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Books > Social sciences > Psychology > Experimental psychology
Colour has long been a source of fascination to both scientists and philosophers. In one sense, colours are in the mind of the beholder, in another sense they belong to the external world. Colours appear to lie on the boundary where we have divided the world into 'objective' and 'subjective' events. They represent, more than any other attribute of our visual experience, a place where both physical and mental properties are interwoven in an intimate and enigmatic way. The last few decades have brought fascinating changes in the way that we think about 'colour' and the role 'colour' plays in our perceptual architecture. In Colour: Mind and the Physical World, leading scholars from cognitive psychology, philosophy, neurophysiology, and computational vision provide an overview of the contemporary developments in our understanding of colours and of the relationship between the 'mental' and the 'physical'. With each chapter followed by critical commentaries, the volume presents a lively and accessible picture of the intellectual traditions which have shaped research into colour perception. Written in a non-technical style and accessible to an interdisciplinary audience, the book will provide an invaluable resource for researchers in colour perception and the cognitive sciences.
This book explores the relationship between cellular processes and animal behaviour. It does this by focusing on the domain of navigation, bringing together scientists from either side of the brain-behaviour divide in an attempt to explain the linkage between spatial behaviour and the underlying activity of neurons. The Neurobiology of Spatial Behaviour is organised into two sections. Section one deals with the so-called 'higher' levels of description - studies of spatial behaviour and the brain areas that might underlie such behaviour. The section begins with insects, remarkably sophisticated navigators, and ends with humans, examining along the way issues such as whether animal brains contain maps and whether spatial and non-spatial information interact, and if so, how? Section two delves further into the brain and focuses on the mammalian representation of space and the role of place cells. These issues have far wider ramifications that simply helping us to understand the process of navigation. This system might provide a model for how other forms of knowledge, beliefs and intentions are encoded in neurons. As such, the book will be of interest to an interdisciplinary audience, including ethologists, psychologists, behavioural neuroscientists, computational modelers, physiological neuroscientists and molecular biologists.
In 1953 a young female Japanese macaque called Imo began washing sweet potatoes before eating them, presumably to remove dirt and sand grains. Soon other monkeys had adopted this behaviour, and potato-washing gradually spread throughout the troop. When, three years after her first invention, Imo devised a second novel foraging behaviour, that of separating wheat from sand by throwing mixed handfuls into water and scooping out the floating grains, she was almost instantly heralded around the world as a 'monkey genius'. Imo is probably the most celebrated of animal innovators. In fact, many animals will invent new behaviour patterns, adjust established behaviours to a novel context, or respond to stresses in an appropriate and novel manner. Innovation is an important component of behavioural flexibility, vital to the survival of individuals in species with generalist or opportunistic lifestyles, and potentially of critical importance to those endangered or threatened species forced to adjust to changed or impoverished environments. Innovation may also have played a central role in avian and primate brain evolution. Yet until recently animal innovation has been subject to almost complete neglect by behavioural biologists, psychologists, social learning researchers, and conservation-minded biologists. This collection of stimulating and readable articles by leading scientific authorities is the first ever book on 'animal innovation', designed to put the topic of animal innovation on the map and heighten awareness of this developing field.
Music offers a unique opportunity to better understand the organization of the human brain. Like language, music exists in all human societies. Like language, music is a complex, rule-governed activity that seems specific to humans, and associated with a specific brain architecture. Yet unlike most other high-level functions of the human brain--and unlike language--music is a skil at which only a minority of people become proficient. The study of music as a major brain function has for some time been relatively neglected. Just recently, however, we have witnessed an explosion in research activities on music perception and performance that correlates in the human brain. This volume brings together an outstanding collection of international authorities--from the fields of music, neuroscience, psychology, and neurology--to describe the amazing advances being made in understanding the complex relationship between music and the brain.
Environmental Psychology and Human Well-Being: Effects of Built and Natural Settings provides a better understanding of the way in which mental and physical well-being is affected by physical environments, along with insights into how the design of these environments might be improved to support better health outcomes. The book reviews the history of the field, discusses theoretical constructs in guiding research and design, and provides an up-to-date survey of research findings. Core psychological constructs, such as personal space, territoriality, privacy, resilience, stress, and more are integrated into each environment covered.
Sleep has long been a topic of fascination for artists and scientists. Why do we sleep? What function does sleep serve? Why do we dream? What significance can we attach to our dreams? We spend so much of our lives sleeping, yet its precise function is unclear, in spite of our increasing understanding of the processes generating and maintaining sleep. We now know that sleep can be accompanied by periods of intense cerebral activity, yet only recently has experimental data started to provide us with some insights into the type of processing taking place in the brain as we sleep. There is now strong evidence that sleep plays a crucial role in learning and in the consolidation of memories. Once the preserve of psychoanalysts, 'dreaming' is now a topic of increasing interest amongst scientists. With research into sleep growing, this volume is both timely and valuable in presenting a unique study of the relationship between sleep, learning, and memory. It brings together a team of international scientists researching sleep in both human and animal subjects. Aimed at researchers within the fields of neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, psychiatry, and neurology, this book will be an important first step in developing a full scientific understanding of the most intriguing state of consciousness.
For thousands of years, one scientific puzzle has fascinated and perplexed the greatest philosophers, mathematicians, physicists, and psychologists - why do the moon and sun appear so much larger on the horizon than when high up in the sky? Now, two leading psychologists have provided a compelling account of this fascinating illusion. Taking us through the history, the characters involved, the attempts made to explain the illusion, through to modern day studies of visual perception, the book is the most comprehensive account of this puzzle so far. This is a work which will remain, for some time to come, the definitive book on a mystery that has fascinated and tested the greatest minds throughout the ages. Accessibly written, it will appeal to readers of popular science, along with those within the disciplines of psychology, mathematics, astronomy, and philosophy, from undergraduate upwards.
Vision research is one of the largest and most active areas within brain research. Psychologists, neuroscientists, opthamologists and optometrists, computer scientists, and engineers all have an interest in the practical side of the subject. Vision Research is a clear and comprehensive laboratory manual providing all the detailed practical information needed to undertake vision research. Spanning methods used across the breadth of vision research, this book provides detailed protocols and advice on experimental techniques and procedures, as well as useful background information. It covers the choice and use of modern light sources and optical components, with particular consideration of how to generate specified colours, and the creation and presentation of images, with special emphasis on up-to-date computer techniques. It also deals with the design of psychophysical experiments, and the particular problems posed by working with children and with animals. Finally, it provides a thorough coverage of all types of physiological measurement: of ERG and evoked potentials, and the measurement of accommodation, eye movements, and pupil diameter. Here are the "tricks of the trade" of vision research, from some if its leading practitioners, of a kind that cannot be found in published papers and are often only acquired through apprenticeship and a life-time of personal experience. Accessibly written for those with little background in optics and electronics, this book will be essential for students undertaking practical vision research for the first time. Clinical researchers and experienced researchers in other fields wishing to learn about and use vision research techniques will also find it extremely useful. An essential resource in every vision research laboratory.
Several Python programming books feature tools designed for experimental psychologists. What sets this book apart is its focus on eye-tracking. Eye-tracking is a widely used research technique in psychology and neuroscience labs. Research grade eye-trackers are typically faster, more accurate, and of course, more expensive than the ones seen in consumer goods or usability labs. Not surprisingly, a successful eye-tracking study usually requires sophisticated computer programming. Easy syntax and flexibility make Python a perfect choice for this task, especially for psychology researchers with little or no computer programming experience. This book offers detailed coverage of the Pylink library, a Python interface for the gold standard EyeLink (R) eye-trackers, with many step-by-step example scripts. This book is a useful reference for eye-tracking researchers, but you can also use it as a textbook for graduate-level programming courses.
Advances in Motivation Science, Elsevier's brand new serial on the topic of motivation science, is a timely serial on an area of study that has not only been a mainstay of the science of psychology, but also a major influence in early dynamic and Gestalt models of the mind and fundamental to behaviorist theories of learning and action. The advent of the cognitive revolution in the 1960 and 70s eclipsed the emphasis on motivation to a large extent, but in the past two decades motivation has returned en force. Today, motivational analyses of affect, cognition, and behavior are ubiquitous across psychological literatures and disciplines. In essence, motivation is not just a "hot topic" on the contemporary scene, but is firmly entrenched as a foundational issue in scientific psychology. This volume brings together internationally recognized experts focusing on cutting-edge theoretical and empirical contributions in this important area of psychology.
While many books have discussed methodological advances in nonlinear dynamical systems theory (NDS), this volume is unique in its focus on NDS s role in the development of psychological theory. After an introductory chapter covering the fundamentals of chaos, complexity, and other nonlinear dynamics, subsequent chapters provide in-depth coverage of each of the specific topic areas in psychology. A concluding chapter takes stock of the field as a whole, evaluating important challenges for the immediate future. The chapters are written by experts in the use of NDS in each of their respective areas, including biological, cognitive, developmental, social, organizational, and clinical psychology. Each chapter provides an in-depth examination of theoretical foundations and specific applications and a review of relevant methods. This edited collection represents the state of the art in NDS science across the disciplines of psychology."
The Talk Therapy Revolution: Neuroscience, Phenomenology and Mental Health, uses phenomenology and neuroscience to describe experiential counseling themes such as intuition, attunement, emotional regulation, insight, empathy, momentum and others. Peter Ladd explores these experiential counseling practices in direct comparison with a medical model of talk therapy and examines the pros and cons of both models. Ladd presents an orderly and efficient integration of these two models that accounts for the reciprocal relationship between human experience and neuroscience in which interpersonal relationships have a direct impact on the brain and the brain has a direct impact on human experience.
Advances in Experimental Social Psychology continues to be one of the most sought after and most often cited series in this field. Containing contributions of major empirical and theoretical interest, this series represents the best and the brightest in new research, theory, and practice in social psychology. This serial is part of the Social Sciences package on ScienceDirect. Visit info.sciencedirect.com for more information. Advances in Experimental Social Psychology is available online on ScienceDirect - full-text online of volume 32 onward. Elsevier book series on ScienceDirect gives multiple users throughout an institution simultaneous online access to an important complement to primary research. Digital delivery ensures users reliable, 24-hour access to the latest peer-reviewed content. The Elsevier book series are compiled and written by the most highly regarded authors in their fields and are selected from across the globe using Elsevier's extensive researcher network. For more information about the Elsevier Book Series on ScienceDirect Program, please visit store.elsevier.com.
This book comprises the proceedings of the second International Conference, AsiaHaptics 2016, held in Kashiwanoha, Japan. The book treats the state of the art of the diverse haptics (touch)-related research, including scientific research of haptics perception and illusion, development of haptics devices, and applications to a wide variety of fields such as education, medicine, telecommunication, navigation, and entertainment. This work helps not only active haptic researchers, but also general readers to understand what is going on in this interdisciplinary area of science and technology.
The book is a scientific monograph, based on a natural experiment on cognitive, emotional and social functioning during the year-long isolation of 21 winter hounds at the Henryk Arctowski Polish Antarctic Station. The conducted research was of a specimen and sociometric nature. The results presented in the book are unique in the literature on the subject due to the longitudinal nature of the research conducted, together with its high frequency (every two weeks). Moreover, the social isolation was total in its character, due to the large limitation of connectivity with the outside world, which could be considered analogous to future long-term space missions.
Motor control is a relatively young field of research exploring
how the nervous system produces purposeful, coordinated movements
in its interaction with the body and the environment through
conscious and unsconscious thought. Many books purporting to cover
motor control have veered off course to examine biomechanics and
physiology rather than actual control, leaving a gap in the
literature. This book covers all the major perspectives in motor
control, with a balanced approach. There are chapters explicitly
dedicated to control theory, to dynamical systems, to biomechanics,
to different behaviors, and to motor learning, including case
studies.
Ethics for Behavior Analysts: Ethics for Analysts guides readers on how to prevent conflicts, develop comfort where there is discomfort, and effectively (and ethically) advocate and disseminate information. The book includes both student and instructor resources, along with ten videos, making it the number one resource for behavioral analysts. In day-to-day practice, behavioral analysts face complex challenges that require both an accurate interpretation of the guidelines and a fair amount of independent judgment. This book provides a guide on how to navigate potentially unethical situations using real-life scenarios.
The prefrontal cortex makes up almost a third of the human brain,
and it expanded dramatically during primate evolution.
The internet has become a principal venue for social interaction. Young people are growing up in a world surrounded by technology that could have only been imagined a generation ago. Social media have crafted a landscape that has made connection with others easy. Yet this rise has become a concern. So, what is happening here? Why is it so compelling to use social media? Why is it difficult to quit social media? What impact can social media have on teenagers, their education, and their well-being? Should we be worried? What can be done to help? Psychologist's Guide to Adolescents and Social Media aims to deliver a deeper understanding regarding the psychology of social media, both positive and negative. This guide is divided into four parts. The reader will be guided through the purposes and merits of social media, the unintended consequences of using social media, author conducted research exploring the experiences of adolescent-aged school children, and what can be done to help those struggling with the overuse of social media, including assessment resources.
This book reconstructs the rise and fall of Wilhelm Wundt's fortunes, focusing for the first time on the role of Richard Avenarius as catalyst for the so-called "positivist repudiation of Wundt." Krauss specifically looks at the progressive disavowal of Wundtian ideas in the world of scientific psychology, and especially by his former pupils. This book provides important historical context and a critical discussion of the current state of research, in addition to a detailed consideration of Wundt's and Avenarius' systems of thought, as well as on their personal relationship. The author outlines the reception of Avenarius' conceptions among Wundt's pupils, such as Kulpe, Munsterberg and Titchener, and among other psychologists of the time, such as Ward, James and Ebbinghaus. Finally, this book presents Wundt's two-fold attempt to respond to the new trend through a criticism of the "materialistic" psychology, and a reformulation of his own ideas.
The book is a journal that presents narrations and factual accounts of events covering 144 days the author spent during the Third Scientific Expedition of the Polish Academy of Sciences to the Arctowski Station on King George Island (South Shetland Islands). The observations comprise events and behaviors in daily life situations of a team of Polish polar explorers. A valuable source of knowledge for empirical psychology on the behavior of people in extreme conditions, the book describes symptoms that form the winter-over syndrome. The "winter-over syndrome" may be predicted by analogous effects of space isolation, especially in long-term space missions, like an expedition to Mars. Hence, this book is an important scientific and civilizational event in the era of space exploration.
GO DIGITAL WITH LAUNCHPAD Behavioral statistics-as it's actually practiced today Using Macmillan's highly touted LaunchPad to deliver superior content online, the brief version of Nolan and Heinzen's text introduces students to the role of statistics in the behavioral sciences today. It is a thoroughly up-to-date presentation written specifically for behavioral science students, anchored by real-world stories, a highly visual approach to presenting data, helpful mathematical and formula support, and unique immersive learning activities in LaunchPad (Which Test is Best and the new Interpreting Statistical Results). Now with a focus in every chapter on open science and data ethics, and a new final chapter on reporting and interpreting results!
The first volume in the new Cambridge Handbooks in Behavioral Genetics series, Behavioral Genetics of the Mouse provides baseline information on normal behaviors, essential in both the design of experiments using genetically modified or pharmacologically treated animals and in the interpretation and analyses of the results obtained. The book offers a comprehensive overview of the genetics of naturally occurring variation in mouse behavior, from perception and spontaneous behaviors such as exploration, aggression, social interactions and motor behaviors, to reinforced behaviors such as the different types of learning. Also included are numerous examples of potential experimental problems, which will aid and guide researchers trying to troubleshoot their own studies. A lasting reference, the thorough and comprehensive reviews offer an easy entrance into the extensive literature in this field, and will prove invaluable to students and specialists alike.
According to the 2018 National Survey on Drug Use and Health, 14.4 million adults aged 18 and older had alcohol use disorder (AUD). Mixing alcohol with other drugs such as opioids or cocaine has become an emerging trend, exacerbating public health concerns and may synergistically augment the seriousness of the adverse effects such as withdrawal symptoms, cardiovascular disorders, liver damage, reproductive abnormalities, and behavioral abnormalities. Despite the seriousness of the situation, possible mechanisms underlying the addiction and the withdrawal symptoms is not yet understood. This has been one of the key hindrances in developing effective treatment. Neurobiology of Alcohol and the Brain addresses the addiction-related problems reviewing both the mechanisms and withdrawal system with alcohol addiction. First, the book discusses the mechanisms of the rewarding and aversive effects, including addiction and the withdrawal symptoms of alcohol drinking. Next, alcohol's interaction with other drugs and ensuing adverse consequences is discussed including current and novel treatments against alcoholism. This is followed by a closer look at mental health and alcohol use disorder comorbidity. Lastly, the reader is provided with examples of an experimental study that describes possible protective effects of gold nanoparticles against alcohol addiction in rats subjected to alcohol self-administration. Neurobiology of Alcohol and the Brain will unlock the mechanistic diversities of alcoholism helping to facilitate future developments of new, personalized treatment options for patients suffering from alcohol addiction. |
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