This book frames our biological and psychological capacity to make friends as an evolved ability, comparing friendship to other evolved traits of human beings such as walking upright on two legs, having opposable thumbs and a prominent chin, and possessing the capacity for speech and complex abstract reasoning. Professor John Terrell investigates how the human brain has evolved to perform two functions essential to friendship that, at first glance, appear to be at odds with one another: remaking the outside world to suit our collective needs, and escaping into our own inner thoughts and imagining how things might and ought to be. We must all deal with our species' hereditary legacy-that we are social animals who need to include others in our lives for our biological and psychological survival. Yet we are also able to exercise the cognitive freedom to detach from the adaptive realities and demands of life. These thought patterns have important consequences for how we understand aggression and cooperation. Terrell claims that conflict is best understood in terms of friendship-as challenges that emerge when we are forced to reconcile the inner, private worlds of our imaginations with the experienced realities of our daily lives and each other.

Social constructionism is one of the key ideas in the social sciences, offering different frameworks for understanding the human world. But what does it mean when we say that something is 'socially constructed'? What exactly do we construct in our social interaction? And what actually 'does' the constructing?
This dynamic text invites critical reflection on these questions and more, outlining the various ways that social constructionist theory has been utilised in the social sciences. Hjelm introduces the basic assumptions of social constructionism - before examining the differences between various constructionist traditions and perspectives - from Berger and Luckmann's sociology of knowledge, to constructionist approaches in social psychology and discourse analysis.
Through a diverse range of case studies on religion, crime, gender and the media, the chapters demonstrate how to apply constructionist ideas in empirical social research. "Social Constructionisms" is thus an invaluable source for students and scholars across the social sciences.

Within the Asian American population, a new trend is emerging in which the second generation (children of immigrants, born in the United States) has redefined what being Asian American means to them. The notion of who Asian Americans are as a group has vastly shifted from the time the 1965 Immigration Act was passed. The definition of who is fit for inclusion within the Asian American category has been contested in recent years, and this book explores the experiences of those categorized as such at the dawn of the 21st century. Beyond the scope of how people are defined and categorized by the state, the central question explored in this book addresses how individuals themselves define what it means to be Asian American. "This book provides an insightful look into Asian American identity. It provides readers with a comprehensive overview of the historical, psychological, and social issues surrounding the development of the Asian American identity." - Professor Margaret Shih, University of Michigan

This book provides insight into the emotion of anger from a theoretical and empirical standpoint and from the viewpoint of fifty ordinary women and men who share their experiences, beliefs, and perceptions of anger in their own and others' lives. The author's main goal is to explore the extent and sources of anger that women and men feel toward members of the other sex and their perceptions of what angers other men and women. Respondents' general experiences with the emotion of anger are also investigated. Experiences and beliefs about various aspects of gender-based anger are put in the context of respondents' beliefs about recent gender role changes as well as their perceptions of ways to improve relationships between women and men.

Analysis of interviews reveals complicated patterns of convergence and divergence based on gender. Women and men share perceptions in reference to some aspects of anger and some anger-related experiences. However, a significant gender gap exists in other areas. This book makes clear the need for better understanding and management of anger in our lives as well as the need to structure relations between men and women so that new ideals of equality and understanding can be realized in a context of shared responsibilities, respect, and lack of anxiety about what it means to be a man or a woman.

This volume describes classic and contemporary theory and research in social psychology that sheds light on how people think about health and illness, as well as their willingness to engage in health-relevant behaviors. The Editors have selected papers that serve to illustrate the reciprocal relation between advances in theory and advances in practice.

The first two sections of the volume examine people's mental representations of health and health practices, and how these personal construals and implicit theories are linked to behavior. People can react to new health information in different ways - with acceptance, defensiveness, or downright ignorance. Research that can help us to understand these varied reactions is examined in Section 3. The following sections consider how classic social psychological theories and perspectives can be used to understand behavior relevant to health and illness. These include social influence, social comparison, pluralistic ignorance, social support, cognitive dissonance, message framing, and attribution theory. Finally, several articles consider links between personality characteristics and health, such as those between hostility and heart disease, and confiding traumatic experiences and immune function. The volume also contains a introductory chapter by the editors which provides a discussion of why social and personality psychologists should be interested in health and illness.

Together with overviews for each section, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading, the volume is an ideal text for advanced undergraduate and graduate courses on health psychology. The volume is also appropriate for courses in related disciplines such as public health, nursing, health education, health communication, and other allied health sciences.

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In recent years, the field of psychology has seen an increasing interest in the aftereffects of psychological trauma. Work has been published that examines the psychological sequelae of rape, incest, combat, natural disaster, fire, and, in a few cases, hostage-taking. This is the first book that takes a long-term perspective, by asking questions such as: How did survivors view their experience through the lens of time? Were there any positive effects associated with the experience? The author examines how hostage victims perceive their victimization, and how they go about the task of rebuilding their assumptive world. In sharing the intimate details of this process, the hostage survivors have allowed us to be close observers in their efforts to redefine their world and themselves. They have served to expose the internal and external forces that have helped or hindered their efforts. It is important for those in human services, as well as management in higher-risk professions, to understand the trauma from the survivors' perspective. They need to know what is helpful to survivors and what is not. Common sense assumptions of those in authority are often wrong. Moreover, the initial post-release shock and the overwhelming press of emotions and events make it difficult for survivors to discern and express their genuine needs. The passage of time can help to distill and organize thoughts and feelings. In deepening our understanding of the needs of victims, this study has enhanced our ability to be of service.

Samli sets a foundation for analyzing the impact of culture on behavior and how this impact may vary in different cultures. By understanding consumer behavior patterns in different world markets, international marketers can serve the special needs of international consumers. Cultures can be grouped and their impact on the consumer behavior can be detected. Understanding consumer behavior in different culture groups is the foundation of international marketing success.

In this bold first effort to assimilate the knowledge about international consumers, Professor Samli asserts that international consumer behavior is not just a simple extension of our knowledge about American consumer behavior. Rather, it is primarily culture-driven. Whereas culture is a given in studying consumer behavior in the West or in North America, foreign cultures must be understood before parameters of international consumer behavior patterns can be established. Understanding these patterns is the essence of successful international marketing. This orientation explains why successful marketing plans must be different in different world markets and that these markets are not at all homogeneous. Successful international marketing plans must dwell primarily on differences rather than similarities among international consumers. The key aspects of behavior patterns are connected to marketing plans throughout the book.

Social class, hierarchy of needs, and formal and informal group memberships play quite different roles within the given constraints of culture. As a result, involvement, learning, and experiences of the individual form differently in different world markets. This process needs to be deciphered and understood so that adequate communication is established with consumers everywhere. Both marketing scholars and marketing practitioners need to understand that marketing plans around the world should be keyed to consumer needs and behavior patterns. These are the essence of competitive advantage.

Reversal Theory is a new general theory of motivation, emotion, personality, psychopathology and stress which challenges previous ideas in these fields and sets up an unusually broad and integrative conceptual framework of its own. The papers in the six sections which make up this volume are concerned with: - developing the theory itself - looking at different research areas, or psychological problems, from the perspective of reversal theory - describing empirical studies of different kinds aimed at testing ideas drawn from the theory.

The core of the research reported in this study was a survey of men and women 55 years and older sampled from a comprehensive list of residents. The authors asked questions about social networks, control over household assets, household composition, life satisfaction, and subjective health, among other things. The social network questions had been used in an earlier study done in Kentucky. Nearly everything else had been developed for the Delhi study. The findings were similar to those in the earlier study: the size of people's networks does not decline materially until they are older (80 plus). Age itself did not seem that important, but health was crucial. Persons who reported they were healthy had larger networks.

As one might expect, joint family life has great impact on the nature of social life among older people. This has to do with the big difference in the situation of men and women in India. In addition to being patrilineal kin groups, joint families are dominated by male economic interests. The males as a collective group inherit property. Women have much less control of household assets. This ethnographic fact appeared very clearly in the answers to questions about participation in household decision making. High involvement in decisions, which the authors construed as a measure of power, spilled over into other aspects of the social aging process. Persons who were powerful in their households tended to have large networks, better subjective health, and much higher life satisfaction. They also tended to be men. The women tended to have small networks, low life satisfaction, lower subjective health, and less power. These differences between men and women were all substantial and highly significant. Gender is an extraordinarily important factor in the outcomes of social aging processes in India.

This book explains, with case examples, a variety of social science research methods suitable for studying the unconscious components of irrational social and political actions in world affairs, which can be defined as those that are intensely destructive, self-destructive, or extremely bizarre. The book argues that they are driven in part by feelings and fantasies that are outside of conscious awareness. Meyers explores the role of empathy in clinical understanding, as well as the value of exposing assertions to empirical disconfirmation. With a variety of research methods such as survey research, content analysis, and narrative analysis, and case examples such as studies of 'irreal' statements by authoritarian leaders, fabricated newspaper articles and climate change denial, this book sheds light on how to conduct research on psychodynamic matters in a scientifically valid and credible way.

Along with biological and medical factors, psychological factors must also be considered in health and well being. Stress plays a major role in physical illness, and stress management is therefore critical to establishing good health and well being behavior. William Miley offers a biopsychosocial approach emphasizing the complex interactions between biologoical, psychological, social, and cultural factors. Lifestyles are a fertile ground for psychological intervention to maintain health and well being. This book focuses on contemporary lifestyle patterns offering positive behaviors to initiate and maintain healthy lifestyles and maintain well being.

They say if you love someone, you have to let them go. But what if they are your child?'A book that will break your heart and then piece it slowly back together.' Sinead Moriarty 'Touching and poignant, this book took me on an emotional ride. A gripping and absorbing read.' Leah Mercer 'A story that will stay with you long after the last page. Beautiful!' Brooke Harris All Sarah McIntyre has ever wanted was a loving, happy family. So when her husband JP announces on Christmas Day that he is leaving her and their two children, 9 year old Harry and 4 year old Robyn, Sarah is left reeling. But things are set to get worse when Robyn is diagnosed with an aggressive brain tumour. Can JP and Sarah unite to fight their biggest battle yet? or will they be on opposing sides once again? With the couple at loggerheads and with Robyn's condition deteriorating day-by-day, precious time is running out and JP is getting desperate... The Last Days of Us is a tender story of hope and forgiveness that asks the question how far would you go to save your child? Perfect for fans of Clare Mackintosh's After the End and Sinead Moriarty's The Good Mother. What readers are saying about The Last Days of Us:'I just finished your beautiful book. It's a book that will break your heart and then piece it slowly back together. A story of unconditional love, loss and compassion that will pull at your heartstrings.' Sinead Moriarty 'Heartbreaking and heart-warming. I fell head-over-heels for this family and I wanted to hug them all. A story that will stay with you long after the last page. Beautiful!' Brooke Harris 'A moving and sensitively told account of a family's worst nightmare, and how our biggest challenges can bring about the most profound change.' Roisin Meaney

This second edition of a classic work in cross-cultural psychology brings together scholars from the United States and abroad to provide a concise new introduction to selected topics in cross-cultural psychology, the scientific study of human behavior and mental processes under diverse cultural conditions. Topics include history and methods of cross-cultural studies, developmental aspects in cross-cultural psychology, personality and belief systems across cultures, and applications for cross-cultural psychology. Within these categories, contributors touch on subjects such as language and communication, child and moral development, gender roles, aging, emotion and personality, international business, and mental health. This volume will be of value to all scholars, students, and practitioners in psychology.

Creativity pervades human life. It is the mark of individuality, the vehicle of self-expression, and the engine of progress in every human endeavor. It also raises a wealth of neglected and yet evocative philosophical questions: What is the role of consciousness in the creative process? How does the audience for a work for art influence its creation? How can creativity emerge through childhood pretending? Do great works of literature give us insight into human nature? Can a computer program really be creative? How do we define creativity in the first place? Is it a virtue? What is the difference between creativity in science and art? Can creativity be taught? The new essays that comprise The Philosophy of Creativity take up these and other key questions and, in doing so, illustrate the value of interdisciplinary exchange. Written by leading philosophers and psychologists involved in studying creativity, the essays integrate philosophical insights with empirical research.

The Wiley-Blackwell Handbook of Couples and Family Relationships presents original articles from leading experts that link research, policy, and practice together to reflect the most current knowledge of contemporary relationships. * Offers interesting new perspectives on a range of relationship issues facing twenty-first century Western society * Helps those who work with couples and families facing with relationship issues * Includes practical suggestions for dealing with relationship problems * Explores diverse issues, including family structure versus functioning; attachment theory; divorce and family breakdown; communication and conflict; self regulation, partner regulation, and behavior change; care-giving and parenting; relationship education; and therapy and policy implications

With applications throughout the social sciences, culture and psychology is a rapidly growing field that has experienced a surge in publications over the last decade. From this proliferation of books, chapters, and journal articles, exciting developments have emerged in the relationship of culture to cognitive processes, human development, psychopathology, social behavior, organizational behavior, neuroscience, language, marketing, and other topics. In recognition of this exponential growth, Advances in Culture and Psychology is the first annual series to offer state-of-the-art reviews of scholarly research in the growing field of culture and psychology. The Advances in Culture and Psychology series is: * Developing an intellectual home for culture and psychology research programs * Fostering bridges and connections among cultural scholars from across the discipline * Creating a premier outlet for culture and psychology research * Publishing articles that reflect the theoretical, methodological, and epistemological diversity in the study of culture and psychology * Enhancing the collective identity of the culture and psychology field Comprising chapters from internationally renowned culture scholars and representing diversity in the theory and study of culture within psychology, Advances in Culture and Psychology is an ideal resource for research programs and academics throughout the psychology community.

This research-to-practice manual introduces Routine Outcome Monitoring (ROM), a feedback-based approach to preventing impasses and relapses in couple and family therapy as well as within other psychotherapy approaches. This book discusses how ROM has been developed and experienced within the Norwegian couples and family therapy community in line with international trends of bridging the gap between clinical practice and research. Locating the method in evidence-based systemic practice, contributors describe the core techniques, tools, and process of ROM, including examples of effective uses of feedback over different stages of therapy, with individuals in family context, and implemented in different countries. Giving clients this level of control in treatment reinforces the concept of therapy as a collaborative process, fostering client engagement and involvement, commitment to treatment, and post-treatment progress. ROM is applicable across clinical settings and clinician orientations for maximum utility in work with clients, and in building therapeutic self-awareness. Features of the book:*Theoretical and empirical context for using ROM with families and couples.*Tools and procedures, including the Systemic Therapy Inventory of Change.*Guidelines for treatment planning, implementation, and evaluation.*Common challenges in using ROM with couples and families.*Supervisory, training, and ethical issues.*Examples and vignettes showing ROM in action. With its deep potential for promoting client progress as well as therapist development, Routine Outcome Monitoring in Couple and Family Therapy: The Empirically Informed Therapist will attract practitioners and research professionals particularly interested in clinical practice, client-directed methods, and couple or family therapy.

Fifty years after the sexual revolution, we are told that we live in a time of unprecedented sexual freedom; that if anything, we are too free now. But beneath the veneer of glossy hedonism, millennial journalist Rachel Hills argues that we are controlled by a new brand of sexual convention: one which influences all of us-woman or man, straight or gay, liberal or conservative. At the root of this silent code lies the Sex Myth-the defining significance we invest in sexuality that once meant we were dirty if we didhave sex, and now means we are defective if we don'tdo it enough. Equal parts social commentary, pop culture, and powerful personal anecdotes from people across the English-speaking world, The Sex Mythexposes the invisible norms and unspoken assumptions that shape the way we think about sex today.