Psychology Applied to Everyday Life » (New Edition)

CHARLES I. BROOKS is Professor and Chair of the Department of Psychology, King's Collge, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from Duke University, his masters in psychology from Wake Forest University, and his doctorate in experimental psychology from Syracuse University. He has taught at King's College since 1975 and was designated a distinguished service professor in 1993. He has authored or co-authored more than 40 scholarly publications in psychology.

MICHAEL A. CHURCH is Associate Professor of Psychology at King's College in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. He received his bachelor's degree in psychology from California State University at Fullerton, and his masters and doctoral degrees in psychology from the University of Miami. He has taught at King's College since 1976, and has been a licensed clinical psychologist with a private practice since 1980. He is a member of the Council of National Register of Health Service Providers in Psychology.

Do violent video games lead to violence? Does spanking children make them unstable? Can the alcoholic drink socially? Do children raised by gay parents turn out OK? Are eyewitness accounts accurate? Is winter a cause of depression? Does cell phone use compromise driving ability? These questions and others from the world of psychology touch on our everyday experiences, and are also areas of research that many students want to explore further. Psychology Applied to Everyday Life provides the reader with a portal to discovering what psychologists know about these questions. For each question, the authors review a recent research article and provide a straightforward answer to the question. The writing is conversational, informal, and non-technical. The authors deal with topics in a straightforward manner, allowing readers to develop an understanding of each topic.

Psychology Applied to Everyday Life divides its 59 questions into seven fun sections:

· Sex, Booze, and Other Fun Things

· Raising the Little Ones

· Cops, Robbers, and Forensics

· Memory and Intelligence

· Anxiety, Stress, and Staying Cool

· Odds and Ends

· Notes from the Shrink

For those interested in further investigation into a topic, the authors provide additional analysis and references. In addition to reviewing recent research, the authors consider questions from the practice of clinical and counseling psychology. Issues in this section are illustrated with actual case studies from the authors' files, and include questions concerning how best to work with couples, whether psychotropic medications (such as anti-depressant andanti-anxiety agents) are effective, and recent developments in counseling techniques.

PREFACE

AUTHORS WELCOME

PART ONE: SEX, BOOZE, AND OTHER FUN THINGS

1. Beauty is Just Around the Curve

Do humans prefer curved objects?

2. I Love Your Scent

Is beauty in the nose of the smeller?

3. It Was Love at First Millisecond

How quickly do we form impressions?

4. Writing About Your Feelings

Is writing good for our health?

5. I Will Never Forgive You.

What is the cost of holding a grudge?

6. Sex and Violence in Advertising

Are these messages good for sales?

7. I Never Would Have Done It Sober.

Can you blame it on the booze?

8. Got Some Weed, Dude?

Marijuana and schizophrenia

PART TWO: RAISING THE LITTLE ONES

9. Stress During Pregnancy

Does it harm the fetus?

10. Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Should infants sleep on their backs?

11. Spanking Children

Will there be long-term consequences?

12. Will the Three-Year Old Terror Be an Adult Terror?

13. Get Off Your Butt and Go Play Outside!

Can communities help parents?

14. Will Kids Raised by Gays Become Gay?

15. Is Daycare Psychologically Harmful to the Child?

16. Show Me Where Teacher Touched You

Can anatomically-correct dolls help?

17. Do Material Rewards Ruin Childrens Fun?

18. Are Movie Portrayals of Smoking Harmful?

19. Can Playing Video Games Produce Antisocial Behavior?

PART THREE: COPS, ROBBERS, AND FORENSICS

20. Are Lineups Valid For Identifying Suspects?

21. Do They All Look the Same?

Identifying other races

22. He's the One! Arrest Him!

Can we trust the eyewitness?

23. Do Black Facial Features Arouse Bias in White Juries?

24. Aggression in the Workplace

What brings it on?

25. When Do Sex Offenders Repeat?

26. Do TerroristsShow a Common Personality Profile?

PART FOUR: MEMORY AND INTELLIGENCE

27. Ah, Yes, I Remember It Well.

Do you really?

28. Are Adult Memories of Childhood Sexual Abuse Reliable?

29. Mental Ability: Use It or Lose It?

Should granddad do daily puzzles?

30. Live Long and Prosper

Is intelligence a factor in longevity?

31. How R U as a Slepelr?

Does good spelling produce good communication?

32. Talk Fast

Will you lose your audience within 15 minutes?

PART FIVE: ANXIETY, STRESS, AND STAYING COOL

33. Are Smoking and Panic Attacks Related

34. Ive Got to Get it Off My Chest!

Does lashing out help?

35. Should We Hide Our Weaknesses From Others?

36. Keep on the Sunny Side

Is that good for your health?

37. Are Pets Good For Our Health?

38. Is Laughter the Best Medicine?

39. Breast Cancer: Does Attitude Help?

40. Tragedy Aftermath: Should Counselors Be Available Tomorrow?

41. Are We All Vulnerable To Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder?

42. For Better or Worse, In Sickness and In Health

Do long marriages improve physical health?

43. Recovery from Divorce

Does time heal?

44. Can TV News Traumatize Us?

PART SIX: ODDS AND ENDS

45. Are Single Folks Treated As Second Class?

46. Tasting Beer

Can you trust your tongue?

47. Cell Phones and Driving

A wrong number?

48. Just a Small Piece, Please. Im Full.

Does serving size affect consumption?

49. Is Religion Good For Us?

50. Will Money Make Us Happy?

51. Weather and Mood

Do rainy days get us down?

52. Does Paper Color Affect Test Performance?

53. Hypnosis: Is It Good for Anything?

PART SEVEN: NOTES FROM THE SHRINK

Introduction

54. Learning Through Suffering

Are good or bad events the best teachers?

55. Psychotropic Medications

Are they overused?

56. Boozer or Abuser?

Can the alcoholic drink responsibly?

57. Marital Counseling

Do couples have to go together?

58. Providing Attention

Can it serve as a powerful reward?

59. Should We Spend Time Asking Why?

Does lashing out help?