This book is a first attempt to combine insights from the two perspectives with regard to the question of meaning by examining a collection of theoretical and empirical works. This volume therefore is destined to become an important addition to psychological literature: both from the viewpoint of the history of ideas (again this would be one of the first times that positive and existentialist psychologies meet) and from the viewpoint of theoretical and empirical research into the meaning concept in psychology.

This is an international and interdisciplinary volume that provides a new look at the general background of the social sciences from a philosophical perspective and provides directions for methodology. It seeks to overcome the limitations of the traditional treatises of a philosophy of science rooted in the physical sciences, as well as extend the coverage of basic science to intentional and socially normative features of the social sciences. The discussions included in this book are divided into four thematic sections: Social and cognitive roots for reflexivity upon the research process Philosophies of explanation in the social sciences Social normativity in social sciences Social processes in particular sciences Social Philosophy of Science for the Social Sciences will find an interested audience in students of the philosophy of science and social sciences. It is also relevant for researchers and students in the fields of psychology, sociology, economics, anthropology, education, and political science.

This book proposes a novel view to explain how we as humans -- contrary to current robots -- can have the impression of consciously feeling things: for example the red of a sunset, the smell of a rose, the sound of a symphony, or a pain.
The book starts off by looking at visual perception. Our ability to see turns out to be much more mysterious than one might think. The eye contains many defects which should seriously interfere with vision. Yet we have the impression of seeing the world in glorious panavision and technicolor. Explaining how this can be the case leads to a new idea about what seeing really is. Seeing is not passively receiving information in the brain, but rather a way of interacting with the world. The role of the brain is not to create visual sensation, but to enable the necessary interactions with the world.
This new approach to seeing is extended in the second part of the book to encompass the other senses: hearing, touch, taste and smell. Taking sensory experiences to be modes of interacting with the world explains why these experiences are different in the way they are. It also explains why thoughts or automatic functions in the body, and indeed the vast majority brain functions, are not accompanied by any real feeling.
The "sensorimotor" approach is not simply a philosophical argument: It leads to scientifically verifiable predictions and new research directions. Among these are the phenomena of change blindness, sensory substitution, "looked but failed to see," as well as results on color naming and color perception and the localisation of touch on the body.
The approach is relevant to the question of what animals and babies can feel, and to understanding what will be necessary for robots to become conscious.

Single-Case Methods in Clinical Psychology: A Practical Guide provides a concise and easily-accessible introduction to single-case research. This is a timely response to the increasing awareness of the need to look beyond randomised controlled trials for evidence to support best practice in applied psychology. The book covers the issues of design, the reliability and validity of measurement, and provides guidance on how to analyse single-case data using both visual and statistical methods. Single-case designs can be used to investigate an individual's response to psychological intervention, as well as to contribute to larger scale research projects. This book illuminates the common principles behind these uses. It describes how standardised measures can be used to evaluate change in an individual and how to develop idiographic measures that are tailored to the needs of an individual. The issue of replication and generalising beyond an individual are examined, and the book also includes a section on the meta-analysis of single-case data. The critical evaluation of single-case research is examined, from both the perspective of developing quality standards to evaluate research and maintaining a critical distance in reviewing one's own work. Single Case Methods in Clinical Psychology will provide invaluable guidance to postgraduate psychologists training to enter the professions of clinical, health and counselling psychology and is likely to become a core text on many courses. It will also appeal to clinicians seeking to answer questions about the effectiveness of therapy in individual cases and who wish to use the method to further the evidence-base for specific psychological interventions.

This textbook considers statistical learning applications when interest centers on the conditional distribution of a response variable, given a set of predictors, and in the absence of a credible model that can be specified before the data analysis begins. Consistent with modern data analytics, it emphasizes that a proper statistical learning data analysis depends in an integrated fashion on sound data collection, intelligent data management, appropriate statistical procedures, and an accessible interpretation of results. The unifying theme is that supervised learning properly can be seen as a form of regression analysis. Key concepts and procedures are illustrated with a large number of real applications and their associated code in R, with an eye toward practical implications. The growing integration of computer science and statistics is well represented including the occasional, but salient, tensions that result. Throughout, there are links to the big picture. The third edition considers significant advances in recent years, among which are: the development of overarching, conceptual frameworks for statistical learning; the impact of "big data" on statistical learning; the nature and consequences of post-model selection statistical inference; deep learning in various forms; the special challenges to statistical inference posed by statistical learning; the fundamental connections between data collection and data analysis; interdisciplinary ethical and political issues surrounding the application of algorithmic methods in a wide variety of fields, each linked to concerns about transparency, fairness, and accuracy. This edition features new sections on accuracy, transparency, and fairness, as well as a new chapter on deep learning. Precursors to deep learning get an expanded treatment. The connections between fitting and forecasting are considered in greater depth. Discussion of the estimation targets for algorithmic methods is revised and expanded throughout to reflect the latest research. Resampling procedures are emphasized. The material is written for upper undergraduate and graduate students in the social, psychological and life sciences and for researchers who want to apply statistical learning procedures to scientific and policy problems.

Advancing work to effectively study, understand, and serve the fastest growing U.S. ethnic minority population, this volume explicitly emphasizes the racial and ethnic diversity within this heterogeneous cultural group. The focus is on the complex historical roots of contemporary Latino/as, their diversity in skin-color and physiognomy, racial identity, ethnic identity, gender differences, immigration patterns, and acculturation. The work highlights how the complexities inherent in the diverse Latino/a experience, as specified throughout the topics covered in this volume, become critical elements of culturally responsive and racially conscious mental health treatment approaches. By addressing the complexities, within-group differences, and racially heterogeneity characteristic of U.S. Latino/as, this volume makes a significant contribution to the literature related to mental health treatments and interventions.

The Social Cognition and Object Relations Scale-Global Rating Method (SCORS-G) is a clinician rated measure that can be used to code various forms of narrative material. It is comprised of eight dimensions which are scored using a seven-point Likert scale, where lower scores are indicative of more pathological aspects of object representations and higher scores are suggestive of more mature and adaptive functioning. The volume is a comprehensive reference on the 1) validity and reliability of the SCORS-G rating system; 2) in depth review of the empirical literature; 3) administration and intricacies of scoring; and 4) the implications and clinical utility of the system across settings and disciplines for clinicians and researchers.

This graduate-level textbook is a tutorial for item response theory that covers both the basics of item response theory and the use of R for preparing graphical presentation in writings about the theory. Item response theory has become one of the most powerful tools used in test construction, yet one of the barriers to learning and applying it is the considerable amount of sophisticated computational effort required to illustrate even the simplest concepts. This text provides the reader access to the basic concepts of item response theory freed of the tedious underlying calculations. It is intended for those who possess limited knowledge of educational measurement and psychometrics. Rather than presenting the full scope of item response theory, this textbook is concise and practical and presents basic concepts without becoming enmeshed in underlying mathematical and computational complexities. Clearly written text and succinct R code allow anyone familiar with statistical concepts to explore and apply item response theory in a practical way. In addition to students of educational measurement, this text will be valuable to measurement specialists working in testing programs at any level and who need an understanding of item response theory in order to evaluate its potential in their settings.

Whereas the diagnosis, explanation, and treatment of physical illness are scientifically sound, this is not true of psychiatric care of mental disorder. Depression, the #1 psychiatric diagnosis, illustrates this failure and it is the subject of Grifting Depression: Psychiatry's Failure as a Medical Science. Psychiatry's current form of medicalization began in 1980 with publication of DSM-III, the diagnostic manual that became the basis for the chemical imbalance theory, psychiatry's explanation for depression, and for reliance on antidepressant drugs to treat depression, "revolutionizing psychiatric care." DSM-III became the model for all the DSM manuals that followed. However, unlike other medical diagnostic manuals, the DSM fails to meet scientific and medical standards of reliability and validity. The chemical imbalance theory is based on research that violates basic tenets of the scientific method. Tests of the theory contradict it. In addition, tests of treatment effectiveness find antidepressant drugs to be no better than placebo. Studies show that the benefit attributed to antidepressant drugs is a placebo effect, but unlike placebos, the chemicals in these drugs are harmful to many. Research strongly supports an alternative theory, a behavioral explanation (psychological rather than biological) for most of the mental disorders listed in the DSM, including most cases of depression. Moreover, although it has not been recognized as the treatment of choice for depression, outcome studies convincingly show behavior therapy is more effective than drug treatment and it is safe. Conflict of interest, not science, is determining psychiatric care.

This book presents a general and comprehensive framework for the assurance of quality in measurements. Written by a foremost expert in the field, the text reflects an on-going international effort to extend traditional quality assured measurement, rooted in fundamental physics and the SI, to include non-physical areas such as person-centred care and the social sciences more generally. Chapter by chapter, the book follows the measurement quality assurance loop, based on Deming's work. The author enhances this quality assurance cycle with insights from recent research, including work on the politics and philosophy of metrology, the new SI, quantitative and qualitative scales and entropy, decision risks and uncertainty when addressing human challenges, Man as a Measurement Instrument, and Psychometry and Person-centred care. Quality Assured Measurement: Unification across Social and Physical Sciences provides students and researchers in physics, chemistry, engineering, medicine and the social sciences with practical guidance on designing, implementing and applying a quality-assured measurement while engaging readers in the most novel and expansive areas of contemporary measurement research.

Do you want to learn to read people's minds? In this student-friendly, practice-focussed textbook on EEG and biosignal analysis, you will learn how to: Implement your experiment in E-Prime or OpenSesame; Run your study in the psychophysiological laboratory; Analyse data in MATLAB by following simple steps. This textbook follows a unique approach by guiding you through a single EEG study, each part introducing the relevant core knowledge and commonly available software. Practical exercises help you master the skills to independently implement every aspect of an experiment, from setting up the lab to analysing the data. Suitable for developing both basic levels of skill for undergraduates as well as advancing towards a stronger command of analysis and understanding at postgraduate level. Michiel Spape is a Lecturer and Researcher in Psychology at the University of Helsinki.

Why learn functional programming? Isn't that some complicated ivory-tower technique used only in obscure languages like Haskell? In fact, functional programming is actually very simple. It's also very powerful, as Haskell demonstrates by throwing away all the conventional programming tools and using only functional programming features. But it doesn't have to be done that way. Functional programming is a power tool that you can use in addition to all your usual tools, to whatever extent your current mainstream language supports it. Most languages have at least basic support. In this book we use Python and Java and, as a bonus, Scala. If you prefer another language, there will be minor differences in syntax, but the concepts are the same. Give functional programming a try. You may be surprised how much a single power tool can help you in your day-to-day programming.

Do you want to learn to read people's minds? In this student-friendly, practice-focussed textbook on EEG and biosignal analysis, you will learn how to: Implement your experiment in E-Prime or OpenSesame; Run your study in the psychophysiological laboratory; Analyse data in MATLAB by following simple steps. This textbook follows a unique approach by guiding you through a single EEG study, each part introducing the relevant core knowledge and commonly available software. Practical exercises help you master the skills to independently implement every aspect of an experiment, from setting up the lab to analysing the data. Suitable for developing both basic levels of skill for undergraduates as well as advancing towards a stronger command of analysis and understanding at postgraduate level. Michiel Spape is a Lecturer and Researcher in Psychology at the University of Helsinki.

The comprehensive reference for informative WISC-V assessment Essentials of WISC-V Assessmentprovides step-by-step guidance for administering, scoring, and interpreting the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children (WISC-V). Packed with practical tips for more accurate assessment, this informative guide includes numerous case studies that illustrate a range of real-world issues. Special attention is devoted to the assessment of individuals who have significant learning difficulties, such as learning disabilities, and who speak English as a second language. The WISC-V is a valuable assessment tool, but it must be administered and scored appropriately to gain meaning from score interpretation. This book gives you an in-depth understanding of the WISC-V assessment and interpretive process to assist practitioners in: * Conducting efficient and informative WISC-V assessments * Utilizing WISC-V in cross-battery and neuropsychological assessment * Applying WISC-V in the identification of specific learning disabilities * Utilizing WISC-V in nondiscriminatory assessment of English language learners * Writing theory-based WISC-V reports * Linking WISC-V findings to interventions based on individual performance As the world's most widely-used intelligence test for children, the WISC-V is useful in diagnosing intellectual disabilities and specific learning disabilities, as well as in identifying giftedness. In this volume, sample reports demonstrate how WISC-V assessment results may be linked to interventions, accommodations, modifications, and compensatory strategies that facilitate positive outcomes for children. Essentials of WISC-V Assessment is the all-in-one practical resource for both students and practitioners. The book can be used on its own or with companion software (purchased separately) that provides a user-friendly tool for producing psychometrically and theoretically defensible interpretations of WISC-V performance, and may be used to develop interventions based on each child's strengths and weaknesses.

With a highly pragmatic, yet rigorous and pragmatically driven approach, this edited book explores demonstrates qualitative research with an applied approach. Using not only theory but real world setting, readers are introduced to the function and relevance of qualitative methods in psychological research. Exemplified through the contributions of various experts from across the different sub-disciplines of psychology, this text takes a versatile approach to explaining methods in research and covers a broad range of methods in a variety of settings. This book will appeal to those with an interest in qualitative methods across the spectrum of psychology and beyond. Offering an introduction to applied qualitative research in psychology with a distinctively applied approach, this title is apt for undergraduate psychology students taking modules in research methods, executing research-based projects or those undertaking Masters and taught doctoral level programs in psychology.

In this tribute to Benjamin Wright, former students and colleagues recall the foundational contributions he made to the theory and practice of measurement in a career spanning over five decades. Wright is recognized as the foremost proponent of the psychometric approach of Georg Rasch, a Danish mathematician, whose ideas continue to provoke controversy. Wright's colleagues and students, and students of their students, are leaders in educational research and practice around the world. This volume relates the extent of Wright's influence far beyond education and psychology, where his work in measurement began, into health care and the social sciences at large. The editors and contributors-all leading measurement scholars-trace the development of themes in Wright's work, identifying the roots of today's formative assessment methods, the integration of quantitative and qualitative data, and the contrast between scientific and statistical methods. These previously unpublished papers reflect on Wright's lifelong passion for making measurement both more scientific and more meaningful. They recount how Wright's insight, energy, and gregarious nature led him to produce multiple innovations in computing, estimation methods, model development, fit assessment, and reliability theory, stimulating practical applications in dozens of fields, serving on over 120 dissertation committees, and founding several professional societies. The volume includes three reprinted articles by Wright that provide insights into his early engagement with Rasch's ideas. Psychological and Social Measurement will be welcomed by the broad international measurement community of professionals and researchers working in such diverse fields as education, psychology, health sciences, management, and metrology. Scientists working in any field involving measurement science and technology will appreciate an inside look at this seminal figure and a new perspective on the expanding conversation across the sciences about measurement and the communication of meaningful, transparent information.

Highly recommended by the Journal of Official Statistics, The American Statistician, and other journals, Applied Survey Data Analysis, Second Edition provides an up-to-date overview of state-of-the-art approaches to the analysis of complex sample survey data. Building on the wealth of material on practical approaches to descriptive analysis and regression modeling from the first edition, this second edition expands the topics covered and presents more step-by-step examples of modern approaches to the analysis of survey data using the newest statistical software. Designed for readers working in a wide array of disciplines who use survey data in their work, this book continues to provide a useful framework for integrating more in-depth studies of the theory and methods of survey data analysis. An example-driven guide to the applied statistical analysis and interpretation of survey data, the second edition contains many new examples and practical exercises based on recent versions of real-world survey data sets. Although the authors continue to use Stata for most examples in the text, they also continue to offer SAS, SPSS, SUDAAN, R, WesVar, IVEware, and Mplus software code for replicating the examples on the book's updated website.

Reciprocity Rules explores the rich and complicated relationships that develop between anthropologists and research participants over time. Focusing on compensation and the creation of friendship and "family" relationships, contributors discuss what, when, and how researchers and the people with whom they work give to each other in and beyond fieldwork. Through reflexivity and narrative, the contributors to this edited collection, who are in various stages in their professional careers and whose research spans three continents and eight countries, reflect on the ways in which they have compensated their research participants and given back to host communities, as well as the varied responses to their efforts. The contributors consider both material and non-material forms of reciprocity, stories of successes and failures, and the taken-for-granted notions of compensation, friendship, and "helping." In so doing, they address the interpersonal dynamics of power and agency in the field, examine cultural misunderstandings, and highlight the challenges that anthropologists face as they strive to maintain good relations with their hosts even when separated by time and space. The contributors argue that while learning, following, openly discussing, and writing about the local rules of reciprocity are always challenging, they are essential to responsible research practice and ongoing efforts to decolonize anthropology.

This celebrated primer presents an introduction to all of the key ingredients in understanding computerized adaptive testing technology, test development, statistics, and mental test theory. Based on years of research, this accessible book educates the novice and serves as a compendium of state-of-the-art information for professionals interested in computerized testing in the areas of education, psychology, and other related social sciences. A hypothetical test taken as a prelude to employment is used as a common example throughout to highlight this book's most important features and problems.
Changes in the new edition include:
*a completely rewritten chapter 2 on the system considerations needed for modern computerized adaptive testing;
*a revised chapter 4 to include the latest in methodology surrounding online calibration and in the modeling of testlets; and
*a new chapter 10 with helpful information on how test items are really selected, usage patterns, how usage patterns influence the number of new items required, and tools for managing item pools.

Good Science is an account of psychological research emphasizing the moral foundations of inquiry. This volume brings together existing disciplinary critiques of scientism, objectivism, and instrumentalism, and then discusses how these contribute to institutionalized privilege and to less morally responsive research practices. The author draws on historical, critical, feminist, and science studies traditions to provide an alternative account of psychological science and to highlight the irreducibly moral foundations of everyday scientific practice. This work outlines a theoretical framework for thinking about and practicing psychology in ways that center moral responsibility, collective commitment, and justice. The book then applies this framework, describing psychological research practices in terms of the their moral dilemmas. Also included are materials meant to aid in methods instruction and mentoring.

Statistics is one of the most practical and essential courses that you will take, and a primary goal of this popular text is to make the task of learning statistics as simple as possible. Straightforward instruction, built-in learning aids, and real-world examples have made STATISTICS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES, 10th Edition the text selected most often by instructors for their students in the behavioral and social sciences. The authors provide a conceptual context that makes it easier to learn formulas and procedures, explaining why procedures were developed and when they should be used. This text will also instill the basic principles of objectivity and logic that are essential for science and valuable in everyday life, making it a useful reference long after you complete the course.

This book is a seminal guide to loneliness and social isolation in old age, providing a comprehensive overview of the important correlates of socioeconomic, health and lifestyle factors upon loneliness and social isolation in old age. Bringing together contributions from leading authorities, the book showcases expertise from medicine, psychology, epidemiology, sociology, economics and gerontology. It shows the importance of identifying factors associated with loneliness and social isolation among older adults from a broader perspective, and includes discussion of a range of topics including income poverty, physical activity, family care and frailty. The chapters are evidence-based and offer a mix of empirical studies as well as reviews of international research. The book also discusses policy implications and provides an overview of nationally representative cohort studies around the world available to researchers quantifying loneliness or social isolation. This book is unique in examining loneliness and social isolation from such wide-ranging perspectives and will be essential reading for researchers and postgraduate students in the areas of mental health research, social work, and psychiatry. Health professionals involved with gerontology and geriatrics will also find this book of benefit.

Shared and Collaborative Practice in Qualitative Inquiry: Tiny Revolutions is a short collection of reflections on ethical research practice and scholarly community. It explores the qualitative tradition through the process of writing, photography, dance, and narrative. This is a book about ethical research practices, about simple truths, about the commitments we initially made to this work, and about how we might better support each other along the way. Most importantly, this is a book about finding and making our own communities. Communities do not belong to any one person or small group of people. Rather, communities-genuine, real, and vibrant communities-belong to us all. This is a book about how. This book is suitable for people new to qualitative research and seasoned researchers who would like to explore and develop traditions in qualitative inquiry.

Like fingerprints, each person's handwriting is unique and may be used as a means of identification. Expert document examiners have long been used by courts to determine the authenticity of signatures and other writing samples. But is there more that handwriting can reveal about a person beyond individual identification? Many claim that such analysis has been perfected in the science of "graphology" and that personality traits and accurate character readings can be deduced from a person's penmenship. In this definitive study of graphology, Barry and Dale Beyerstein provide a balanced evaluation of claims that personality, aptitude, and psychological and physical health can be determined through handwriting analysis. The contributors include both practicing graphologists, who present their case and describe their practices and methods, as well as critics from many fields, who evaluate graphology in terms of brain research; assess its accuracy through objective tests of validity; contrast graphology with verifiable psychological assessment techniques; and review the legality of using graphology in employee selection, psychological diagnosis, and the criminal justice system. A major thrust of the book is a consideration of why graphology seems so accurate to many personnel managers when it has been unable to pass objective tests of validity designed by experts in the psychology of individual differences. In addition, a brief history of graphology is offered, which traces its roots to the ancient practice of sympathetic magic. Also presented is a philosophical discussion which compares the practice and philosophical assumptions of graphology with the scientific method. For critics andproponents alike, The Write Stuff will serve as an invaluable reference work.