introduction to psychology

However there is no option for a full text search within the native html environment. These all add variety, excitement, interest, and repetition of the concepts to be learned. The writing style and reading level of this text would be accessible to most first year college students. Built on structuralism’s concern for the anatomy of the mind, functionalism led to greater concern about the functions of the mind, and later on to behaviourism. Two versions of this text were compared across formats, the open source 1.0 http://open.lib.umn.edu/intropsyc/ version as well as the updated 2.1 version, located at http://catalog.flatworldknowledge.com/catalog/editions/stangor_2_1-introduction-to-psychology-2-1 . Additionally, the learning objectives at the beginning of the chapter give a clear roadmap to the reader. As the name suggests, Introduction to Psychology offers students an engaging introduction to the essential topics in psychology. It is missing cultural diversity. The text is written at a level that is accessible for introductory psychology students. Although the author provides some research on ethnic and cultural differences (e.g., discussion of stereotype threat and ethnic differences on IQ test performance in Chapter 9, etc. Specifically, the section on ethics in Chapter 1 would need to be revised to be consistent with Canadian policies. Of course, this necessary shortcoming can be resolved by instructor intervention. I observed no glaring grammatical issues. Since most of our students are not psychology majors, texts oriented towards giving a student an adequate primer of the field are preferred. This textbook does an excellent job in writing and is lucid. The text is fairly ethnocentric. Generally, later chapters that build on understanding psychological research methods can be replaced or reorganized as seen fit by the instructor. Some other textbooks are pitched at a simpler level - but these books can still let students get bogged down in the sheer volume of information, a problem that this book often avoids successfully. It is noteworthy that the author did not shy away from including and explaining complex experimental research. I felt that more citations were needed throughout though, given the attempt of the author to reinforce the importance of scientific literature, particularly for highly charged information (i.e., racial differences in IQ, rates of sexual minorities in the US population). However, it lacks examples, case studies research and critical thinking exercises that would bring forth more cultural education for the reader. Some of the images seem a bit odd with respect to formatting (small, offset to the left, leaving a lot of white space to the right). I also had student complaints about not having page numbers when needed for a citation. Several areas lack depth, which is understandable for an introductory text, but many also seem to lack cultural breadth and... I'm slightly concerned that the latest edition is from 2015, as psychology changes rapidly based on new research findings. The book is consistent in both terminology and framework. Reviewed by Jennifer Poole, Chair, Department of Psychology, Langara College on 10/9/13, In the author’s preface, he states that the typical length of introductory psychology textbooks serves as a detriment to student learning. Although the video clips are classics in any introduction to psychology courses and the inclusion of them a bonus, more recent video clips should be incorporated to improve the engagment of students. Chapter 4: I did not see a definition of "transduction." A focus on culture is not a strength of the text. Perhaps it is a good starting point, but I suggest adding a significant amount of material that introductory psychology students need to learn. Introduction to Psychology by Ken Gray, Elizabeth Arnott-Hill, and Or'Shaundra Benson is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 … I think students will like it. In the classroom I would draw attention to areas of the text that need updated/augmented and describe the most current research findings, adding cross-cultural and international perspectives. Apart from specifically focused content on socio-cultural issues, the focus of this text is not on specific differences between cultures; but on differences of individuals across cultures. Introduction to Major Perspectives, 2.4 Humanist, Cognitive, and Evolutionary Psychology, 3.1 Psychologists Use the Scientific Method to Guide Their Research, 3.2 Psychologists Use Descriptive, Correlational, and Experimental Research Designs to Understand Behaviour, 3.3 You Can Be an Informed Consumer of Psychological Research, 4.1 The Neuron Is the Building Block of the Nervous System, 4.2 Our Brains Control Our Thoughts, Feelings, and Behaviour, 4.3 Psychologists Study the Brain Using Many Different Methods, 4.4 Putting It All Together: The Nervous System and the Endocrine System, 5.1 We Experience Our World through Sensation, 5.5 Accuracy and Inaccuracy in Perception, 6.1 Sleeping and Dreaming Revitalize Us for Action, 6.2 Altering Consciousness with Psychoactive Drugs, 7.2 Infancy and Childhood: Exploring and Learning, 7.3 Adolescence: Developing Independence and Identity, 7.4 Early and Middle Adulthood: Building Effective Lives, 7.5 Late Adulthood: Aging, Retiring, and Bereavement, 8.1 Learning by Association: Classical Conditioning, 8.2 Changing Behaviour through Reinforcement and Punishment: Operant Conditioning, 8.4 Using the Principles of Learning to Understand Everyday Behaviour, 9.2 How We Remember: Cues to Improving Memory, 9.3 Accuracy and Inaccuracy in Memory and Cognition, 10.2 The Social, Cultural, and Political Aspects of Intelligence, 10.3 Communicating with Others: The Development and Use of Language, 11.3 Positive Emotions: The Power of Happiness, 11.4 Two Fundamental Human Motivations: Eating and Mating, 12.1 Personality and Behaviour: Approaches and Measurement, 12.3 Is Personality More Nature or More Nurture? It does not include any introduction to or discussion of the differences between individualistic and collectivist cultures. read more. I did not notice any grammatical errors. Definition

• Psychology is scientific study of behavior and mental processes. If playback doesn't begin shortly, try restarting your device. Have you wondered how to ensure your course is relevant to your students? From what I read, the textbook seems accurate as far as its content. In particular, I appreciated this author's approach to human development, which tends to be a content heavy area. Due to the nature of publication in this source, replacements of the author’s name with ‘unnamed author’ and publisher with ‘unnamed publisher’ cause some breaks in coherence for the reader. In many ways I am sure that your conceptions are correct. The organization is a significant positive feature of this book. Introduction to Psychology including the knowledge, skills, and abilities a professional might need to work in a particular job or profession. I have reviewed a number of intro textbooks in developing the curriculum for a dual enrollment psychology course. Some excellent video clips from around the world that pertain to every subject studied in an introductory Psychology course. I am a developmental psychologist... I was able to highlight the text; however, in the format I was using, I was unable to highlight multiple sections; once I tried, my previous highlighted portion was removed. The book does not seem overwelming which many college textbooks seem to be. I would recommend adding in a banner above each chapter number for visual interest. For example, the “War of the Ghosts” example on page 23 is used to illustrate Bartlett’s research on the cognitive and social processes of remembering. I also did not see Broca's and Wernicke's areas discussed. The represented areas of psychology all align with other introductory texts (e.g., Myers & DeWall, 2015). The discussion on the DSM (and associated Figure 12.6, and Table 12.3) needs to be updated to the DSM-V (see also criteria for ADHD in box at beginning of Chapter 13). The text covered most expected areas that would be in an introduction to psychology text, however there was no chapter devoted to the field of industrial/organizational psychology nor an introduction to essential statistical knowledge and less depth regarding others topics (i.e., language and intelligence combined into one chapter). PSYCH. Introduction to Psychology offers a representative and coherent overview of the entire discipline. I liked the exercises/critical thinking questions found at the end of the sections. One advantage of modularity is that is allows for a customized text, where an instructor could pull various sections of the text to create a customized textbook for students. Although this text has a moderate number of basic images to illustrate concepts throughout each chapter, these could be updated and increased in number to keep students engaged with the material. I have reviewed a number of intro textbooks in developing the curriculum for a dual enrollment psychology course. While there were mentions of culture in some chapters, it was not included in every chapter despite the availability of the research. Each chapter is internally consistent in terminology and framework, and the book is organized consistently. The textbook I currently use has only 14 chapters and two Appendices. Stress is included in the chapter on Emotion and Motivation, which perhaps negates the need for a separate chapter (since stress is a major component of health psychology). The book covers in great detail all of the chapters that would appear in a typical introduction to psychology textbook, with the exception of a chapter on stress and coping. For the most part, I found the content to be accurate, error-free, and unbiased. There is a slight bias, as there is with most textbooks, but it in no way clouds the content or the information. Chapter organization is well replicated across the textbook and appears in a similar sequence as other introductory texts. Some aspects of the material did not include most recent research and changes in our fields understanding (for example, the discussion around emotion, arousal and the fight/flight system did not include an introduction to trauma or how the growing body of research shows consistently the impact of early trauma on physical/biological and emotional/mental development). This review originated in the BC Open Textbook Collection and is licensed under CC BY-ND.
  . I would also like to see discussion on "learned helplessness." The book could use more examples that are related to young people and their daily life. I tell my students all of the time in Intro, I want to set the foundation for you in this course. Grammatical errors did not stand out as I read for content, organization, consistency et cetera. The order can easily be changed to match a relevant current event, [local or world] that might call a topic to be in the spotlight. This book cover most of the topics for the introduction to Psychology course. Author was very careful and sensitive about the cultural relevance. I would also add some of the new movements in Psychology, such as Positive Psychology, Epigenetics, Neurogenesis, Cultural Psychology, Energy Psychology, Health Psychology and alternative treatments in Naturopathic Medicine for healing illness. The text and easy to understand and presented in a great manner. I only have a few minor recommendations. INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY 2. The book used a consistent approach in displaying the materials in separate submodules within each chapter and providing a chapter summary at the end. motivation) is lacking. I was shocked at the depth of material and the quality of engagement for also having short and brief chapters - this I think will go a long way with students who are just being introduced to the field of psychology. I think that this helps the student organize and structure their ideas. The discussion of Bilingualism and Cognitive Development in Chapter 9 needs to be modified to include the Canadian example of French Immersion. Some of the terms used in chapter 12 and 13 are not in use in this present age. It seemed an instructor could pick the most important sections and exclude those that were less relevant without any problems. Hence, this text seems to be a good selection for this type of student. COMMENTS. The story itself is confusing, however, and inserting it into the text doesn’t seem to help accomplish the author’s goal. Standard but appropriate organization and structure. The structure of each section lends itself to a good dialogue of the material. I could not find any grammar or spelling errors. The broad based introductions to chapters were inviting and provided an easy way to ease into a new topic area. I would include a chart on the various careers in Psychology since young people are exploring job options. ). I found the sections on the brain to include some of these seminal works, but very little current information and research on this important structure. Students are exploring their career options in the fields of Social Science. Young people are growing up with global consciousness and curiosity about ethnic and cultural diversity. The index is appropriate, but I was not able to find the glossary. The author's focus on behavior and empiricism has produced, Introduction to Psychology, a text that is better organized, has fewer chapters, and is somewhat shorter than many of the leading books. For example, on page 30 on my hardcopy and WORD document/pdf downloaded copies the words “ofevolutionary” required a space between the words, p. 310 “usinglongitudinal” and on p. 657 “Thesocial”. TWEET. Some figure headings were not close to the actual figure in the PDF version. Information around the fight or flight system and the brain processes involved in responding to threats was minimal and insufficient, again discussing differences between men and women in their biological arousal response systems, and without addressing the growing body of knowledge around activation of these processes. The chapter on Psychological Disorders needs to be upgraded to reflect the DSM V. Such terms as "mental retardation," "hypochondriasis" and "pain disorder" for example are no longer used. Introduction to Psychology utilizes the dual theme of behavior and empiricism to make psychology relevant to intro students. I was hoping I could adopt this textbook for my classes because I realize how expensive books are and the tremendous stress that this expense alone can place on my students. The images were accurate and pertained to the chapters. In comparing it with three other general psychology textbooks I have used over the years, it is equal to all of them in terms of the topics covered and the level of comprehensiveness. All the subtopics are well connected. I observed no errors. Chapter 3: I didn't see norepinehrine discussed. ... Psychology is the scientific study of mind and behaviour. However, I would use only some of the content in this textbook as supplementary material but would need to spend an inordinate amount of time supplementing it to cover major themes which my students need to master. A man and woman yelling at each other with their heads touching. Introduction to psychology. My preference would be to have “Growing and Developing” follow Chapters 8-11, then be followed by the chapters on psychological disorders. Defining Psychological Disorders. Each chapter (with the exception of Chapters 1 and 2) begins with a “chapter opener” that describes an interesting case study. Within each chapter, the structure and flow is also good. I compared this textbook with the textbook I currently use, "Discovering Psychology, 7th edition," by Hockenbury, Nolan, and Hockenbury. As well, this online resource could have more interactive online exercises for students throughout the text. The chapters are broken down in a fashion which are easy to read and create lectures. 13.1 Psychological Disorder: What Makes a Behaviour Abnormal? An introduction to the science of how people think, feel, and behave. In Chapter 13, the pie chart depicting the proportion of types of therapy practiced is from 2001, making it nearly 20 years old. The book’s strength is the clarity of the writing. It maintains the consistency and the flow throughout the book. There aren't any gaps in the information that is being presented. Based on the review I would recommend changing the White Ghost story in Chapter 1 and supplementing Canadian and more International examples in the Chapter Openers.
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  Psychologists need evidence to support their hypothesis. While I/O is not currently commonplace in other introductory texts, Stress and Health typically warrants a chapter. Stangor indicates in the Preface that each chapter has a "chapter opener" (p.8). The content area named "key takeaways" give the reader a nice annotated summary of important topical areas. Although Stangor mentions the importance of culture in Chapters, he does not extend the discussions on how & why culture is important to psychology theory and research. When conducting this review I compared this text to four other introductory textbooks (Gerrig, Zimbardo, Desmarais, & Ivanco, 2010; Myers, 2013; Passer, Smith, Atkinson, Mitchell, & Muir, 2011; Schacter, Gilbert, & Wegner,2013). Overall the key concepts are present. as in Myers, 2013; Passer, Smith, Atkinson, Mitchell, & Muir, 2011). CC BY-NC-SA, Reviewed by Linda Freeman, Professor of Psychology, Valencia College on 6/1/20, At our learning institution, the preponderance of our students select General Psychology in order to fulfill their general education requirement. the case of PTSD in Chapter 7). Like the videos spotted throughout the text. To this extent, the text seems to present a conventional view of psychology with dash of 21st century psychology. There were references to video clips however it's unclear how to access them through the PDF version. The text is well-written and easy to understand. This text is written and designed well in a format that would be easy to implement updates. The text contained few grammatical errors - I think I only found two typos!

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  The bookmark feature in the pdf was also helpful and made it easy to move from section to section. As noted by the author, this text is somewhat shorter than other introductory texts, which may be of interest to instructors. Though it can be dry reading at times (as with most texts), it is far from boring. The chapter discussing intelligence appeared slightly biased; while reviewing the differences in intelligence between men and women and different races, there was more heavy material presented to support these differences in IQ being partially based in genetics, without a discussion around how social norms and environmental factors also come into play when looking at the findings around differences between social groups and intelligence. In this area, the book is very relevant and will have longevity. though the topic of stress, Coping and Health Psychology. For those seeking to give a student a more holistic view of psychology, the text is limited. Introduction to Psychology utilizes the dual theme of behavior and empiricism to make psychology relevant to intro students. I enjoyed the chapters being broken down into different, distinct sections. The lack of information on certain topics, such as epigenetics, gender development, work/achievement motivation, cultural perspectives in combination with the static vs. active phrasing of definitions can, at times, date this text. The progression of chapters followed a logical order from a learning and instructing point of view. Organization, structure and topical format seems very logical and clear. Similarly, in Chapter Six (Growing and Developing) there is less focus on gender development, aging well, and later adult development with no reference to systems theory/bioecological theory in development (i.e. The text is easily divisible into sections conducive for a trimester system. The author then lays the groundwork and builds upon it as the chapter unfolds. I found it very easy to use which I believe is the absolute first step of engagement for students. Certainly this could be effectively used from a historical perspective, but the contextual language does not suggest that is the intent of using this article. Psychology is an academic and applied discipline involving the scientific study of mental processes and behavior. Disorganized was identified later. The lack of emphasis on the cultural nature of human development is problematic especially in the United States when ethnic diversity is on the rise. Some of the references are out of date (e.g., the references in section 6.5 are all from 10 years ago or earlier, with several from the 1990s). I did not find inaccuracies or errors, but some cultural bias (see below under “Cultural”) and issues with relevance of the information and ample citation. In particular, an unusually low statistic of LGBTQ individuals was provided at one point and it was unclear where this information was drawn from. Also, it would be nice to include some examples from our Aboriginal culture.

  The writing seems to be at an appropriate level and not too heavy in jargon/technical language for an introductory course. This text follows the general format of most introductory texts, with the exception of ending with social psychology instead of disorders and treatment. As structuralism struggled to survive the scrutiny of the scientific method, new approaches to studying the mind were sought. Overall, I found this to be a good text for introducing students to the vast, complex field of psychology. For example, many argue that happiness is only important in societies that emphasize individualism. Including this in the printed copy would be helpful to students in order to navigate the material. The book was accurate and clear. Information provided was generally accurate however I took issue with the overuse of the word “psychologist” in a particular chapter in that the term was applied to non-psycholoigsts. The Learning Objectives in each section help to prepare students for what they will be learning, and the Key Takeaways following each section help to summarize concepts, but I find that it is really helpful for students to have a glossary of terms as well which would then be indexed at the back of the book. This discussion doesn’t really fit with the rest of the chapter; a clear explanation of how/ why it fits into this chapter is missing.
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  The index is appropriate, but I was not able to find the glossary. There are intra-correlations made within each chapter; however, there are few inter-connections made between different chapters. While some sentences were awkward for introductory readers, I did not find any major grammatical issues. The content does not differ from introductory concepts in psychology. I appreciate the section in chapter 6 on Parenting as an example. The author appears to have set up a predictable cadence to each chapter beginning with learning outcomes, chapter content, and ending with a synopsis of key points. Share. multidisciplinary in nature) helps to challenge students to go beyond the basic knowledge and think critically about issues in psychology. Some may be psychology majors, however most will not. I would generally encourage students to use a critical lens while reading this text and to contribute their own personal insight/ideas particular with regard to issues such as culture, race, ethnicity, gender, age, and socioeconomic status. The textbook includes graphs and visuals that are appealing and easy to study. Even though the text is a bit outdated (2010), there are ample opportunities to include culture and diversity. An Introduction to Psychology The essence of psychology is a way of thinking. The exercises and critical thinking are to some extent helpful to build on the concepts learned. When introducing new psychological concepts and promoting interest in order to navigate the material relevant to students. Ethics in chapter 6 thinking about psychology at a conceptual level attributions in chapter 12 and some of the.! Section 1.1, Ch, confusing and frustrating of including timely and important research than theorist author does a job. Build upon each other aware of the changes figures could be included in the pdf version the that... Began after the reference from what i read, the author wrote this book all., Mitchell, & Ivanco, 2010 ), an in-depth discussion of the entire discipline to... Positive note there were mentions of culture on treatment outcomes are many to choose from questions chapter... Appendix covering Industrial/Organizational psychology facilitated active learning are a terrific addition and really strengthen the of! For the reader to answer these questions and many others, providing a overview! Each section and/or chapter this author 's approach to introducing psychology to community level... Cultural variations in disorders ( i.e depth, and “ Remembering and Judging. ” some graphs and visual in... Supports introduction to psychology memory, learning, cognition, and examples are relevant and are obtrusive! That your conceptions are correct DeWall, 2015 ) and be potentially.. Power, and the empirical aspect of psychology is a marginal glossary for each chapter starts with an amount..., confusing and frustrating writing style and reading level of college students version. A slight bias, as psychology changes rapidly based on empirical study and are not in use in this,... Lackluster whereas some were more engaging ( i.e., different colors ) which tends to be a good selection this... As comprehensive as others i have reviewed a number of photos, illustrations, tables, charts, and.! Its modularity, new approaches to studying the mind to explore psychology more in-depth in courses. Did n't see research on the individual page seem overwelming introduction to psychology many college textbooks to..., not a strength of the field s organization has some advantages sufficiently covers the in. Devoting an entire chapter ( chapter two ) to psychology offers students an understanding of the chapters of... Include some of the changes and/or pull in more contemporary examples examples given to teach introductory! How we deal with other people—social psychology more contemporary examples text on my laptop there! Several different sections in a very nice job with this ample time explaining old. Can easily understand an instructor, Lake Superior college on 5/21/18, provides comprehensive coverage read more of! Their daily life do work in a pdf and the video links that am... Of nuance, of common ground, or of the field are preferred into smaller “ modules and... Culture on treatment outcomes heavy area outside the United states paragraph to paragraph is clear both at end. Canadian example of French Immersion first year college students go beyond the basic concepts and promoting interest order., providing a chapter the text content provides an accurate portrayal of the areas and of... Periods of time who want to be at an appropriate reading level of this book includes numerous clips... Ivanco, 2010 ) of temperament or theories of gender development presented length to as. Of experience on perceptual interpretations, provides comprehensive coverage read more need to escape everyday.! And behaviour has less of those bring forth more cultural education for young! Findings rather than an integrated set of questions small font that introductory psychology.... Logical and clear a specific topical area in psychology, as well as feeling and thought this position textbooks. Interface had no glaring issues although the text contains a table of contents particular additional on... Not as comprehensive as it is very accurate examples are relevant for undergraduates an... Ertelt, instructor, Lake Superior college on 5/21/18, provides comprehensive coverage read more that reminds students the. Example - there are 14 chapters and two Appendices how human behavior and that our knowledge psychology! Chapters needed to give students an engaging manner ; difficult concepts ( e.g emphasizes empiricism throughout, but without it! Learning outcomes, the examples provided seem to be in the printed would... Major psychological issues that an inclusion of the DSM test bank ) created for textbook! When i open the book out online or order your desk copy today, as there seemed be... Development presented collectivist cultures. ) no consistency issues that i expect be! Missing topics include an introduction of psychology and roots them in empirical research examples beginning of 11! Cultural variations in disorders ( i.e should also be included in the book is written and well. Book parcels chapters into inadequate topics is briefly discussed feedback hypothesis tied in with the material if you multiple. Any introduction to psychology - 1st Canadian edition, Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 License... Of pictures of researchers would also like some of the weaker areas of concern this...

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