Explores some of the recent thinking in psychology along the lines that people are inherently inconsistent over time, and that the differences within an individual are as important as the differences among individuals. The 26 papers, most presented at conferences since 1988 (and many researchers hav
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.
Discusses and explains reversal theory. A definitive statement of the theory along with research support in a wide variety of areas across the social sciences and biology is presented. Its main features, its patterns of opposition in motivational styles, and its phenomenological foundations are also noted.
The notion that fundamental equations governing the motions of physical systems are invariant under the time reversal transformation (T) has been an important, but often subliminal, element in the development of theoretical physics. It serves as a powerful and useful tool in analyzing the structure of matter at all scales, from gases and condensed matter to subnuclear physics and the quantum theory of fields. The assumption of invariance under T was called into question, however, by the 1964 discovery that a closely related assumption, that of CP invariance (where C is charge conjugation and P is space inversion), is violated in the decay of neutral K mesons. In The Physics of Time Reversal, Robert G. Sachs comprehensively treats the role of the transformation T, both as a tool for analyzing the structure of matter and as a field of fundamental research relating to CP violation. For this purpose he reformulates the definitions of T, P, and C so as to avoid subliminal assumptions of invariance. He summarizes the standard phenomenology of CP violation in the K-meson system and addresses the question of the mysterious origin of CP violation. Using simple examples based on the standard quark model, Sachs summarizes and illustrates how these phenomenological methods can be extended to analysis of future experiments on heavy mesons. He notes that his reformulated approach to conventional quantum field theory leads to new questions about the meaning of the transformations in the context of recent theoretical developments such as non-Abelian gauge theories, and he suggests ways in which these questions may lead to new directions of research.
In order to gain a clearer understanding of stress and its physical and psychological consequences, reversal theory takes into account the fact that many people need stress in their lives in order to operate. This text organizes stress and health research that has been undertaken within the reversal theory framework. The first two chapters outline and provide a focus about reversal theory, thus acting as a bridge to the rest of the text. For those new to reversal theory, tables and figures are included Which Summarize Some Of The Characteristics Of The Metamotivational states identified in the theory, and show how they can be applied systematically. The following section deals with the effects of stress, including: stressful events; academic stress; and back pain and work stress. It then tackles the subjects of the physiology and psychology of smoking and attempts to quit this sort of addiction, and the risk-taking behaviours of parachuting and unsafe sexual practice. Finally the book Examines Health-Promoting Behaviours And The Factors Which Facilitate Or inhibit them.
First Published in 2004. Why did Michael Jordan quit basketball and take up baseball? Why was Martina Navratilova so successful as a professional tennis player? Why did Diego Maradona take performance enhancing drugs during the 1994 soccer World Cup? Why did ice-skater Tonya Harding involve herself in physical attacks on her Olympic rival Nancy Kerrigan? These and many other questions about aspects of motivation and emotion in sport are addressed in this book. The theoretical background to the book is provided by reversal theory, a general psychological theory which is demonstrating its usefulness and versatility as it is being increasingly applied within sport psychology. Reversal theory's systematic conceptual framework allows a unique perspective for interpreting behaviour in sport contexts. Topics discussed include the motivation behind individual participation in different types of sport and the special attraction of dangerous sports; the psychological processes involved in winning and losing in competitive sport; the enjoyment of being aggressive and violent in team contact sports; the maintenance and enhancement of individual well-being, including stress management and coping through sport and exercise; problems which may arise as result of over-participation; and stress, burnout, and overload in competitive sport. Real-life examples are combined with research findings to provide an understanding of the emotional background and changes which accompany the individual's unique experience in sport. In addition, suggestions as to applications of reversal theory in new areas of sport psychology and the future direction of reversal theory-based sport research are outlined. For those interested in a truly insightful understanding of human behaviour in sport, this book will be required reading.
Social problems in many domains, including health, education, social relationships, and the workplace, have their origins in human behavior. The documented links between behavior and social problems have compelled governments and organizations to prioritize and mobilize efforts to develop effective, evidence-based means to promote adaptive behavior change. In recognition of this impetus, The Handbook of Behavior Change provides comprehensive coverage of contemporary theory, research, and practice on behavior change. It summarizes current evidence-based approaches to behavior change in chapters authored by leading theorists, researchers, and practitioners from multiple disciplines, including psychology, sociology, behavioral science, economics, philosophy, and implementation science. It is the go-to resource for researchers, students, practitioners, and policy makers looking for current knowledge on behavior change and guidance on how to develop effective interventions to change behavior.
A Financial Times Book of the Year A ProMarket Book of the Year “Superbly argued and important...Donald Trump is in so many ways a product of the defective capitalism described in The Great Reversal. What the U.S. needs, instead, is another Teddy Roosevelt and his energetic trust-busting. Is that still imaginable? All believers in the virtues of competitive capitalism must hope so.” —Martin Wolf, Financial Times “In one industry after another...a few companies have grown so large that they have the power to keep prices high and wages low. It’s great for those corporations—and bad for almost everyone else.” —David Leonhardt, New York Times “Argues that the United States has much to gain by reforming how domestic markets work but also much to regain—a vitality that has been lost since the Reagan years...His analysis points to one way of making America great again: restoring our free-market competitiveness.” —Arthur Herman, Wall Street Journal Why are cell-phone plans so much more expensive in the United States than in Europe? It seems a simple question, but the search for an answer took one of the world’s leading economists on an unexpected journey through some of the most hotly debated issues in his field. He reached a surprising conclusion: American markets, once a model for the world, are giving up on healthy competition. In the age of Silicon Valley start-ups and millennial millionaires, he hardly expected this. But the data from his cutting-edge research proved undeniable. In this compelling tale of economic detective work, we follow Thomas Philippon as he works out the facts and consequences of industry concentration, shows how lobbying and campaign contributions have defanged antitrust regulators, and considers what all this means. Philippon argues that many key problems of the American economy are due not to the flaws of capitalism or globalization but to the concentration of corporate power. By lobbying against competition, the biggest firms drive profits higher while depressing wages and limiting opportunities for investment, innovation, and growth. For the sake of ordinary Americans, he concludes, government needs to get back to what it once did best: keeping the playing field level for competition. It’s time to make American markets great—and free—again.