Hilgard's Introduction to Psychology

Atikson, Rita L, Richard C. Atkinson, Edward E.Smith, Daryl J.Bam, Nolen-Hoeksema Susan, Hilgard's Introduction to Psychology, Harcourt College Publishers, Pages 768, Price US $ 25.

Psychology can be defined as the scientific study of behaviour and mental processes. The book helps the student to understand the dynamic nature of contemporary psychology. A central topic in psychology is the analysis of learning and memory. Psychology asks questions that touch virtually every aspect of our lives. Psychology also affects our lives through its influence on law and public policy. The analysis of psychological phenomenon can be approached from several perspectives. Each offers a somewhat different account of why individuals act as they do and make a contribution to our conception of total person. In principle all psychological events can be related to the activity of brain and nervous system.

This book is divided into eight parts. Part one defines psychology as a scientific and human endeavour. The study of psychology can be approached from several perspectives biological, cognitive and psychoanalytic. Modern developments include information processing theory, psycholinguistics and neuropsychology. It gives the historical origins of psychology, contemporary perspectives and how psychological research is done in major subfields of psychology.

Part two deals with the biological development process, biological foundation of psychology and psychological development. Biological...