In this book, Gregory Feist reviews and consolidates the scattered literatures on the psychology of science, then calls for the establishment of the field as a unique discipline. He offers the most comprehensive perspective yet on how science came to be possible in our species and on the important role of psychological forces in an individual’s development of scientific interest, talent, and creativity. Without a psychological perspective, Feist argues, we cannot fully understand the development of scientific thinking or scientific genius. The author explores the major subdisciplines within psychology as well as allied areas, including biological neuroscience and developmental, cognitive, personality, and social psychology, to show how each sheds light on how scientific thinking, interest, and talent arise. He assesses which elements of scientific thinking have their origin in evolved mental mechanisms and considers how humans may have developed the highly sophisticated scientific fields we know today. In his fascinating and authoritative book, Feist deals thoughtfully with the mysteries of the human mind and convincingly argues that the creation of the psychology of science as a distinct discipline is essential to deeper understanding of human thought processes.
Laboratory experiments are the principal tools used by psychologists to formulate and test their theories of how the human mind works, yet few histories of psychology have studied the experimental method and how it has changed over time. In this book then distinguished scholars explore the rapid rise and spread of the experimental method from its origins in the early decades of the century. They deal with such topics as the first efforts to bring number and quantification into psychology; who the subjects of early experiments were and how experimenters and subjects related to each other; famous psychologists such as Lewis Terman and Edward Titchener; and how experimental strategies were extended beyond the laboratory to the larger spaces of everyday life. The book concludes with two essays that discuss contemporary concerns regarding psychological experimentation.
Anxiety disorders and OCD are the most common mental health problems of childhood and adolescence. This book provides a complete, step-by-step program for parents looking to alleviate their children's anxiety by changing the way they themselves respond to their children's symptoms.
Examination of the challenges that have emerged during the past decade in the field of child development and social policy. The volume emphasizes the real connections between what we know about healthy child development, and what we are doing--and not doing--to strengthen our nation's families. At the same time, it paints a realistic picture of the complex and often frustrating context within which policy efforts made on behalf of children and families are conceived and developed. -- from publisher's description.