Psychology: Themes and VariationsSince the First Edition of this book appeared, professors have praised its visual presentation of concepts, accessible writing style, and solid research-based scholarship. PSYCHOLOGY: THEMES AND VARIATIONS is about the ideas and concepts behind the research studies. His straightforward style gets students to contemplate open-ended questions, examine their assumptions, and apply psychological concepts to their own lives. Wayne Weiten surveys psychology's broad range of content with three aims: to illuminate the process of research and its intrinsic relationship to application; to show both the unity and diversity of the subject, and to invite students to the study of psychology by respecting their ability to master its fundamental concepts. 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. |
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ability action potential activity adaptive animals argue arousal associated B. F. Skinner behavior biological brain cells chapter classical conditioning cognitive color complex concept correlation cortex creativity Critical Thinking Application cultural depends disease disorders dreams drugs effects emotions encoding environment evidence evolutionary example experience factors females fight-or-flight response Figure Freud gender differences genetic hemisphere heredity hindsight bias hormones human hypnosis hypothalamus increase influence intelligence involves IQ tests KEY POINTS language learning Link males measure memory ment mental motivation nervous system neural neurons neurotransmitters observational learning organisms parents perception physiological prenatal development PREVIEW QUESTIONS problem processes prospective memory psychology PsycINFO receptors reinforcement REM sleep response retina REVIEW OF KEY scores sensory sexual shows sleep social specific stage stimulus stress subjects suggests synapses tend thalamus theorists theory tion tive traits twins types variable visual words