The Handy Psychology Answer Book seeks to inform readers with accurate data written in a lively, accessible, and engaging way. It bridges the gap by taking you on a journey through the history and science of psychology and showing how psychology affects us all.

Table of Contents

• ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
• PHOTO SOURCES
• INTRODUCTION
• INTRODUCING PSYCHOLOGY
• The Basics
• Psychology Before Psychology
• Psychology in Other Cultures
• History and Pioneers
• Sigmund Freud
• John B. Watson and B.F. Skinner
• Jean Piaget
• MAJOR MOVEMENTS IN PSYCHOLOGY
• Behaviorism
• Gestalt Psychology
• Psychoanalytic Theory
• Jungian Analytical Psychology
• Humanistic Theories
• Attachment Theory
• Sociobiology and Evolutionary Psychology
• Neurobiological Theories
• Cognitive Science
• Psychology as a Science
• Psychological Tests
• Intelligence Testing
• THE BRAIN: ANATOMY AND DEVELOPMENT
• Basic Concepts in Neuroscience
• The Major Structures of the Brain
• Brain Development
• Neurotransmitters and Other Brain Chemicals
• Impact of Environment on the Brain
• FROM BRAIN TO MIND
• The Brain as Mapmaker
• Sensation and Perception
• Motor Behavior and Intentional Action
• Cognition and Behavioral Control
• Emotions
• Emotion and the Limbic System
• Frontal Control of the Limbic System
• Emotions in Mammals
• Charles Darwin's Study of Emotional Expressions
• Jaak Panksepp and Seven Basic Emotional Systems
• PSYCHOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENT ACROSS THE LIFE SPAN
• Freud's Psychosexual Stages
• Erik Erikson's Psychosocial Stages
• Margaret Mahler
• Jean Piaget's Theory of Cognitive Development
• Kohlberg's Stages of Moral Development
• The Role of Culture
• Infancy
• Toddler Years
• Preschool Years (3-5)
• School Age Children (6-11)
• Adolescence (12-18)
• Early Adulthood (19-40)
• Middle Adulthood (40-60)
• Later Adulthood (60 and Older)
• The End of Life: Death and Dying
• THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE: LOVE, MARRIAGE, BABY CARRIAGE
• Love
• Marriage
• The Changing Face of Marriage
• Pregnancy
• Parenting: Becoming a Parent
• Parenting: The Work of Raising a Child
• Family Structure
• Family Dynamics
• Divorce
• Sexuality
• Sexual Orientation
• THE PSYCHOLOGY OF EVERYDAY LIFE: MOTIVATION AND THE SEARCH FOR HAPPINESS
• The Psychology of Happiness
• Positive Psychology
• Optimism
• Happiness across Cultures
• The Psychology of Money
• The Biology of Money
• GROUP DYNAMICS AND THE PUBLIC SPHERE
• Group Dynamics
• Prejudice and Racism
• Morality
• Psychology in the Workplace
• Psychology in the Public Sphere
• Voting Behavior
• ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY: MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL ILLNESS
• Definitions and Classifications
• Major Mental Illnesses
• Disorders of Personality
• Substance Abuse
• Psychotherapy
• Psychopharmacology
• Popular Psychology
• THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TRAUMA
• The Psychological Impact of Trauma
• Child Abuse
• Sexual Abuse
• Domestic Violence
• FORENSIC PSYCHOLOGY
• The Psychology of Criminal Behavior
• Causes of Antisocial Traits
• Specific Forms of Crimes
• Mental Illness and the Law
• Cognition and the Law
• FURTHER READING