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Foundations of Perception

This clear and balanced introduction to perception examines all the major and minor senses, including vision, hearing, touch, balance, taste and smell. It provides the reader with a thorough analysis of our perceptual experience, how it relates to the physical properties of the world and how it is linked to the biological properties of the brain. Coverage of the senses begins with the minor senses and ends with vision: fundamental principles are easier to grasp when first encountered in relation to relatively simple sensory systems.

Unique features of this text include:

* An introductory chapter on general physiological, perceptual and theoretical principles giving the reader the conceptual tools to build a clear understanding of how we perceive the world.

* Each chapter includes a 'Tutorials' section. This provides an opportunity for more advanced students to explore supplementary information on recent or controversial developments in subjects such as the physics and biology of audition; shape and object perception; and mathematics and computational modelling in modern perceptual research.

* Individual differences are also considered, as are potential sources of difference such as age, sex, expertise and culture.

* Substantial coverage and a tutorial on the sense of balance.

* Student and Instructor multimedia resources, more extensive than those offered with other sensation and perception textbooks, free of charge to adopters.

* The best value for money: half the price of major competitors.

This book will be an invaluable resource for those studying psychology and neuroscience, enabling the reader to achieve a firm grasp of current knowledge concerning the complex processes that underlie our perception of the world.

Student Resources: Perception Student Learning Program

The student website includes our Perception Student Learning Program (Perception SLP) which offers a unique and innovative approach to study. The Perception SLP will be available free-of-charge to departments adopting Foundations of Perception by George Mather.

Each chapter from Foundations of Perception is condensed into a concise summary version, providing an effective set of revision notes. These notes also expand on and elucidate the book's content, and cite page number references to the textbook. 'Must know' information is presented in clear, accessible style, along with sections to stretch more advanced students. The notes also provide an integrative framework for a range of interactive multimedia materials and features, including:

* Animations and simulations of key perceptual phenomena

* Fill-in-the-blank questions

* Multiple-choice questions

* Key-term definitions

* Research studies

* Short-essay questions

* Links to related websites.

Several chapters from the Perception Student Learning Program are available to view now. Please note that from September these will only be available to adopters of George Mather's Foundations of Perception.

Instructor Resources

We offer web-based, password-protected resources free of charge to instructors who recommend Foundations of Perception by George Mather. These resources include:

* A comprehensive chapter-by-chapter slideshow lecture course

* A set of short-answer questions per chapter to stimulate discussion.

Published January 26 2006 by Psychology Press.

A General Theory of Emotions and Social Life

Founded upon the psychoevolutionary theories of Darwin, Plutchik and Izard, a general socioevolutionary theory of the emotions - affect-spectrum theory - classifies a wide spectrum of the emotions and analyzes them on the sociological, psychological and neurobiological levels.

This neurocognitive sociology of the emotions supersedes the major theoretical perspectives developed in the sociology of emotions by showing primary emotions to be adaptive reactions to fundamental problems of life which have evolved into elementary social relationships and which can predict occurrences of the entire spectrum of primary, complex secondary, and tertiary emotions.

Written by leading social theorist Warren D. TenHouten, this book presents an encyclopaedic classification of the emotions, describing forty-six emotions in detail, and presenting a general multilevel theory of emotions and social life. The scope of coverage of this key work is highly topical and comprehensive, and includes the development of emotions in childhood, symbolic elaboration of complex emotions, emotions management, violence, and cultural and gender differences. While primary emotions have clearly defined valences, this theory shows that complex emotions obey no algebraic law and that all emotions have both creative and destructive potentialities.

Published September 26 2006 by Routledge.

Cognitive Science

An Introduction to Mind and Brain

Cognitive Science is a major new guide to the central theories and problems in the study of the mind and brain. The authors clearly explain how and why cognitive science aims to understand the brain as a computational system that manipulates representations. They identify the roots of cognitive science in Descartes - who argued that all knowledge of the external world is filtered through some sort of representation - and examine the present-day role of Artificial Intelligence, computing, psychology, linguistics and neuroscience.
Throughout, the key building blocks of cognitive science are clearly illustrated: perception, memory, attention, emotion, language, control of movement, learning, understanding and other important mental phenomena. Cognitive Science:

• presents a clear, collaborative introduction to the subject
• is the first textbook to bring together all the different strands of this new science in a unified approach
• includes illustrations and exercises to aid the student

Published September 26 2006 by Routledge.

An Introduction to Cognitive Psychology

Processes and Disorders, 2nd Edition

David Groome with Nicola Brace, Hazel Dewart, Graham Edgar, Helen Edgar, Anthony Esgate, Richard Kemp, Graham Pike, and Tom Stafford.

An Introduction to Cognitive Psychology: Processes and Disorders is a comprehensive introductory textbook for undergraduate students. It covers all the key areas of cognition, including perception, attention, long-term memory, working memory, thinking and language. Uniquely, alongside the chapters on normal cognitive function, there are also chapters on the related clinical disorders (agnosia, amnesia, thought disorder and aphasia) which helps to provide a thorough insight into the nature of cognition. Key features:

This new edition has been carefully revised throughout to provide a comprehensive overview of current thinking in the field

Includes greater coverage of neuropsychological disorders, with additional material from the latest research using brain imaging

Accessibly written, by authors at the cutting edge of their subject areas

Specially designed textbook features such as chapter summaries, further reading, and a glossary of key terms

Written to cover all levels of ability using helpful figures and illustrations, this book has sufficient depth to appeal to the most able students while the clear and accessible text, written by experienced teachers, will help students who find the material difficult. It will appeal to any student on an undergraduate psychology degree course as well as to medical students and those studying in related clinical professions such as nursing.

Published August 29 2006 by Psychology Press.

Foundations of Perception

• By George Mather

This clear and balanced introduction to perception examines all the major and minor senses, including vision, hearing, touch, balance, taste and smell. It provides the reader with a thorough analysis of our perceptual experience, how it relates to the physical properties of the world and how it is linked to the biological properties of the brain. Coverage of the senses begins with the minor senses and ends with vision: fundamental principles are easier to grasp when first encountered in relation to relatively simple sensory systems.

Unique features of this text include:

* An introductory chapter on general physiological, perceptual and theoretical principles giving the reader the conceptual tools to build a clear understanding of how we perceive the world.

* Each chapter includes a 'Tutorials' section. This provides an opportunity for more advanced students to explore supplementary information on recent or controversial developments in subjects such as the physics and biology of audition; shape and object perception; and mathematics and computational modelling in modern perceptual research.

* Individual differences are also considered, as are potential sources of difference such as age, sex, expertise and culture.

* Substantial coverage and a tutorial on the sense of balance.

* Student and Instructor multimedia resources, more extensive than those offered with other sensation and perception textbooks, free of charge to adopters.

* The best value for money: half the price of major competitors.

This book will be an invaluable resource for those studying psychology and neuroscience, enabling the reader to achieve a firm grasp of current knowledge concerning the complex processes that underlie our perception of the world.

Student Resources: Perception Student Learning Program

The student website includes our Perception Student Learning Program (Perception SLP) which offers a unique and innovative approach to study. The Perception SLP is available free of charge to departments adopting Foundations of Perception by George Mather.

Each chapter from Foundations of Perception is condensed into a concise summary version, providing an effective set of revision notes. These notes also expand on and elucidate the book's content, and cite page number references to the textbook. 'Must know' information is presented in clear, accessible style, along with sections to stretch more advanced students. The notes also provide an integrative framework for a range of interactive multimedia materials and features, including:

* Animations and simulations of key perceptual phenomena

* Fill-in-the-blank questions

* Multiple-choice questions

* Key-term definitions

* Research studies

* Short-essay questions

* Links to related websites.

Several demo chapters from the Perception Student Learning Program are available to view.

Instructor Resources

We offer web-based, password-protected resources free of charge to instructors who recommend Foundations of Perception by George Mather. These resources include:

* A comprehensive chapter-by-chapter slideshow lecture course

* A set of short-answer questions per chapter to stimulate discussion.

ISBN: 9780863778346

Published February 02 2006 by Psychology Press.

Working Memory and Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Short-term or working memory - the capacity to hold and manipulate information mentally over brief periods of time - plays an important role in supporting a wide range of everyday activities, particularly in childhood. Children with weak working memory skills often struggle in key areas of learning and, given its impact on cognitive abilities, the identification of working memory impairments is a priority for those who work with children with learning disabilities.

Working Memory and Neurodevelopmental Disorders supports clinical assessment and management of working memory deficits by summarising the current theoretical understanding and methods of assessment of working memory. It outlines the working memory profiles of individuals with a range of neurodevelopmental disorders (including Down's syndrome, Williams syndrome, Specific Language Impairment, and ADHD), and identifies useful means of alleviating the anticipated learning difficulties of children with deficits of working memory.

This comprehensive and informative text will appeal to academics and researchers in cognitive psychology, neuropsychology and developmental psychology, and will be useful reading for students in these areas. Educational psychologists will also find this a useful text, as it covers the role of working memory in learning difficulties specific to the classroom.

Published August 26 2006 by Psychology Press.

Reading Acquisition and Developmental Dyslexia

Most studies on reading have been conducted with English-speaking subjects. It is crucial to also examine studies conducted in different languages, in order to highlight which aspects of reading acquisition and dyslexia appear to be language-specific, and which are universal.

Reading Acquisition and Developmental Dyslexia sheds new light on dyslexia and its relationship with reading acquisition, presenting two unique advancements in this area. Looking at studies conducted in different languages, the prerequisites of reading acquisition are examined, and the findings from studies of skilled adult readers are presented. The manifestations of developmental dyslexia and the main contemporary explanations for it are outlined, providing an in-depth, well researched discussion of the topic. The authors conclude by offering a new framework which could explain both reading acquisition and developmental dyslexia.

A fascinating book offering a unique insight into the topic of dyslexia, it will be of great interest to students and lecturers in cognitive psychology, educational psychology, and psycholinguistics, as well as those with a more everyday involvement with the disorder such as speech and language therapists.

Published October 26 2006 by Psychology Press.

Psycholinguistics: The Key Concepts

• By John Field

Psycholinguistics is an authoritative, wide-ranging and up-to-date A to Z guide to this important field. Cross-referenced, with suggestions for further reading and a full index, this book is a highly accessible introduction to the main terms and concepts in psycholinguistics. Psycholinguistics offers over 170 entries covering the key areas:

• psychological processes
• first language acquisition
• the nature of language
• brain and language
• language disorders.

This comprehensive guide is an essential resource for all students of English language, linguistics and psychology.

Published February 26 2004 by Routledge.

Adaption-Innovation

In the Context of Diversity and Change

• By M.J. Kirton

Adaption-Innovation is a timely and comprehensive text written for anyone who wants to know more about dealing with problem solving, thinking style, creativity and team dynamics.

In an age when teams have become critical to successful problem solving, Adaption-Innovation (A-I) theory is a model in this field, which aims to increase collaboration and reduce conflict within groups. A-I Theory and associated inventory (KAI) have been extensively researched and are increasingly used to assist teambuilding and personnel management.

In the context of the management of diversity and change, Dr Kirton outlines the central concepts of the theory, including the processes of problem solving, decision making and creativity as well as explanatory concepts such as the paradox of structure; coping behaviour; the distinction between how teams collaborate on the common task and how teams manage their own diversity.

In addition, Dr Kirton focuses on the positive side of managing a wide diversity within teams that has the potential to lead to the highest levels of problem solving, creativity and effective management of change. The book offers practical information for those helping diverse teams succeed in today's demanding climate. In this fresh context, leadership theory is explored, suggesting a new and interesting approach in use of different styles.

For those working with diverse, problem solving teams managing complex change, this is a must have book. It will appeal to a broad range of people, from practitioners such as human resource managers, psychologists, business consultants, and group trainers, to academics studying and doing research in disciplines such as psychology, business, management, sociology, education and politics and the practical use of the hard sciences.

*This reprint contains some new insights by Dr. Kirton into the theory. A small number of critical key changes have been made: a new diagram showing the difference between decision making and problem solving; some tightening of some sentences to show that leadership style should be treated as roles; the addition of the Glossary of Terms.

ISBN: 9780415298506

Published July 24 2003 by Routledge.

The Mechanical Mind

A Philosophical Introduction to Minds, Machines and Mental Representation

• By Tim Crane

This edition has been fully revised and updated, and includes a new chapter on consciousness and a new section on modularity. There are also guides for further reading, and a new glossary of terms such as mentalese, connectionism, and the homunculus fallacy.

ISBN: 9780415290302

Published April 24 2003 by Routledge.

Visual Communication

Integrating Media, Art, and Science

• By Rick Williams, Julianne H. Newton

A well-rounded education in the 21st century requires not just verbal and mathematical proficiency, but also the ability to interpret, critique, create, and use visual communication on sophisticated levels. In today’s visual world, it is critically important to hold an appreciation for the profound effects imagery has on individuals and the communities in which they live.

Visual Communication focuses on cultivating visual and media literacy from both consumption and production points of view and introduces students to the application of intuitive intelligence to a visual context. Innovative in its field, it provides a solid theoretical overview of the most advanced thinking and research about visual communication, teaching readers how to apply theory to enhance their understanding of and work with images.

This book is intended for students in visual literacy and communication courses. It can also be used in photojournalism courses and other coursework with a visual component. Individuals interested in mass media studies will likewise find the book to be a worthwhile read.

ISBN: 9780805850659

Published July 10 2007 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Irony in Language and Thought

A Cognitive Science Reader

• Edited by Raymond W. Gibbs Jr., Herbert L. Colston

Irony in Language and Thought assembles an interdisciplinary collection of seminal empirical and theoretical papers on irony in language and thought into one comprehensive book. A much-needed resource in the area of figurative language, this volume centers on a theme from cognitive science - that irony is a fundamental way of thinking about the human experience. The editors lend perspective in the form of opening and closing chapters, which enable readers to see how such works have furthered the field, as well as to inspire present and future scholars.

Featured articles focus on the following topics:

• theories of irony, addressing primarily comprehension of its verbal form;
• context in irony comprehension;
• social functions of irony;
• the development of irony understanding; and
• situational irony.

Scholars and students in psychology, linguistics, philosophy, literature, anthropology, artificial intelligence, art, and communications will consider this book an excellent resource. It serves as an ideal supplement in courses that present major ideas in language and thought.

ISBN: 9780805860610

Published May 25 2007 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Human Contingency Learning: Recent Trends in Research and Theory

A Special Issue of the Quarterly Journal of Experimental Psychology

• Edited by Tom Beckers, Jan De Houwer, Helena Matute

The present special issue presents an overview of recent developments and controversies in research on human contingency learning. Contributions range from purely fundamental, theoretical analyses, over empirically oriented reports, to more applied contributions, reflecting the breadth of scope of contemporary research on human contingency learning. Taken together, these papers attest to the richness and diversity of current research on human contingency learning and identify key issues to be addressed in future research.

ISBN: 9781841698243

Published March 22 2007 by Psychology Press.

Reading Comprehension Strategies

Theories, Interventions, and Technologies

• Edited by Danielle S. McNamara

ISBN: 9780805859669

Published May 24 2007 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Language in Action

Psychological Models of Conversation

• By William Turnbull

Face-to-face conversation between two or more people is a universal form, and perhaps the basic form, of social interaction. It is the primary site of social interaction in all cultures and the place where social and cultural meaning takes shape. Face-to-face conversation between children and parents can also be an important context for social and cognitive development. Given the universality, frequency and importance of conversation in social life, a psychological model of conversation is required for an understanding of the central issues in social and developmental psychology. This book provides such a model.
Language in Action presents a critical examination of four models of conversation: the Code model based on Chomsky's linguistic views; the Speech Act model of Austin and Searle; the Inferential model of Grice, and the Conversation Analytic model of Sacks and Schegloff. It also considers the Brown and Levinson model of politeness in conversation. Using many examples from natural talk and drawing on the positive aspects of the reviewed models, Turnbull proposes a new Social Pragmatic model of conversation as social interaction. He also describes the research paradigm of Social Pragmatics that experimental psychologists can use to study conversation. This book will be invaluable for advanced students in psychology, sociology, language and linguistics and communication. It will also make fascinating and lively reading for anyone wanting a greater understanding of this fundamental form of social interaction.

ISBN: 9780415198677

Published January 30 2003 by Routledge.

Animal Cognition

• By Nick Lund

Animal Cognition looks at how non-human animals process information from their environment. Nick Lund has written an accessible and engaging account of this area of comparative psychology. The book contains chapters on animal navigation (including homing behaviour and migration), animal communication methods and research into animal language, and attempts to teach language to non-human animals. A chapter on memory includes models of memory in non-human animals and discusses the importance of memory in navigation and foraging behaviour.
Animal Cognition is designed to cover the AQA(A) A2 level specification but will also be of interest to undergraduates new to comparative psychology. It is well illustrated and includes a study aids section with examination questions and answers, and key research summaries.

ISBN: 9780415252973

Published April 25 2002 by Routledge.

Problem Solving

• By Ian S. Robertson

Problem solving is an integral part of everyday life yet few books are dedicated to this important aspect of human cognition. In each case, the problem, such as solving a crossword or writing an essay, has a goal. In this comprehensive and timely textbook, the author discusses the psychological processes underlying such goal-directed problem solving, and examines both how we learn from experience of problem solving and how our learning transfers (or often fails to transfer) from one situation to another. Following initial coverage of the methods we use to solve unfamiliar problems, the book goes on to examine the psychological processes involved in novice problem solving before progressing to the methods and processes used by skilled problem solvers or "experts". Topics covered include: how we generate a useful representation of a problem as a starting point; general problem solving strategies we use in unfamiliar situations; possible processes involved in insight or lateral thinking; the nature of problem similarity and the role of analogies in problem solving; understanding and learning from textbooks; and how we develop expertise through the learning of specific problem solving skills.
Clear, up-to-date and accessible, Problem Solving will be of interest to undergraduates and postgraduates in cognitive psychology, cognitive science, and educational psychology. The focus on the practical transfer of learning through problem solving will also make it of relevance to educationalists and business psychologists.

ISBN: 9780415202992

Published March 29 2001 by Psychology Press.

Understanding Driving

Applying Cognitive Psychology to a Complex Everyday Task

• By John A. Groeger

This book closely examines what is involved in driving. It identifies the aspects of perception, attention, learning, memory, decision making and action control which are drawn upon in order to enable us to drive, and the brain systems involved. It attempts to show how studying tasks such as driving can help to understand how these fundamental aspects of cognition combine to facilitate performance in complex everyday tasks. In doing so it shows how a very broad range of laboratory based findings can be applied, and that through our attempts to apply this knowledge to complex everyday tasks, we gain, in return, a greater understanding of fundamental aspects of human cognition.

ISBN: 9780415187527

Published August 31 2000 by Routledge.

A Language in Space

The Story of Israeli Sign Language

• By Irit Meir, Wendy Sandler

This English version of A Language in Space: The Story of Israeli Sign Language, which received the Bahat Award for most outstanding book for a general audience in its Hebrew edition, is an introduction to sign language using Israeli Sign Language (ISL) as a model. Authors Irit Meir and Wendy Sandler offer a glimpse into a number of fascinating descriptions of the ISL community to which linguists and other researchers may not have access. An underlying premise of the book is that language is a mental system with universal properties, and that language lives through people.

A clear and engaging read, A Language in Space addresses relevant aspects of sign language, including the most abstract questions and matters related to society and community. Divided into three parts, the book covers:

• the linguistic structure of Israeli Sign Language;
• the language and its community; and
• a broad depiction of ISL and the contribution of sign language research to linguistic theory.

This book is intended for linguists (with or without a background in sign language), psychologists, sociologists, educators, students, and anyone with an interest in the human capacity for language.

ISBN: 9780805855708

Published October 23 2007 by Lawrence Erlbaum Associates.

Connections

Brain, Mind and Culture in a Social Anthropology

• By Stephen P. Reyna

Have you ever wondered how the internal space of our brain connects with the external space of society? Drawing on hermeneutics and neuroscience Stephen Reyna develops an anthropological theory that explains the relationship between the biological and the cultural.
Recent popular interest in the brain is evident, and now social anthropologists are starting to consider connections between science and anthropology. Reyna is an anthropologist prepared to tackle big and difficult questions. This accessibly written book will cause quite a stir in anthropology, and will appeal to those interested in the mysteries of the brain.

ISBN: 9780415271547

Published February 28 2002 by Routledge.