Essential Psychology: A Concise Introduction

This textbook has everything students need to know inside, is stylish and colourful, and has an abundance of learning features to make the start of the student journey an enjoyable and successful one too. A range of reflective devices encourage critical thinking about these topics to provide a handy companion as students progress.

Table of Contents:
PART ONE: WHAT WE KNOW ABOUT HUMAN BEINGS: THE FOUNDATIONS OF MODERN PSYCHOLOGY Sex, Lies and Digital Horizons - Mark N O Davies and Philip Banyard How Psychology Became a Science - Simon Watts Issues and Debates in Psychology - Garry Young PART TWO: HOW WE THINK AND MAKE SENSE OF THE WORLD: COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY Memory - Thom Baguley and Andrew J Edmonds An Introduction to Sensation, Perception and Attention - Andrew K Dunn and Paula C Stacey Thinking and Problem-Solving - Gary Jones PART THREE: HOW OUR BRAINS AFFECT OUR BEHAVIOUR: BIOLOGICAL PSYCHOLOGY The Human Nervous System: Functional Anatomy - Antonio Castro and Mark J T Sergeant Communication within the Brain - Rachel Horsley and Christine Norman Brain and Behaviour: Sex Differences - Mark J T Sergeant and Antonio Castro PART FOUR: HOW WE INTERACT WITH EACH OTHER: SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY Behaviour within Groups - Susan Hansen, Paige Wilcoxson and Dan Bysouth Behaviour between Groups - Mick Gregson, Rowena Hill and Nicholas Blagden Social Judgements and Behaviour - Alex Meredith and Monica Whitty PART FIVE: HOW WE GROW AND CHANGE: DEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOLOGY Development during the Early Years - Lucy J Betts et al Development during the School Years - Lee Farrington-Flint et al Atypical Child Development - Gayle V Dillon, Susannah J Lamb and Andrew Grayson PART SIX: HOW WE KNOW AND MEASURE OUR INDIVIDUALITY: THE PSYCHOLOGY OF INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Personality - Glenn Williams, Jamie Murphy and James Houston Intelligence: Measuring the Mind - Eva Sundin Self - Jill Arnold and Brendan Gough Glossary References Index

About the Author :
Dr Phil Banyard is Emeritus Professor of Psychology at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). In his thirty years at NTU Phil Banyard taught on a range of courses but focused on introductory modules and critical thinking. His research was concerned with the impact of digital technologies on teaching and learning, especially in schools. He was a chief examiner of A Level Psychology for many years and has written more than twenty texts. Among these is an introductory text with SAGE (now in its fourth edition) that brought in over 50 members of the department at NTU. His cultural interests are largely defined by smallpeople in the family and he is currently enjoying Captain Underpants series three which he regards as riotously creative.   Christine Norman is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. Belinda is a Reader in Forensic Psychology. She teaches primarily within forensic psychology, with specific focus on sexual crime. She has a strong background in psychometrics and individual differences, and retains her enthusiasm for quantitative research (continuing to teach multivariate statistics in what she hopes is a fun and interactive manner). Her research is leading her to incorporate qualitative research methods as she continues to develop a programme of research in collaboration with HMP Whatton (the largest sex offender prison in Europe) that makes a significant and practical contribution to our understanding of sex offenders and sexual crime. Additional areas of interest (both in terms of teaching and research) include the psychology of fraud, lying and deception.

Review :
`Banyard and Co have produced a highly enjoyable book that will be far more palatable than many of its competitors′ - Patrick L. Hylton, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK ′Despite the complexity of the material presented, the text is easy to read and gives a comprehensive overview of the area. Research and debate are covered alongside factual information in key study boxes and thought provoking question boxes′ - Caroline Brown, University of the West of England, Bristol, UK