Applied Life Studies

Offers a collection of psychological interpretations of the stories, rituals, motifs, symbols, doctrines, dogmas, and experiences of the world's religious and mythological traditions. This encyclopedia applies a wide range of psychological approaches to understanding the form and content of religious and spiritual experience.

Adolescence is a pivotal period of development with respect to health and illness. It is during adolescence that many positive health behaviors are consolidated and important health risk behaviors are first evident; thus, adolescence is a logical time period for primary prevention. In addition, the predominant causes of morbidity and mortality in adolescence are quite different from those of adults, indicating that early identification and treatment of adolescent health problems must be directed to a unique set of targets in this age group. Moreover, because of the particular developmental issues that characterize adolescence, intervention efforts designed for adults are often inappropriate or ineffective in an adolescent population. Even when chronic illnesses are congenital or begin in childhood, the manner in which the transition from childhood to adolescence to young adulthood is negotiated has important implications for disease outcomes throughout the remainder of the person's life span.Organized in five major sections (General Issues, Developmental Issues, Treatment and Training, Mental Health, and Physical Health) and 44 chapters, Handbook of Adolescent Health Psychology addresses the common and not so common health issues that tend to affect adolescents. Coverage includes:▪ Context and perspectives in adolescent health psychology▪ Health literacy, health maintenance, and disease prevention in adolescence▪ Physical disorders such as asthma, obesity, physical injury, and chronic pain▪ Psychological disorders such as substance abuse, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, depression, and eating disorders▪ Congenital chronic diseases such as type 1 diabetes and spina bifidaHandbook of Adolescent Health Psychology is the definitive reference for pediatricians, family physicians, health psychologists, clinical social workers, rehabilitation specialists, and all practitioners and researchers working with adolescents.

Topics in Applied Psychology offers a range of accessible, integrated texts ideal for courses in applied psychology. The books are written by leading figures in their field and provide a comprehensive academic and professional insight into each topic. They incorporate a range of features to bring psychology to life including case histories, research methods, ethical debate and learner activities. Each chapter opens with learning objectives to consolidate key points. A reading list and sample essay questions at the end of chapters enable further independent study. The series also offers an appreciation of multiple perspectives, examines the relationship between psychology and other cognate disciplines and discusses recent developments in each field. Topics in Applied Psychology will provide you with the tools you need to engage with, enjoy and understand your applied psychology discipline, ultimately ensuring confidence and success in exams as well as a comprehensive grounding in the profession. Health Psychology guides the reader through core issues in health psychology research and practice. Each chapter builds on previous ones so that the text provides an overview of the field rather than presenting a compendium of topics. The book discusses mechanisms, models and methods and examines how biological, cognitive, affective and social processes impact on health and illness. It also explores how stress and coping mechanisms affect health behaviours and the psychological determinants of health behaviour. Two chapters focus on how psychological research can be applied to change health-related attitudes and behaviours. Communication between the patient and practitioner is examined as is the role of the health psychologist. The integrated and interactive approach, combined with the comprehensive coverage, make this book the ideal companion for courses in health psychology.Other books in the series include: Clinical Psychology, Criminal Psychology, Educational Psychology, Organizational and Work Psychology and Sport and Exercise Psychology.

This is an accessible and comprehensive guide to all the major topics of health psychology, including a new chapter on women's health. It is essential reading for all students and researchers of health psychology and for students of medicine, nursing and allied health courses.

While current textbooks in health psychology offer the reader some conceptual reasoning about different aspects of the discipline, there is no one source which provides an accessible, navigable and cross-referenced analysis of the major models and ideas in health psychology. Key Concepts in Health Psychology provides a `one stop' analysis of key issues, theories, models and methods in contemporary health psychology. It enables the reader to engage with a full range of approaches and methods in the field, and importantly to be able to appreciate the relationships between these.

The Oxford Handbook of Sport and Performance Psychology includes the latest research and applied perspectives from leaders in the field of performance psychology. Current and comprehensive, this foundational volume presents sport and performance psychology from myriad perspectives, including: - individual psychological processes in performance such as attention, imagery, superior performance intelligence, motivation, anxiety, confidence, cognition and emotion - the social psychological processes in performance including leadership, teamwork, coaching, relationships, moral behavior, and gender and cultural issues - human development issues in performance, such as the development of talent and expertise, positive youth development, the role of the family, end of involvement transitions, and both youth and masters-level sport and physical activity programs - interventions in sport and performance psychology and counseling of performers in distress including such important issues for all performers as: appearance- and performance-enhancing drug use, injuries, managing pain, eating and weight issues, burnout, and the role of physical activity in maintaining health. The chapters collected here also cover the history of sport and performance psychology; the scope and nature of the field; ethical issues in sport and performance psychology; performance psychology in the performing arts and other non-sporting fields; perfectionism and performance; the role of the performance coach and of the sport psychologist with a coach and team; supervision; and a look ahead to the future of the field.

Positive Psychology and Adult Motivation examines the cognitions, traits, and contexts of behavior that are associated with optimal development and resilience through the entire life course. The book investigates the personal psychological development through the stages of emerging adulthood, full adulthood, middle age, and old age as individuals and how they respond positively to them. It explores which traits are needed and which aspects of the environment help a person to truly flourish, thrive and grow. The volume describes the development of resilience as well as other characteristics that will assist individuals in overcoming challenges through adult development.

This introductory social psychology textbook is unique. It acknowledges the two very different approaches being taken to social psychology - experimental and critical - and presents them together in a single, coherent text. No attempt is made to find a cosy 'integration' between them; rather, students explore the benefits and drawbacks of each. The book encourages students to develop their skills of critical analysis by addressing such questions as: -What is social psychology: a natural science, a social science, a human science or something else? -How should social psychology be studied: by doing experiments or by analysing discourse? The book has a number of features that provide a broad context for addressing these questions: -An introduction to the experimental approach, including the study of social influence, attitudes, attribution, groups, language and communication -An introduction to the critical approach, including semiotics, social constructionist and grounded theories, and discourse and narrative analyses -An exploration of the historical origins and development of the two approaches, their philosophical bases and the contrasting 'logics of enquiry' they use to pursue empirical research By studying experimental and critical approaches presented together rather than separately, students gain a richer and deeper understanding of what social psychology in the 21st century is about, where it is going and the issues it must address.

This book offers a student-friendly introduction to the discipline of sport psychology. All the key psychological issues in sport are explored,nbsp;and difficult questions are raised: are athletes born or made? Doesnbsp;playing sport affect personality? Whatnbsp;effect do cultural beliefs have on personal sporting development?nbsp; Matt Jarvis has substantially revised and expanded his original coverage of the subject fromnbsp;the highly successful first edition (Sport Psychology (1999) in the Routledge Modular Psychology series). Here he provides a succinct but comprehensive account of major theory and research in sport psychology, whilst maintaining the readable style and student-centred approach which made the previous book so successful. Key issues covered include: Personality and sport Attitudes to sport Aggression Social factors affecting performance Arousal and anxiety Motivation and skill acquisition. There is an emphasis not merely on learning about sport psychology, but also on developing critical and creative thinking. In addition, the book includes chapters on conducting research and writing essays in sport psychology, as well as reflective exercises throughout the text. nbsp;

Themes, Issues, and Debates in Psychology, Third Edition cuts across the traditional boundaries found in most textbooks and syllabuses between broad areas or fields in psychology, bringing together ideas from across the subjects. Because of its thematic approach, the book is of great value to a wide range of students from A level to undergraduate. This new edition contains a completely new chapter on 'positive psychology' and is fully revised and updated. The book also includes summaries, further reading, and lists of useful websites. The book's central aim is to integrate topics, theories, and areas of research that are usually treated as separate and unrelated. This complements the topic-based approach by: broadening discussion of 'traditional' areas, such as personality, abnormal behavior, sex differences, and the history and nature of psychology; and adopting a critical approach to these topic areas. This more critical approach is reflected in the frequent discussion of social constructionism, including the related areas of feminist, critical, and discursive psychology. There is also discussion of philosophical and theoretical issues and debates, such as ethics, free will, and determinism, and consciousness, and the mind-brain relationship. Every chapter includes material familiar to students from other textbooks and from their classes. The book is designed to stimulate critical thinking and to encourage a broader, more integrated approach to essay-writing and seminar presentations. As well as the new chapter on 'positive psychology,' all chapters from the second edition have been fully revised adn updated. With excellent chapter summaries, useful websites, and suggestions for further reading, Themes, Issues, and Debates in Psychology, Third Edition remains an ideal text for all students wishing to view their subject in a way that is more true to our lives.