Author Archive

March 31, 2007: 9:01 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Autobiographical Memory and Emotional Disorder

A special issue of the journal Memory

  • Edited by Tim Dalgleish, Chris Brewin

For those suffering from emotional disorders such as posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or depression aspects of the personal past can dominate conscious experience in tenacious and toxic ways. For example, memories of distressing autobiographical experiences can intrude into awareness as thoughts or images, as flashbacks or nightmares, each laden with unwanted and painful affect. This Special Issue of Memory focuses on two broad themes. The first is the nature of autobiographical remembering of the personal past —what are the characteristics of such memories? And to what extent are they phenomenologically distinct from other types of autobiographical remembering? The second theme concerns varieties of difficulties in remembering emotional experiences from complete amnesia to lack of specificity of autobiographical recall. The Special Issue draws together the world’s leading theorists and researchers on these varied issues to provide a broad overview of the cutting edge work in this field.

ISBN: 9781841698335

Published June 01 2007 by Psychology Press.

March 21, 2007: 5:21 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

In Search of Pedagogy I & II

The Selected Works of Jerome S. Bruner, 1957-1978 & 1979-2006

Jerome Bruner is one of the best-known and most influential psychologists of the twentieth century. His theories about cognitive development dominate psychology around the world today, but it is in the field of education that his influence has been especially felt.

In this two volume set, Bruner has selected and assembled his most important writings about education. Volume one spans the twenty years from 1957 to 1978 and volume two takes us from 1979 to 2006.

Volume one starts with a specially written introduction by Bruner, in which he gives us an overview of the 1957-1978 years and contextualises his selection of papers. The articles and chapters then reveal the thinking, the concepts and the empirical research of that time that have made Bruner one of the most respected and cited educational authorities of the time.

The ultimate guide to Jerome Bruner’s most important and influential work, it is ideal for students and academics who want to be able to follow the development of his thinking over his seventy-year career.

Published March 21 2007 by Routledge.

: 5:21 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

In Search of Pedagogy I & II

The Selected Works of Jerome S. Bruner, 1957-1978 & 1979-2006

Jerome Bruner is one of the best-known and most influential psychologists of the twentieth century. His theories about cognitive development dominate psychology around the world today, but it is in the field of education that his influence has been especially felt.

In this two volume set, Bruner has selected and assembled his most important writings about education. Volume one spans the twenty years from 1957 to 1978 and volume two takes us from 1979 to 2006.

Volume one starts with a specially written introduction by Bruner, in which he gives us an overview of the 1957-1978 years and contextualises his selection of papers. The articles and chapters then reveal the thinking, the concepts and the empirical research of that time that have made Bruner one of the most respected and cited educational authorities of the time.

The ultimate guide to Jerome Bruner’s most important and influential work, it is ideal for students and academics who want to be able to follow the development of his thinking over his seventy-year career.

Published March 21 2007 by Routledge.

February 21, 2007: 4:21 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Theory of Mind

A Special Issue of Social Neuroscience

  • Edited by Rebecca Saxe, Simon Baron-Cohen

Investigations of the neural basis of theory of mind – the ability to think about other people’s thoughts – only recently became feasible; now, the number of such investigations and the sophistication of the results are accelerating dramatically.

The articles in this special issue use a wide range of techniques (including fMRI, EEG, TMS, and psychophisiology) and subject populations (including children, twins, and patients with developmental or acquired neural damage) to address fundamental questions about the cognitive and neural structure of theory of mind.

Topics include: (1) the relationship between theory of mind and other, perhaps “precursor”, social cognitive processes, such as empathy and the perception of biological motion; (2) the relationship between theory of mind and domain-general cognitive functions, such as executive function and language; and (3) how theory of mind is deployed in real social contexts, such as social exchange.

ISBN: 9781841698168

Published February 21 2007 by Psychology Press.

January 22, 2007: 5:22 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Integrating the Mind

Domain General Versus Domain Specific Processes in Higher Cognition

There are currently several debates taking place simultaneously in various fields of psychology which address the same fundamental issue: to what extent are the processes and resources that underlie higher cognition domain-general versus domain-specific? Extreme Domain Specificity argues that people are effective thinkers only in contexts which they have directly experienced, or in which evolution has equipped them with effective solutions. The role of general cognitive abilities is ignored, or denied altogether.

This book evaluates the evidence and arguments put forward in support of domain specific cognition, at the expense of domain generality. The contributions reflect a range of expertise, and present research into logical reasoning, problem solving, judgement and decision making, cognitive development, and intelligence. The contributors suggest that domain general processes are essential, and that domain specific processes cannot function without them. Rather than continuing to divide the mind’s function into ever more specific units, this book argues that psychologists should look for greater integration and for people’s general cognitive skills to be viewed as an integral part of their lives.

Integrating the Mind will be valuable reading for students and researchers in psychology interested in the fields of cognition, cognitive development, intelligence and skilled behaviour.

Published January 22 2007 by Psychology Press.

: 5:22 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Integrating the Mind

Domain General Versus Domain Specific Processes in Higher Cognition

There are currently several debates taking place simultaneously in various fields of psychology which address the same fundamental issue: to what extent are the processes and resources that underlie higher cognition domain-general versus domain-specific? Extreme Domain Specificity argues that people are effective thinkers only in contexts which they have directly experienced, or in which evolution has equipped them with effective solutions. The role of general cognitive abilities is ignored, or denied altogether.

This book evaluates the evidence and arguments put forward in support of domain specific cognition, at the expense of domain generality. The contributions reflect a range of expertise, and present research into logical reasoning, problem solving, judgement and decision making, cognitive development, and intelligence. The contributors suggest that domain general processes are essential, and that domain specific processes cannot function without them. Rather than continuing to divide the mind’s function into ever more specific units, this book argues that psychologists should look for greater integration and for people’s general cognitive skills to be viewed as an integral part of their lives.

Integrating the Mind will be valuable reading for students and researchers in psychology interested in the fields of cognition, cognitive development, intelligence and skilled behaviour.

Published January 22 2007 by Psychology Press.

January 16, 2007: 11:16 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Adulthood

Adulthood is an accessible text which deals with the vital area of adult psychological development. It combines detailed accounts of the main theories and evidence on the psychology of adulthood with thorough discussion and commentary, presented in a concise and friendly form. The book’s approach encourages engagement with the main theories of this highly relevant topic, as well as including less well-known models of adulthood for discussion.

The book begins with a definition of lifespan psychology, and further chapters include early and middle adulthood; the life events approach; marriage; parenting; divorce; and old age. It includes some modern slants on the classic research, as well as the up-to-date theories, and alternative theories are introduced. Cross-cultural issues and examples have been included in every chapter, and various biases are identified and explained. The final section has sample essays on this topic with extremely helpful examiner’s comments, as well as a useful glossary.

Evie Bentley has written an ideal guide to this topic, which requires little or no background knowledge. It provides a useful introduction for both A-level and undergraduate students of psychology or sociology, and will also be of interest to anyone in the health or social care professions and to those with a general interest in developmental psychology.

Published January 16 2007 by Routledge.

: 11:16 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Applying Emotional Intelligence

A Practitioner's Guide

The explosion of research on emotional intelligence (EI) in the past decade has provided increasing evidence that EI can be measured reliably and can be useful in predicting important outcomes, such as managerial effectiveness and relationship quality.

Naturally, people are now asking “So, how does one improve EI?” Applying Emotional Intelligence collects the most important programs focused on that idea and inquires of their originators: what do you do?; why do you do it?; and what is the evidence for your approach?

The emphasis of the book is applied, in that it provides and contrasts concrete examples of what we do in our interventions in a wide variety of situations. The chapters present descriptions of programs, including specific activities and exercises that influence emotional knowledge and social effectiveness more generally. While practical in its focus, this book also discusses the theoretical bases for these approaches.

These are new programs with outcomes that are now beginning to be studied. The book presents the most important and recent research findings that examine the efficacy of these programs. Applying Emotional Intelligence is a “must-read” for anyone interested in EI and its application. This book will be of interest to researchers conducting EI intervention research, as well as a wide variety of practitioners, including those interested in developing EI in organizations, health areas, clinical populations, and school-age settings. Finally, the book is designed to be relevant to the reader’s own life, encouraging the reader to consider how the programs and the exercises might impact his or her personality and outlook, as well as contribute to the development of those who have themselves participated in the programs.

Published January 16 2007 by Psychology Press.

: 11:16 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Applying Emotional Intelligence

A Practitioner's Guide

  • Edited by Joseph Ciarrochi, John D. Mayer

The explosion of research on emotional intelligence (EI) in the past decade has provided increasing evidence that EI can be measured reliably and can be useful in predicting important outcomes, such as managerial effectiveness and relationship quality.

Naturally, people are now asking, “So, how does one improve EI?”. Applying Emotional Intelligence collects the most important programs focused on that idea, and enquires of their originators, “What do you do?”, “Why do you do it?”, and, “What is the evidence for your approach?”.

The emphasis of the book is applied, in that it provides and contrasts concrete examples of what we do in our interventions in a wide variety of situations. The chapters present descriptions of programs, including specific activities and exercises that influence emotional knowledge and social effectiveness more generally. While practical in its focus, this book also discusses the theoretical bases for these approaches.

These are new programs with outcomes that are now beginning to be studied. The book presents the most important and recent research findings that examine the efficacy of these programs. Applying Emotional Intelligence is a “must-read” for anyone interested in EI and its application. This book will be of interest to researchers conducting EI intervention research, as well as a wide variety of practitioners, including those interested in developing EI in organizations, health areas, clinical populations, and school-age settings. Finally, the book is designed to be relevant to the reader’s own life, encouraging the reader to consider how the programs and the exercises might impact his or her personality and outlook, as well as contribute to the development of those who have themselves participated in the programs.

ISBN: 9781841694610

Published January 16 2007 by Psychology Press.

January 15, 2007: 10:15 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Adulthood

Adulthood is an accessible text which deals with the vital area of adult psychological development. It combines detailed accounts of the main theories and evidence on the psychology of adulthood with thorough discussion and commentary, presented in a concise and friendly form. The book’s approach encourages engagement with the main theories of this highly relevant topic, as well as including less well-known models of adulthood for discussion.

The book begins with a definition of lifespan psychology, and further chapters include early and middle adulthood; the life events approach; marriage; parenting; divorce; and old age. It includes some modern slants on the classic research, as well as the up-to-date theories, and alternative theories are introduced. Cross-cultural issues and examples have been included in every chapter, and various biases are identified and explained. The final section has sample essays on this topic with extremely helpful examiner’s comments, as well as a useful glossary.

Evie Bentley has written an ideal guide to this topic, which requires little or no background knowledge. It provides a useful introduction for both A-level and undergraduate students of psychology or sociology, and will also be of interest to anyone in the health or social care professions and to those with a general interest in developmental psychology.

Published January 15 2007 by Routledge.

January 10, 2007: 5:10 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Everyday Memory

This book presents an authoritative overview of memory in everyday contexts. Written by an expert team of international authors, it gathers together research on some of the more neglected but revealing areas of memory, to provide a comprehensive overview of remembering in real life situations.

Contributions from leading experts deal with a variety of important questions concerning everyday memory, from under-researched areas such as memory for odours, to more well known areas, like collective memory. Topics covered also include:

  • Beliefs about memory and the metaphors used to discuss memory
  • The relation between self-referent beliefs and actual memory performance
  • The development of autobiographical memory

Everyday Memory summarises current knowledge and presents new interpretations and hypotheses to be explored by future research. It discusses aspects of human memory which are frequently ignored or dealt with only very briefly by ordinary textbooks and as a result will have a broad appeal for researchers and students.

Published January 10 2007 by Psychology Press.

: 5:10 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Everyday Memory

  • Edited by Svein Magnussen, Tore Helstrup

This book presents an authoritative overview of memory in everyday contexts. Written by an expert team of international authors, it gathers together research on some of the more neglected but revealing areas of memory, to provide a comprehensive overview of remembering in real life situations.

Contributions from leading experts deal with a variety of important questions concerning everyday memory, from under-researched areas such as memory for odours, to more well known areas, like collective memory. Topics covered also include:
* Beliefs about memory and the metaphors used to discuss memory
* The relation between self-referent beliefs and actual memory
performance
* The development of autobiographical memory.

<I>Everyday Memory<I> summarises current knowledge and presents new interpretations and hypotheses to be explored by future research. It discusses aspects of human memory which are frequently ignored or dealt with only very briefly by ordinary textbooks and as a result will have a broad appeal for researchers and students.

ISBN: 9781841695792

Published January 11 2007 by Psychology Press.

December 31, 2006: 8:01 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Fundamentals of Cognition

How come some people always remember a face?

Is it really possible to do two things at once?

Fundamentals of Cognition is a clear and reader-friendly introduction that will help students understand and answer these kinds of questions. Taking his cue from modern cognitive psychology, and drawing from coverage in his previous book, Principles of Cognitive Psychology, 2nd Edition, which this book replaces, Mike Eysenck explores the key processes that allow us to make sense of the world around us. Whether we are aware of their workings or not, our abilities in attention, perception, learning, memory, language, problem solving, thinking and reasoning all help us to make decisions about how to cope with everyday life. This book takes a close look at all the relevant key findings and issues. It also offers accessible explanations of the more complex debates which spring up around them.

Fundamentals of Cognition guides students through all the classic topics in cognitive psychology. New research from approaches in cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience is integrated and evaluated in a lively (but systematic) approach. The book provides a broad overview of current thinking and a thorough evaluation of the various theoretical approaches to basic cognitive processes. Written with introductory level students in mind, it can be read easily by those with no previous knowledge of cognitive psychology. However, it also includes directions for more detailed and advanced study.

Published January 01 2007 by Psychology Press.

: 8:01 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Fundamentals of Cognition

How come some people always remember a face?

Is it really possible to do two things at once?

Fundamentals of Cognition is a clear and reader-friendly introduction that will help students understand and answer these kinds of questions. Taking his cue from modern cognitive psychology, and drawing from coverage in his previous book, Principles of Cognitive Psychology, 2nd Edition, which this book replaces, Mike Eysenck explores the key processes that allow us to make sense of the world around us. Whether we are aware of their workings or not, our abilities in attention, perception, learning, memory, language, problem solving, thinking and reasoning all help us to make decisions about how to cope with everyday life. This book takes a close look at all the relevant key findings and issues. It also offers accessible explanations of the more complex debates which spring up around them.

Fundamentals of Cognition guides students through all the classic topics in cognitive psychology. New research from approaches in cognitive science and cognitive neuroscience is integrated and evaluated in a lively (but systematic) approach. The book provides a broad overview of current thinking and a thorough evaluation of the various theoretical approaches to basic cognitive processes. Written with introductory level students in mind, it can be read easily by those with no previous knowledge of cognitive psychology. However, it also includes directions for more detailed and advanced study.

Published January 01 2007 by Psychology Press.

December 22, 2006: 5:22 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

The Bilingualism Reader

The Bilingualism Reader is the definitive reader for the study of bilingualism. Designed as an integrated and structured student resource it provides invaluable editorial material that guides the reader through different sections and covers:

  • definitions and typology of bilingualism
  • language choice and bilingual interaction
  • bilingualism, identity and ideology
  • grammar of code-switching and bilingual acquisition
  • bilingual production and perception
  • the bilingual brain
  • methodological issues in the study of bilingualism.

The second edition of this best selling volume includes nine new chapters and postscripts written by the authors of the original articles, who evaluate them in the light of recent research. Critical discussion of research methods, revised graded study questions and activities, a comprehensive glossary, and an up-to-date resource list make The Bilingualism Reader an essential introductory text for students of linguistics, psychology and education.

Published December 22 2006 by Routledge.

: 5:22 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

The Bilingualism Reader

The Bilingualism Reader is the definitive reader for the study of bilingualism. Designed as an integrated and structured student resource it provides invaluable editorial material that guides the reader through different sections and covers:

  • definitions and typology of bilingualism
  • language choice and bilingual interaction
  • bilingualism, identity and ideology
  • grammar of code-switching and bilingual acquisition
  • bilingual production and perception
  • the bilingual brain
  • methodological issues in the study of bilingualism.

The second edition of this best selling volume includes nine new chapters and postscripts written by the authors of the original articles, who evaluate them in the light of recent research. Critical discussion of research methods, revised graded study questions and activities, a comprehensive glossary, and an up-to-date resource list make The Bilingualism Reader an essential introductory text for students of linguistics, psychology and education.

Published December 22 2006 by Routledge.

December 12, 2006: 7:12 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Cognitive Development

Critical Concepts in Psychology

Cognitive Development is a new title in the Routledge Major Works series, Critical Concepts in Psychology. Edited by Usha Goswami, Director of the Centre for Neuroscience in Education, University of Cambridge, this four-volume collection brings together the essential scholarship covering cognitive development from infancy to early adolescence. The sheer scale of the growth in research output in cognitive development makes this collection especially timely, and meets the demand for a comprehensive reference work to give greater clarity and focus to this theoretically complex and controversial field.

The collection is organized into four themes spanning the main research and teaching areas in the subdiscipline. For each theme, the editor has selected material is included which covers research spanning infancy through to late childhood and early adolescence to give a general developmental picture of the state-of-the-art in each area.

Knowledge about the physical world of objects and events (‘naïve physics’) has been described as a ‘foundational’ domain for cognitive development and Volume 1 (‘Objects and Concepts: The Physical World’) contains the very best empirical and theoretical work showing how infants and children come to understand objects and the physical laws governing their interactions, and how they come to understand the kinds of ‘stuff’ in the world, developing object concepts and categories.

Volume 2 (‘Language Development and the Psychological World’) gathers the most significant scholarship on the development of language and the infant’s developing understanding of the psychological world of desires, beliefs and emotions.

At least four types of learning seem fundamental to cognitive development: statistical learning; learning by imitation; learning by analogy and causal learning. Volume 3 (‘Learning, Memory and Reasoning’) collects work on these types of learning, and also brings together key work from the burgeoning literature on the development of memory and reasoning.

The final volume in the collection (‘The Development of Literacy and Numeracy, and Aspects of Atypical Development (Dyslexia, Dyscalculia and Autism)’) collects the essential scholarship on the cognitive developments important for language and number. Also collected in Volume 4 is vital psychological work on some of the most puzzling forms of atypical cognitive development, including autism, dyslexia and dyscalculia.

The collected materials are supplemented by an introduction to each volume, newly written by the editor, together with a full index. It is destined to be welcomed by cognitive development scholars—and those working in allied subdisciplines—as an invaluable reference resource.

Published December 12 2006 by Psychology Press.

: 7:12 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Automaticity and Control in Language Processing

The use of language is a fundamental component of much of our day-to-day life. Language often co-occurs with other activities with which it must be coordinated. This raises the question of whether the cognitive processes involved in planning spoken utterances and in understanding them are autonomous or whether they are affected by, and perhaps affect, non-linguistic cognitive processes, with which they might share processing resources. This question is the central concern of Automaticity and Control in Language Processing.

The chapters address key issues concerning the relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic processes, including:

  • How can the degree of automaticity of a component be defined?
  • Which linguistic processes are truly automatic, and which require processing capacity?
  • Through which mechanisms can control processes affect linguistic performance? How might these mechanisms be represented in the brain?
  • How do limitations in working memory and executive control capacity affect linguistic performance and language re-learning in persons with brain damage?

This important collection from leading international researchers will be of great interest to researchers and students in the area.

Published December 12 2006 by Psychology Press.

: 7:12 am: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Automaticity and Control in Language Processing

  • Edited by Antje Meyer, Linda Wheeldon, Andrea Krott

The use of language is a fundamental component of much of our day-to-day life. Language often co-occurs with other activities with which it must be coordinated. This raises the question of whether the cognitive processes involved in planning spoken utterances and in understanding them are autonomous or whether they are affected by, and perhaps affect, non-linguistic cognitive processes, with which they might share processing resources. This question is the central concern of Automaticity and Control in Language Processing.

The chapters address key issues concerning the relationship between linguistic and non-linguistic processes, including:

  • How can the degree of automaticity of a component be defined?
  • Which linguistic processes are truly automatic, and which require processing capacity?
  • Through which mechanisms can control processes affect linguistic performance? How might these mechanisms be represented in the brain?
  • How do limitations in working memory and executive control capacity affect linguistic performance and language re-learning in persons with brain damage?

This important collection from leading international researchers will be of great interest to researchers and students in the area.

ISBN: 9781841696508

Published December 14 2006 by Psychology Press.

October 31, 2006: 8:01 pm: Cognitive Psychology Arena - New TitlesUncategorized

Magda B. Arnold's Contributions to Emotion Research and Theory

Magda B. Arnold (1903-2002), is a pioneering figure of 20th Century emotions research whose pathbreaking and comprehensive theory of emotion is an ambitious fusion of research in cognition, motivation, neuroscience, and personality. Contributors’ reviews and critiques of Arnold’s work offer a panorama of 20th Century emotion science, revealing where progress has been made, particularly in understanding appraisal processes, and highlighting issues that emotions researchers continue to grapple with, especially questions concerning emotion and value, optimal human functioning, and the complexity of affective and motivational pathways in the brain.

Initially drawn to study emotion in the early 1940s because of her interest in personality psychology, Magda Arnold became a leader in the revival of the psychology of emotion, long neglected while behaviourism was the prevailing paradigm. Arnold’s life story is no less complex and inspiring than her multifaceted view of human emotion. She was a woman in a field substantially dominated by men, a devout Roman Catholic at a time when the scientific objectivity of Catholic scholars was questioned, and an immigrant, first to Canada and then the U.S., whose early life had provided her with no advantages and little opportunity.

Contributors provide insight into the intellectual forebears and theoretical scope of Arnold’s emotion theory, and apply her insights to illuminate pressing questions that face contemporary researchers of emotion, motivation, and affective neuroscience.

Published November 01 2006 by Psychology Press.