Synopses & Reviews
In PSYCHOLOGY: THEMES AND VARIATIONS, BRIEFER VERSION, Sixth Edition, Weiten continues his proven combination of a scientifically rigorous text with selective pedagogy that makes learning easy for students. Weiten's approach is backed by a straightforward writing style, unparalleled in-text visuals and didactic art program, and in-book review to help students prioritize and retain the core concepts. Wayne Weiten surveys psychology's broad range of content with three aims: to illuminate the process of research and its intrinsic relationship to application (THEMES); to show both the unity and diversity of the subject (VARIATIONS), and to invite students to the study of psychology by respecting their ability to master its fundamental concepts. Weiten's Themes and Variations provide unifying threads across chapters that help students to see the connections among different research areas in psychology. Integrative themes-including empiricism, theoretical diversity, sociohistorical contexts, multifactorial causation, cultural heritage, heredity and environment, and subjectivity of experience-are woven throughout the text to provide connections among the different areas of research in psychology. The book's dynamic, teaching-oriented illustration program further enhances these themes. Weiten reinforces concepts through exercises that appear at the end of every chapter. At the same time, the author presents topics in a hierarchical manner, giving students handles they can use to prioritize concepts within the chapter.
Review
"I also get the sense that Weiten truly had my community college students in mind when he wrote the material and developed the pedagogical aids."
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"I also get the sense that Weiten truly had my community college students in mind when he wrote the material and developed the pedagogical aids."
Review
"I liked how Weiten tied in thory with research findings. For example, in the development chapter, the section 'Time of Turmoil' was the first time I have seen an author successfully tie together the issues of suicide and violence during adolesence..."
Review
"I also get the sense that Weiten truly had my community college students in mind when he wrote the material and developed the pedagogical aids."
Review
"The section on current trends and issues in treatment (chapter 14) is novel for an introductory psychology book. It is one thing that sets this textbook apart. Very good. The history of mental hospitals and related issues is particularly well done."
"The critical thinking application is a great way for the students to consider the prevalence of mental illness, and is well done."
Review
"(Weiten's chapter 2) The author exhibits enthusiasm and academic seriousness in a writing style that is clear, concise and purposeful. Explanations are thorough but there are not wasted words. Overall, I am impressed with the organization and cohesiveness found throughout the chapter. It is clear that the author not only has a plan but he actually follows it."
"The 'Critical Thinking Application' at the end of each chapter is on e of my favorite parts of the textbook. The author has done an excellent job of selecting issues that students can relate to in their daily lives."
Synopsis
The BRIEFER EDITION, of PSYCHOLOGY: THEMES AND VARIATIONS, SEVENTH EDITION, help you experience the excitement of this fascinating field, while helping you study and retain what you learn! Filled with practical ways that you can apply psychology to your everyday life, this best-selling psychology textbook is an experience in learning that you'll remember long after you complete your introductory psychology course. "Critical Thinking Applications" in every chapter give you specific critical thinking strategies you can apply to what you read. Every chapter of this book offers tools to help you focus on what's important-showing you how to study in ways that help you retain information and do your very best on exams.
Synopsis
The BRIEFER EDITION, of PSYCHOLOGY: THEMES AND VARIATIONS, SEVENTH EDITION, help you experience the excitement of this fascinating field, while helping you study and retain what you learn! Filled with practical ways that you can apply psychology to your everyday life, this best-selling psychology textbook is an experience in learning that you'll remember long after you complete your introductory psychology course. "Critical Thinking Applications" in every chapter give you specific critical thinking strategies you can apply to what you read. Every chapter of this book offers tools to help you focus on what's important-showing you how to study in ways that help you retain information and do your very best on exams.
About the Author
Wayne Weiten teaches psychology and mentors teaching assistants at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. He has received distinguished teaching awards from Division 2 of the American Psychological Association(APA) and from the College of DuPage, where he taught until 1991. He is a Fellow of Divisions 1 and 2 of the APA. In 1996Â-1997, Weiten served as president of the Society for Teaching Psychology. A trained social psychologist with a very strong quantitative background, his primary area of research is stress and health psychology. Weiten has also conducted research on a wide range of topics, including educational measurement, jury decision-making, attribution theory, stress, and cerebral specialization. He is the co-author of PSYCHOLOGY APPLIED TO MODERN LIFE (Thomson Wadsworth, 2006) and the creator of PSYKTREK: A MULTIMEDIA INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHOLOGY.
Table of Contents
1. The Evolution of Psychology. Personal Application: Improving Academic Performance. Critical Thinking Application: Developing Critical Thinking Skills: An Introduction. 2. The Research Enterprise in Psychology. Personal Application: Finding and Reading Journal Articles. Critical Thinking Application: The Perils of Anecdotal Evidence: "I Have a Friend Who . . ." 3. The Biological Bases of Behavior. Personal Application: Evaluating The Concept of "Two Minds in One." Critical Thinking Application: Building Better Brains: The Perils of Extrapolation. 4. Sensation and Perception. Personal Application: Appreciating Art and Illusion. Critical Thinking Application: Recognizing Contrast Effects: It's All Relative. 5. Variations in Consciousness. Personal Application: Addressing Practical Questions About Sleep and Dreams. Critical Thinking Application: Is Alcoholism a Disease? The Power of Definitions. 6. Learning. Personal Application: Achieving Self-Control Through Behavior Modification. Critical Thinking Application: Manipulating Emotions: Pavlov and Persuasion. 7. Human Memory. Personal Application: Improving Everyday Memory. Critical Thinking Application: Understanding the Fallibility of Eyewitness Accounts 8. Cognition and Intelligence. Personal Application: Measuring and Understanding Creativity. Critical Thinking Application: The Intelligence Debate, Appeals to Ignorance, and Reification. 9. Motivation and Emotion. Personal Application: Exploring the Ingredients of Happiness. Critical Thinking Application: Analyzing Arguments: Making Sense Out of Controversy. 10. Human Development Across the Life Span. Personal Application: Understanding Gender Differences. Critical Thinking Application: Are Fathers Essential to Children's Well-Being? 11. Personality: Theory, Research, and Assessment. Personal Application: Understanding Personality Assessment. Critical Thinking Application: APPLICATION Hindsight in Everyday Analyses of Personality. 12. Stress, Coping, and Health. Personal Application: Improving Coping and Stress Management. Critical Thinking Application: Thinking Rationally About Health Statistics and Decisions. 13. Psychological Disorders. Personal Application: Understanding Eating Disorders. Critical Thinking Application: Working with Probabilities in Thinking About Mental Illness. 14. Treatment of Psychological Disorders. Personal Application: Looking for a Therapist. Critical Thinking Application: From Crisis to Wellness-But Was It the Therapy? 15. Social Behavior. Personal Application: Understanding Prejudice. Critical Thinking Application: Who Can You Trust? Analyzing Credibility and Social Influence Tactics. Appendix A: Answers to Concept Checks. Appendix B: Statistical Methods. Appendix C: Careers in Psychology.