Over the years I have discovered that before real change can materialize in your life you have to understand the psychology of change. Psychology by definition is the study of mind and behavior in relation to a particular field of knowledge or activity. It is learning about your thought processes (how and what you think) and your behaviors (how you act). In essence the mind is a powerful tool, which is at the forefront of everything we do. The Psychology of Change, is a book written to examine the reason for your current behaviors and to provide tools and techniques to promote lasting change.
Choice Recommended Read This volume tackles the critical question of whether people change or whether they remain relatively constant across the lifespan. Much existing literature in psychology has largely endorsed the concept of stability. Indeed, in many people’s minds, the person is understood to be set in stone, as a function of early socialization and reaching a particular stage of development, evolutionary processes, or traits that are hard-wired from the beginning by genes and biology. However, in recent years, important scientific developments in theory and research concerning the psychology of change have emerged. In contrast to the commonly held conception of the individual as fixed, this research illustrates how malleable people are—showing much behavioral plasticity. The chapters in this volume, written by scholars at the cutting-edge of research into the psychology of change, showcase these developments with the aim of advancing knowledge of the field and encouraging further research. Topics addressed include brain function, cognitive performance, personality, psychological well-being, collective action to achieve social change, responses to life stressors, and political change. The message is clear—the culture we live in, what happens to us along the way, and who we think we are and want to be, can all change people.
"There are few academics who write with as much grace and wisdom as Timothy Wilson. REDIRECT is a masterpiece." -Malcolm Gladwell What if there were a magic pill that could make you happier, turn you into a better parent, solve a number of your teenager's behavior problems, reduce racial prejudice, and close the achievement gap in education? There is no such pill, but story editing - the scientifically based approach described in REDIRECT - can accomplish all of this. The world-renowned psychologist Timothy Wilson shows us how to redirect the stories we tell about ourselves and the world around us, with subtle prompts, in ways that lead to lasting change. Fascinating, groundbreaking, and practical, REDIRECT demonstrates the remarkable power small changes can have on the ways we see ourselves and our environment, and how we can use this in our everyday lives.
An easy-to-use psychology primer for anyone wanting to spread progressive social change. Developed so that non-profits, community organizers and others can make science-driven decisions in their advocacy work.
Psychology and Climate Change: Human Perceptions, Impacts, and Responses organizes and summarizes recent psychological research that relates to the issue of climate change. The book covers topics such as how people perceive and respond to climate change, how people understand and communicate about the issue, how it impacts individuals and communities, particularly vulnerable communities, and how individuals and communities can best prepare for and mitigate negative climate change impacts. It addresses the topic at multiple scales, from individuals to close social networks and communities. Further, it considers the role of social diversity in shaping vulnerability and reactions to climate change. Psychology and Climate Change describes the implications of psychological processes such as perceptions and motivations (e.g., risk perception, motivated cognition, denial), emotional responses, group identities, mental health and well-being, sense of place, and behavior (mitigation and adaptation). The book strives to engage diverse stakeholders, from multiple disciplines in addition to psychology, and at every level of decision making - individual, community, national, and international, to understand the ways in which human capabilities and tendencies can and should shape policy and action to address the urgent and very real issue of climate change. - Examines the role of knowledge, norms, experience, and social context in climate change awareness and action - Considers the role of identity threat, identity-based motivation, and belonging - Presents a conceptual framework for classifying individual and household behavior - Develops a model to explain environmentally sustainable behavior - Draws on what we know about participation in collective action - Describes ways to improve the effectiveness of climate change communication efforts - Discusses the difference between acute climate change events and slowly-emerging changes on our mental health - Addresses psychological stress and injury related to global climate change from an intersectional justice perspective - Promotes individual and community resilience
A new wave of products is helping people change their behavior and daily routines, whether it’s exercising more (Jawbone Up), taking control of their finances (HelloWallet), or organizing their email (Mailbox). This practical guide shows you how to design these types of products for users seeking to take action and achieve specific goals. Stephen Wendel, HelloWallet’s head researcher, takes you step-by-step through the process of applying behavioral economics and psychology to the practical problems of product design and development. Using a combination of lean and agile development methods, you’ll learn a simple iterative approach for identifying target users and behaviors, building the product, and gauging its effectiveness. Discover how to create easy-to-use products to help people make positive changes. Learn the three main strategies to help people change behavior Identify your target audience and the behaviors they seek to change Extract user stories and identify obstacles to behavior change Develop effective interface designs that are enjoyable to use Measure your product’s impact and learn ways to improve it Use practical examples from products like Nest, Fitbit, and Opower
Depth Psychology and Climate Change offers a sensitive and insightful look at how ideas from depth psychology can move us beyond psychological overwhelm when facing the ecological disaster of climate change and its denial. Integrating ideas from disciplines including anthropology, politics, spirituality, mythology and philosophy, contributors consider how climate change affects psychological well-being and how we can place hope and radical uncertainty alongside rage and despair. The book explores symbols of transformation, myths and futures; and is structured to encourage regular reflection. Each contributor brings their own perspective – green politics, change and loss, climate change denial, consumerism and our connection to nature – suggesting responses to mental suffering arising from an unstable and uncertain international outlook. They examine how subsequent changes in consciousness can develop. This book will be essential reading for analytical psychologists, Jungian analysts and psychotherapists, as well as academics and students of Jungian and post-Jungian studies. It will also be of great interest to academics and students of the politics and policy of climate change, anthropology, myth and symbolism and ecopsychology, and to anyone seeking a new perspective on the climate emergency.
This text, part of the McGraw-Hill Series in Social Psychology, is for the student with no prior background in social psychology. Written by Philip Zimbardo and Michael Leippe, outstanding researchers in the field, the text covers the relationships existing between social influence, attitude change and human behavior. Through the use of current, real-life situations, the authors illustrate the principles of behavior and attitude change at the same time that they foster critical thinking skills on the part of the reader.
In recent times there has been growing interest in positive psychology as evidenced by the swell in positive psychology graduate programs, undergraduate courses, journals related to the topic, popular book titles on the topic and scholarly publications. Within the positive psychology community there has been an increased emphasis on the socially beneficial side of positive psychological science. At the First World Congress of the International Positive Psychology Association there was a major push to look at positive psychology as a social change mechanism. This volume will bring together thoughts of leaders in positive psychology from 8 countries to capitalize on the push toward social change and flourishing. By releasing this title at a critical time Springer has the opportunity to help frame the agenda for positive psychology as a force for social change. This seminal work is meant for anyone interested in happiness, strengths, flourishing or positive institutions It introduces Positive Psychology as an unapplied science that can be used to create positive social transformation and enabling institutions. This is a must-have title for academics, especially psychologists, sociologists, economists, and professionals working in the field of Positive Psychology and Well-Being.
