The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking

The 7 Laws of Magical Thinking
Author: Matthew Hutson
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 284
Release: 2012-04-12
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1101561734

In this witty and perceptive debut, a former editor at Psychology Today shows us how magical thinking makes life worth living. Psychologists have documented a litany of cognitive biases- misperceptions of the world-and explained their positive functions. Now, Matthew Hutson shows us that even the most hardcore skeptic indulges in magical thinking all the time-and it's crucial to our survival. Drawing on evolution, cognitive science, and neuroscience, Hutson shows us that magical thinking has been so useful to us that it's hardwired into our brains. It encourages us to think that we actually have free will. It helps make us believe that we have an underlying purpose in the world. It can even protect us from the paralyzing awareness of our own mortality. In other words, magical thinking is a completely irrational way of making our lives make rational sense. With wonderfully entertaining stories, personal reflections, and sharp observations, Hutson reveals our deepest fears and longings. He also assures us that it is no accident his surname contains so many of the same letters as this imprint.

The Wisest One in the Room

The Wisest One in the Room
Author: Thomas Gilovich
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2016-12-20
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1451677553

"Two prominent social psychologists, specializing in the study of human behavior, provide insight into why we trust the people we do and how to use that knowledge in understanding and influencing people in our own lives,"--NoveList.

The Science of Story

The Science of Story
Author: Sean Prentiss
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 253
Release: 2020-01-09
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1350083909

Bringing together a diverse range of writers, The Science of Story is the first book to ask the question: what can contemporary brain science teach us about the art and craft of creative nonfiction writing? Drawing on the latest developments in cognitive neuroscience the book sheds new light on some of the most important elements of the writer's craft, from perspective and truth to emotion and metaphor. The Science of Story explores such questions as: · Why do humans tell stories? · How do we remember and misremember our lives - and what does this mean for storytelling? · What is the value of writing about trauma? · How do stories make us laugh, or cry, make us angry or triumphant? Contributors: Nancer Ballard, Mike Branch, Frank Bures, J.T. Bushnell, Katharine Coles, Christopher Cokinos, Alison Hawthorne Deming, David Lazar, Lawrence Lenhart, Alan Lightman, Dave Madden, Jessica Hendry Nelson, Richard Powers, Sean Prentiss, Julie Wittes Schlack, Valerie Sweeney Prince, Ira Sukrungruang, Nicole Walker, Wendy S. Walters, Marco Wilkinson, Amy Wright.

Handbook of Imagination and Mental Simulation

Handbook of Imagination and Mental Simulation
Author: Keith D. Markman
Publisher: Psychology Press
Total Pages: 811
Release: 2012-09-10
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1136678093

Over the past thirty years, and particularly within the last ten years, researchers in the areas of social psychology, cognitive psychology, clinical psychology, and neuroscience have been examining fascinating questions regarding the nature of imagination and mental simulation – the imagination and generation of alternative realities. Some of these researchers have focused on the specific processes that occur in the brain when an individual is mentally simulating an action or forming a mental image, whereas others have focused on the consequences of mental simulation processes for affect, cognition, motivation, and behavior. This Handbook provides a novel and stimulating integration of work on imagination and mental simulation from a variety of perspectives. It is the first broad-based volume to integrate specific sub-areas such as mental imagery, imagination, thought flow, narrative transportation, fantasizing, and counterfactual thinking, which have, until now, been treated by researchers as disparate and orthogonal lines of inquiry. As such, the volume enlightens psychologists to the notion that a wide-range of mental simulation phenomena may actually share a commonality of underlying processes.

Dual-Process Theories of the Social Mind

Dual-Process Theories of the Social Mind
Author: Jeffrey W. Sherman
Publisher: Guilford Publications
Total Pages: 641
Release: 2014-05-01
Genre: Psychology
ISBN: 1462514391

"This volume provides an authoritative synthesis of a dynamic, influential area of psychological research. Leading investigators address all aspects of dual-process theories: their core assumptions, conceptual foundations, and applications to a wide range of social phenomena. In 38 chapters, the volume addresses the pivotal role of automatic and controlled processes in attitudes and evaluation; social perception; thinking and reasoning; self-regulation; and the interplay of affect, cognition, and motivation. Current empirical and methodological developments are described. Critiques of the duality approach are explored and important questions for future research identified"--

An Introduction to Behavioral Economics

An Introduction to Behavioral Economics
Author: Nick Wilkinson
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing
Total Pages: 616
Release: 2017-12-16
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1350306126

The third edition of this successful textbook is a comprehensive, rigorous survey of the major topics in the field of behavioral economics. Building on the strengths of the second edition, it offers an up-to-date and critical examination of the latest literature, research, developments and debates in the field. Offering an inter-disciplinary approach, the authors incorporate psychology, evolutionary biology and neuroscience into the discussions. And, ultimately, they consider what it means to be 'rational', why we so often indulge in 'irrational' and self-harming behavior, and also why 'irrational' behavior can sometimes serve us well. A perfect book for economics students studying behavioural economics at higher undergraduate level or Master's level. This new edition features: - Extended material on heuristics and biases, and new material on neuroeconomics and its applications - A wealth of new topical case studies, such as voting behavior in Brexit and the Trump election and the current obesity epidemic - More examples and review questions to help cement understanding

The Handbook of Attitudes, Volume 1: Basic Principles

The Handbook of Attitudes, Volume 1: Basic Principles
Author: Dolores Albarracin
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 664
Release: 2018-10-10
Genre: Business & Economics
ISBN: 1351712403

Attitudes are evaluations of people, places, things, and ideas. They help us to navigate through a complex world. They provide guidance for decisions about which products to buy, how to travel to work, or where to go on vacation. They color our perceptions of others. Carefully crafted interventions can change attitudes and behavior. Yet, attitudes, beliefs, and behavior are often formed and changed in casual social exchanges. The mere perception that other people favor something, say, rich people, may be sufficient to make another person favor it. People’s own actions also influence their attitudes, such that they adjust to be more supportive of the actions. People’s belief systems even change to align with and support their preferences, which at its extreme is a form of denial for which people lack awareness. These two volumes provide authoritative, critical surveys of theory and research about attitudes, beliefs, persuasion, and behavior from key authors in these areas. The first volume covers theoretical notions about attitudes, the beliefs and behaviors to which they are linked, and the degree to which they are held outside of awareness. It also discusses motivational and cultural determinants of attitudes, influences of attitudes on behavior, and communication and persuasion. The second volume covers applications to measurement, behavior prediction, and interventions in the areas of cancer, HIV, substance use, diet, and exercise, as well as in politics, intergroup relations, aggression, migrations, advertising, accounting, education, and the environment.

Belief, Imagination, and Delusion

Belief, Imagination, and Delusion
Author: Ema Sullivan-Bissett
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Total Pages: 318
Release: 2024-01-23
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0198872224

This volume brings together recent work on the nature of belief, imagination, and delusion, and seeks to get clearer on the nature of belief and imagination, the ways in which they relate to one another, and how they might be integrated into accounts of delusional belief formation.

The Courage Quotient

The Courage Quotient
Author: Robert Biswas-Diener
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
Total Pages: 208
Release: 2012-04-10
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 0470917423

The keys to understanding and developing courage This groundbreaking book reveals that courage is more about managing fear than not feeling it, and that courage can be learned. The author explains that most courageous people are unaware of their own bravery, and all of us have some form of courage in our lives now, to start with. The book is filled with illustrative examples, studies, and interviews from Greenland to Kenya, and defines the types of individuals who demonstrate general, personal, and civil courage. The author includes clear guidelines and suggestions for increasing our ability to be courageous. Includes guidelines that show how anyone can ramp-up their courage quotient and develop the qualities that strengthen personal courage Contains a wealth of examples and anecdotes of real-world courage from a variety of cultures A prolific writer, the author has a popular blog Psychology Today The author extols the virtues of personal courage and shows how to overcome fear and stand up for what is right.