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History of Psychology

A Cultural Perspective

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History of Psychology: A Cultural Perspective easily distinguishes itself from other texts in a number of ways. First, it examines the field within the rich intellectual and cultural context of everyday life, cross-cultural influences, and contributions from literature, art, and other disciplines. Second, it is a history of ideas, concepts, and questions, instead of dates, events, or great minds. Third, the book explores the history of applied, developmental, clinical, and cognitive psychology as well as experimental psychology.

Conveyed in a lively writing style, this text tells a gripping story that continues to the present day. Its current perspective allows students to connect the history of the field to the work being published in current journals. O’Boyle writes in the “historical present”, giving readers a sense of immediacy and aliveness as they journey through history. Her account uses imaginative new features, including “The Times”, which gives readers a feel for what everyday life was like during the age discussed in the chapter. Descriptions of ordinary life, as well as information about important issues influencing their lives such as wars, social movements, famines, and plagues, pique students' interest. "Stop and Think" questions, scattered throughout, enhance retention and encourage critical thinking.

An ideal text for a history of psychology or history and systems of psychology course, this creative new book will also appeal to those with a general interest in the field.

The Instructor’s Resource CD, written by the text author, includes class activities and demonstrations, suggestions for small group and class discussions, a list of films and videos related to the material in each chapter, and a test bank with objective and essay questions.

Table of Contents

Contents: Foreword. Preface. Origins of Psychological Thought: Why Do Other People Have Such Bizarre Beliefs and Behave So Strangely? From Greek Philosophy to the Middle Ages: What and How Do We Believe? From an Age of Spirits to Humanism: How Many Angels Can Dance on the Head of a Pin? The Birth of Science: Is There Anything You Cannot Doubt? Philosophical Answers to Psychological Questions: If a Tree Falls in the Forest and There Is No One Around to Hear It, Does It Make a Sound? Physiological to Experimental Psychology: Can Consciousness Be Inspected? A Divided Discipline: What Is the Function of Mind? A Science of Behavior: Is Consciousness a Myth? Paradigms Proliferate: Is There an Unconscious Mind? Age of Theory: Why Are There So Many Different Psychological Theories? When Motivation Is the Question: Why Do We Do What We Do? The Mind Returns: What Questions Are Psychologists Exploring Now?

Reviews

"…the book is very well and clearly written, educated readers interested in the history of ideas and how modern psychology developed from these ideas will find it valuable. This book is designed to be used as a text in an undergraduate history of psychology class. The inclusion of a cultural focus along with the intellectual; history of ideas is a strength of this book and makes for lively and interesting reading."—PsycCRITIQUES

“I find the project clever, bold, creative, and original, and believe that it might even generate a new trend in the teaching of the history of psychology…It is a breath of fresh air in a field in which there tends to be little variation among the…mainstream texts…“The Times” section…gives students a feel for what everyday life was like during the age… The consistent use of the present tense…generates a vivid immediacy to the ideas being discussed… This is…a fascinating, often fast-paced story that should generate interest and resonance in many students… I enjoyed reading it.” —Michael Wertheimer, Ph.D. University of Colorado at Boulder

“…It provides a fresh approach to the subject…the…strength of the book…lies in its approach …by placing changes in…historical and cultural contexts.”—Alfred H. Fuchs, Ph.D. Bowdoin College

“There is a need for such a book…. O’Boyle is intelligent and her book is smart…”—John C. Malone, Ph.D. University of Tennessee at Knoxville