researchers and clinicians with relevant, up-to-date developmental neurobiological findings and insights, and exposes neuroscientists to recent developmental psychological and psychoanalytic studies of infants. The methodology of this theoretical research involves the integration of information that is being generated by the different fields that are studying the problem of socioaffective development--neurobiology, behavioral neurology, behavioral biology, sociobiology, social psychology, developmental psychology, developmental psychoanalysis, and infant psychiatry. A special emphasis is placed upon the application and incorporation of current developmental data from neurochemistry, neuroanatomy, neuropsychology, and neuroendocrinology into the main body of developmental theory. More than just a review of several literatures, the studies cited in this work are used as a multidisciplinary source pool of experimental data, theoretical concepts, and clinical observations that form the base and scaffolding of an overarching heuristic model of socioemotional development that is grounded in contemporary neuroscience. This psychoneurobiological model is then used to generate a number of heuristic hypotheses regarding the proximal causes of a wide array of affect-related phenomena--from the motive force that drives human attachment to the proximal causes of psychiatric disturbances and psychosomatic disorders, and indeed to the origin of the self.
Numerous challenges exist in respect to integrating work and family institutions and there is remarkable cross-national variation in the ways that societies respond to these concerns with policy. This volume examines these concerns by focusing on cross-national variation in structural/cultural arrangements. Consistent support is found in respect to the prospects of expanding resources for working families both in the opportunity to provide care, as well as to remain integrated in the workforce. However, the studies in this volume offer qualifiers, explaining why some effects are not as strong as might be hoped and why effects are sometimes restricted to particular classifications of workers or families. It is apparent that, when different societies implement similar policies, they do not necessarily do so with the same intended outcomes, and usage is mediated by how policies are received by employers and workers. The chapters in this book speak to the merits of international comparative analysis in identifying the strategies, challenges and benefits of providing resources to workers and their families. This book was originally published as a special issue of Community, Work & Family.
conduct disorder and under-achievement The young people who are the subject of this book are responsible for a disproportionate amount of difficulty for society. They are the chronic rule-breakers and bullies. They may threaten, intimidate, manipulate, steal, and use violence to get what they want. Many are drug abusers and drug dealers. Most have problems with self-control and self-discipline. Nearly all of them are academic underachievers. Unfortunately, they are also incredibly resistant to psychological intervention. Exhibiting a range of behaviors grouped under the DSM rubric "Conduct Disorder," these children and adolescents are legion and their numbers continue to grow at an alarming rate. In Conduct Disorder and Underachievement, a leading authority on CD underachievers explores the causes, assessment, treatment, and prevention of disruptive behavioral problems in underachieving children and adolescents. He summarizes many of the assessment tools developed for CD underachievers and provides a unique, comprehensive risk-factor model which can be used to help identify disorder problems before they occur. And, perhaps most importantly, he describes a dynamic cognitive/developmental treatment model which has proven to be extraordinarily successful with certain types of CD underachievers. Conduct Disorder and Underachievement offers new hope for finding psychological solutions to one of today's most pressing social problems. Much has been unearthed in recent years about the origins and development of conduct disorder (CD) in children and adolescents. Yet there is still considerable disagreement about the role academic underachievement plays in CD. Is underachievement acontributing factor to or a result of CD? While the jury is still out on this issue, one thing is certain: eventually, the relationship between them becomes a dialectical one--bad grades and antisocial behavior usually go hand in hand. Can this seemingly facile observation provide the basis for interventions with certain types of conduct disorders? In Conduct Disorder and Underachieve-ment, a leading authority on underachievement answers that question with a resounding "Yes" and demonstrates how. Dr. Mandel begins with a thorough review of the latest research findings on the etiology, assessment, and treatment of conduct disorder in children and adolescents. From there, the focus narrows to issues of CD underachievement. While most forms of conduct disorder and underachievement are discussed, the clinical emphasis is on less severely disturbed children for whom underachievement is still manageable but, if left unchecked, can lead to more severe conduct problems. Through the window of two case histories complete with test results and diagnostic interviews, Dr. Mandel explores the full range of assessment issues, critically examines predominant treatment strategies, and provides helpful prevention guidelines. In the prescriptive portion of the book, the author delineates a cognitively oriented approach to treating CD underachievers. He espouses a treatment strategy based on the assumption that, from one case to the next, underachievement may either contribute to or result from conduct disorder. The most constructive approach, therefore, is to reconstruct the unfolding of individual scenarios and then determine what can be done to mend fractured developmental pathways. Through aseries of therapy excerpts which take the reader inside a treatment session, Dr. Mandel brings to vivid life the issues that must be dealt with, the struggles that must be overcome, and the complex interactions that develop between child and therapist during therapeutic intervention. Combining a comprehensive review of the latest findings with a dynamic new approach to intervention, Conduct Disorder and Underachievement is a valuable resource for mental health professionals, guidance counselors, and educators who deal with this increasingly common problem.
Epidemiological surveys have provided key information about the prevalence and degree of seriousness at different ages of a wide array of problem behaviors such as delinquency, substance use, early sexual involvement, and mental health disorders. Knowledge of the extent of these problems and changes in their course over time is important. In its absence, interventions and health planning in general can be difficult. Understanding which risk and protective factors are relevant to which problem behaviors is also essential for the formulation of theories that constitute the basis of intervention. This book draws on the results of the major Pittsburgh Youth Study complemented by follow-up tracking of juvenile court records for more than six years, to address the following questions: *What is the prevalence and age of onset of delinquency, substance use, and early sexual behavior for three samples of boys age 8, 11, and 14? What are the average mental health problems for these ages? How strong are the relationships among these problem behaviors in each of the samples? *Which variables best explain individual differences among the boys in their manifestations of delinquency, substance use, early sexual behavior, and mental health problems? To what extent do explanatory factors vary with age? How accurately can boys with different outcomes be identified by risk scores based on hierarchical multiple regressions? *To what extent are explanatory factors associated with one outcome that are also associated with other outcomes? Are explanatory factors that are especially characteristic of a multiproblem group of boys--who display many different problem behaviors--different from explanatory factors associated with boys with few problems? *Do the results fit a general theory of juvenile problem behaviors, or is a differentiated theory more applicable?
In arguably the finest text ever written in the philosophy of social science, Abraham Kaplan emphasizes what unites the behavioral sciences more than what distinguishes them from one another. Kaplan avoids the bitter disputes among people doing methodology, claiming instead that what is important are those qualities intrinsic to the overall aspirations of the social sciences. He deals with special problems of various disciplines only so far as may be helpful in clarifying the general method of inquiry. "The Conduct of Inquiry "is a systematic, rounded, and wide-ranging inquiry into behavioral science. Kaplan is guided by the experience of sciences with longer histories, but he is bound neither to their problems nor to their solutions. Instead, he addresses the methodology of behavioral science in the broad sense of both method and science. The work is not a formal exercise in the philosophy of science but rather a critical and constructive assessment of the developing standards and strategies of contemporary social inquiry. He emphasizes the tasks, achievements, limitations, and dilemmas of the newer disciplines. Philosophers of science usually choose to write about the most fully developed sciences because problems are clearer there. The result is ordinarily of little benefit to the behavioral scientist, whose task is clarification of method; here the precedents and analogies of physical science are obscure or inappropriate. "The Conduct of Inquiry "goes a long way in drawing upon the strengths of social research insights without simplifying the common concerns of the scientific enterprise as a whole. As Leonard Broom noted when the book initially appeared: "Kaplan fills a gap and does so with admirable clarity and often engaging wit. It lacks pomposity, pedantry, and pretension, and it is bound to make an impact on the teaching of and, with luck, research in the behavioral sciences."
Process safety management seeks to establish a multi-level system to assess, document, maintain, and inspect equipment and work practices integral in controlling highly toxic and/or reactive materials. In a highly engineered environment, any variance can set off a chain of events that increases the probability of a process safety incident as violent as an explosion. Human behavior is often the biggest source of this variance, but it can also be the biggest asset for process safety management. Process industries are looking to understand sources of behavioral variance and build better processes based on sound behavioral science. Because of this clear link between behavior and process safety performance, the behavior science community has been challenged to research the behavioral root causes leading to variation that threaten process safety; create and evaluate behavioral interventions to mitigate this variation; and identify the system factors that would influence the behaviors necessary to promote process safety. This book seeks to translate behavior analysis into practical systems that can help reduce human suffering from catastrophic process safety events. All of the chapters in this book were originally published in the Journal of Organizational Behavior Management.
Interactional dilemmas occur when participants are required to
engage in two contradictory activities at the same time or orient
to two conflicting goals. The existence of such dilemmas provides a
context for interactants to be creative, pro-active, and indeed
strategic as they maneuver between the numerous demands placed on
them and produce behavior that fits the ongoing communication
episode. Trials are one such episode in which the various
participants -- in this case, the judge, the defendant, and lawyers
-- experience interactional dilemmas and work to resolve these
through their behavior.
This volume is intended to fill a niche in the statistical toolbox of behavioural scientists. Most know two important concepts - how to analyze continuous data from randomly assigned treatment groups of subjects and how to assess practice effects for a single group of subjects given a constant treatment at each of several stages of practice. However, except in the case of the repeated measures Latin square design, researchers are not facile in analyzing data from different subjects receiving different treatments at various times in an experiment. As the opening chapter states and later chapters elaborate, randomization of treatment sequences for different subjects may lead to unbiased conventional estimates of treatment effects and of time-related effects. Yet, the standard errors of such estimates may be unduly large because the error sums of squares include contributions from nuisance variables such as stage-of-practice effects when treatment effects are of interest.
Decision making plays a major role in virtually every theory of
organizational behavior. However, decision theory has not provided
organizational theorists with useful descriptions of how decisions
are made, either by individuals or by individuals in organizations.
The earliest offering came from economics in the form of the
"normative" rational view of decision making. The underlying
presumption was that decision makers are all striving to maximize
return or minimize loss, that decisions are based upon unlimited
information, and that they have the capacity to use the information
efficiently. They know the options open to them and the
consequences of pursuing one or another of those options. The
optimal course of action is revealed by applying the appropriate
analysis and choosing the most profitable option. The key concepts
are rationality, analysis, orderliness, and maximization, and even
a moment's thought demonstrates the gap between these concepts and
real-life experience. From the viewpoint of organizational theory,
the primary problem with the normative view of decision making, and
by analogy with much behavioral decision research, is its reliance
on the "gamble metaphor." That is, decisions are characterized as
gambles in an effort to capture the inherent risk. This metaphor
has the advantage of simplicity, but it is a flawed simplicity.
Interactional dilemmas occur when participants are required to
engage in two contradictory activities at the same time or orient
to two conflicting goals. The existence of such dilemmas provides a
context for interactants to be creative, pro-active, and indeed
strategic as they maneuver between the numerous demands placed on
them and produce behavior that fits the ongoing communication
episode. Trials are one such episode in which the various
participants -- in this case, the judge, the defendant, and lawyers
-- experience interactional dilemmas and work to resolve these
through their behavior.
During the past two decades there has been a growing level of concern worldwide regarding the importance of ethical issues within the conduct of behavioral sciences research. This book seeks to reflect that concern, attempting throughout to strike a balance between the rights and welfare of the participants of research and the rights of the researchers to pursue a fuller understanding of behavior. Discussion within the text ranges from problems encountered in the conduct of human subject and animal subject research in both laboratory and field settings to the issues surrounding integrity in the analysis of data and professional ethical principles. Each chapter includes illustrative case studies of ethically controversial investigations which, combined with a full bibliography, encourage the reader to more in-depth study. |
You may like...
The Mindfulness Workbook for OCD - A…
John Hershfield Mft, Tom Corboy Mft
Hardcover
R1,616
Discovery Miles 16 160
Behavioural Sciences for Dentistry
Gerry Humphris, Margaret Ling
Paperback
R1,062
Discovery Miles 10 620
|