The Science of Lay Theories

The Science of Lay Theories PDF Author: Claire M. Zedelius
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319573063
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 380

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Book Description
This timely and important collection broadens our understanding of the ways in which lay theories (also known as folk psychologies, implicit theories, naïve theories, or mindsets) impact our lives and social relations. Moving well beyond lay theories as applied to intelligence and achievement, this volume considers lay theories in an admirably wide context, including perspectives on prejudice, creativity, self-regulation, health, free will, justice, magic, religion and more. Eminent and emerging scholars alike provide a comprehensive overview that presents and synthesizes cutting edge contemporary research on lay theories, spanning social, cognitive, developmental, cultural, and clinical psychology. Structurally, this volume is organized in three parts. Beginning with a preface by renowned scholar Carol Dweck, the first part looks at the origins and nature of lay theories, and how malleable they are. The second part explores lay theories about common psychological phenomena. The third section discusses lay theories about the metaphysical or supernatural. Finally, the last section explores the important question of how lay theories impact health and health behavior. Taken together, the chapters provide an integrative survey of the science of lay theories, bringing together many perspectives that previously have been studied largely in isolation. This volume is more than the sum of its parts—perspectives from different strands of research provide insights that cut across research disciplines, making novel connections and prompting new directions for this field of study. Shedding light on how our beliefs shape all facets of our lives, The Science of Lay Theories: How Beliefs Shape Our Cognition, Behavior, and Health will appeal to researchers and practitioners in psychology, as well as philosophers, cognitive and developmental neuroscientists, religious scholars, sociologists, and anthropologists. It is very rare to say of an edited volume of scholarly chapters “I couldn’t put it down!” Yet that was the case with this book. It’s not just that I have worked in this field for many years, but rather, with every chapter I felt I was gaining new insights into what, deep down, people really believe and how these beliefs influence their lives—Carol Dweck, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

The Science of Lay Theories

The Science of Lay Theories PDF Author: Claire M. Zedelius
Publisher: Springer
ISBN: 3319573063
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 380

Get Book Here

Book Description
This timely and important collection broadens our understanding of the ways in which lay theories (also known as folk psychologies, implicit theories, naïve theories, or mindsets) impact our lives and social relations. Moving well beyond lay theories as applied to intelligence and achievement, this volume considers lay theories in an admirably wide context, including perspectives on prejudice, creativity, self-regulation, health, free will, justice, magic, religion and more. Eminent and emerging scholars alike provide a comprehensive overview that presents and synthesizes cutting edge contemporary research on lay theories, spanning social, cognitive, developmental, cultural, and clinical psychology. Structurally, this volume is organized in three parts. Beginning with a preface by renowned scholar Carol Dweck, the first part looks at the origins and nature of lay theories, and how malleable they are. The second part explores lay theories about common psychological phenomena. The third section discusses lay theories about the metaphysical or supernatural. Finally, the last section explores the important question of how lay theories impact health and health behavior. Taken together, the chapters provide an integrative survey of the science of lay theories, bringing together many perspectives that previously have been studied largely in isolation. This volume is more than the sum of its parts—perspectives from different strands of research provide insights that cut across research disciplines, making novel connections and prompting new directions for this field of study. Shedding light on how our beliefs shape all facets of our lives, The Science of Lay Theories: How Beliefs Shape Our Cognition, Behavior, and Health will appeal to researchers and practitioners in psychology, as well as philosophers, cognitive and developmental neuroscientists, religious scholars, sociologists, and anthropologists. It is very rare to say of an edited volume of scholarly chapters “I couldn’t put it down!” Yet that was the case with this book. It’s not just that I have worked in this field for many years, but rather, with every chapter I felt I was gaining new insights into what, deep down, people really believe and how these beliefs influence their lives—Carol Dweck, Stanford University, Palo Alto, CA, USA

Lay Theories

Lay Theories PDF Author: Michael Argyle
Publisher: Elsevier
ISBN: 1483286479
Category : Social Science
Languages : en
Pages : 267

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Book Description
Lay theories - the informal, common-sense explanations people give for particular social behaviours - are often very different from formal 'scientific' explanations of what actually happens. While they have been studied in the past, this is the first attempt to review, in detail, the nature of these beliefs. More specifically, it is the first study to consider such fundamental questions as the structure, aetiology, stability and consequence of lay theories about a range of topics. Each chapter covers a different area, such as psychology, psychiatry, medicine, economics, statistics, law and education.

Confronting Prejudice and Discrimination

Confronting Prejudice and Discrimination PDF Author: Robyn K. Mallett
Publisher: Academic Press
ISBN: 0128147164
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 371

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Book Description
Confronting Prejudice and Discrimination: The Science of Changing Minds and Behaviors focuses on confrontation as a strategy for reducing bias and discrimination. The volume tackles questions that people face when they wish to confront bias: What factors influence people's decisions to confront or ignore bias in its various forms? What are the motives and consequences of confrontation? How can confrontation be approached individually, through education and empowerment, and in specific contexts (e.g., health care) to yield favourable outcomes? These questions are paramount in contemporary society, where confrontation of bias is increasingly evident. Moreover, great strides in the scientific study of confrontation in the past 20 years has yielded valuable insights and answers. This volume is an essential resource for students and researchers with an interest in prejudice and prejudice reduction, and will also be valuable to non-academics who wish to stand up to bias through confrontation. - Addresses factors that determine individuals' decisions to confront stereotyping, prejudice and discrimination - Analyzes how personal and collective motives shape responses in confrontation-relevant situations - Examines the consequences of confrontation from the perspectives of targets, perpetrators and bystanders - Provides a roadmap for how to prepare for and engage in successful confrontations at the individual level - Covers confronting bias in various settings including in schools, health care, the workplace and on the internet - Discusses confrontation in the context of racism, sexism, sexual harassment and other forms of bias, including intersectional forms of bias

The Scientific Credibility of Folk Psychology

The Scientific Credibility of Folk Psychology PDF Author: Garth J. O. Fletcher
Publisher: Psychology Press
ISBN: 0805815716
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 124

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Book Description
The examination and evaluation of folk psychology and lay cognition has been carried out predominantly in two domains: personality and social psychology, and the philosophy of psychology. Yet, work in these two areas has largely proceeded independently. The assumption on which this volume is founded is that a proper comparison between scientific cognition and folk ways of thought rests on an adequate study of both science and folk psychology. With this in mind, the author provides an analysis of the intricate, and often hidden, links between these two spheres. In doing so, the book poses two related questions. First, what is the nature of folk psychology and how is it related to scientific psychology? Second, of what should the relationship between folk psychology and scientific psychology consist? In answering these two questions, the author draws extensively from research and arguments in social psychology and social cognition, cognitive science, and the philosophy of science. The interdisciplinary approach gives the book a unique perspective that will be of interest to scholars working in social psychology, cognitive science, and philosophy of science. Written in a concise and accessible style, this volume is suitable for undergraduate and graduate students as well as a general psychological audience.

The Truth of Science

The Truth of Science PDF Author: Roger G. Newton
Publisher: Harvard University Press
ISBN: 9780674910928
Category : Philosophy
Languages : en
Pages : 286

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Book Description
It's not a scientific truth that has come into question lately but the truth--the very notion of scientific truth. Bringing a reasonable voice to the culture wars that have sprung up around this notion, this book offers a clear and constructive response to those who contend, in parodies, polemics and op-ed pieces, that there really is no such thing as verifiable objective truth--without which there could be no such thing as scientific authority. A distinguished physicist with a rare gift for making the most complicated scientific ideas comprehensible, Roger Newton gives us a guided tour of the intellectual structure of physical science. From there he conducts us through the understanding of reality engendered by modern physics, the most theoretically advanced of the sciences. With its firsthand look at models, facts, and theories, intuition and imagination, the use of analogies and metaphors, the importance of mathematics (and now, computers), and the "virtual" reality of the physics of micro-particles, The Truth of Science truly is a practicing scientist's account of the foundations, processes, and value of science. To claims that science is a social construction, Newton answers with the working scientist's credo: "A body of assertions is true if it forms a coherent whole and works both in the external world and in our minds." The truth of science, for Newton, is nothing more or less than a relentless questioning of authority combined with a relentless striving for objectivity in the full awareness that the process never ends. With its lucid exposition of the ideals, methods, and goals of science, his book performs a great feat in service of this truth.

30-Second Theories

30-Second Theories PDF Author: Martin Rees
Publisher: Icon Books Ltd
ISBN: 1848314523
Category : Science
Languages : en
Pages : 224

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Book Description
When it comes to big science, very few things are conclusively known. From Quantum Mechanics to Natural Selection, what we have instead are theories - ideas explain why things happen the way they do. We don't know for certain these are correct - no one ever saw the Big Bang - but with them we can paint beautiful, breathtaking pictures of everything from human behaviour to what the future may hold. Profiling the key scientists behind each theory, "30-Second Theories" presents each entry in a unique, eye-catching full-colour design, with thought-provoking extras and stylish illustrations. It is essential for anyone keen on expanding their mind with science's most thrilling ideas.

The Social Psychology of Stigma

The Social Psychology of Stigma PDF Author: Todd F. Heatherton
Publisher: Guilford Press
ISBN: 9781572309425
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 470

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Book Description
The volume demonstrates that stigma is a normal - albeit undesirable - consequence of people's limited cognitive resources, and of the social information and experiences to which they are exposed. Incorporated are the perspectives of both the perceiver and the target; the relevance of personal and collective identities; and the interplay of affective, cognitive, and behavioral processes. Particular attention is given to how stigmatized persons make meaning of their predicaments, such as by forming alternative, positive group identities.

Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins

Understanding Scientific Theories of Origins PDF Author: Robert C. Bishop
Publisher: InterVarsity Press
ISBN: 0830891641
Category : Religion
Languages : en
Pages : 690

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Book Description
From five authors with over two decades of experience teaching origins together in the classroom, this is the first textbook to offer a full-fledged discussion of the scientific narrative of origins from the Big Bang through humankind, from biblical and theological perspectives. This work gives the reader a detailed picture of mainstream scientific theories of origins along with how they fit into the story of God's creative and redemptive action.

Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology

Handbook of Theories of Social Psychology PDF Author: Paul A M Van Lange
Publisher: SAGE
ISBN: 1473971373
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 1148

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Book Description
Providing a comprehensive exploration of the major developments of social psychological theories that have taken place over the past half century, this innovative two-volume handbook is a state of the art overview of the primary theories and models that have been developed in this vast and fascinating field. Authored by leading international experts, each chapter represents a personal and historical narrative of the theory′s development including the inspirations, critical junctures, and problem-solving efforts that effected theoretical choices and determined the theory′s impact and its evolution. Unique to this handbook, these narratives provide a rich background for understanding how theories are created, nurtured, and shaped over time, and examining their unique contribution to the field as a whole. To examine its societal impact, each theory is evaluated in terms of its applicability to better understanding and solving critical social issues and problems.

Science And Human Behavior

Science And Human Behavior PDF Author: B.F Skinner
Publisher: Simon and Schuster
ISBN: 1476716153
Category : Psychology
Languages : en
Pages : 484

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Book Description
The psychology classic—a detailed study of scientific theories of human nature and the possible ways in which human behavior can be predicted and controlled—from one of the most influential behaviorists of the twentieth century and the author of Walden Two. “This is an important book, exceptionally well written, and logically consistent with the basic premise of the unitary nature of science. Many students of society and culture would take violent issue with most of the things that Skinner has to say, but even those who disagree most will find this a stimulating book.” —Samuel M. Strong, The American Journal of Sociology “This is a remarkable book—remarkable in that it presents a strong, consistent, and all but exhaustive case for a natural science of human behavior…It ought to be…valuable for those whose preferences lie with, as well as those whose preferences stand against, a behavioristic approach to human activity.” —Harry Prosch, Ethics