Module 1. The History and Scope of Psychology

A smile is a smile the world around Throughout this book, you will see examples not only of our cultural and gender diversity but also of the similarities that define our shared human nature. People in different cultures vary in when and how often they smile, but a naturally happy smile means the same thing anywhere in the world.

Roy Toft/National Geographic/Getty Images / Antonia Brune

• Have you ever found yourself reacting to something as one of your biological parents would—perhaps in a way you vowed you never would—and then wondered how much of your personality you inherited? To what extent do genes predispose our individual personality differences? To what extent do home and community environments shape us?

• Have you ever worried about how to act among people of a different culture, race, gender, or sexual orientation? In what ways are we alike as members of the human family? How do we differ?

• Have you ever awakened from a nightmare and, with a wave of relief, wondered why you had such a crazy dream? How often, and why, do we dream?

• Have you ever played peekaboo with a 6-month-old and wondered why the baby finds the game so delightful? What do babies actually perceive and think?

• Have you ever wondered what fosters school and work success? Are some people just born smarter? Does sheer intelligence explain why some people get richer, think more creatively, or relate more sensitively?

• Have you ever become depressed or anxious and wondered whether you’ll ever feel “normal”? What triggers our bad moods—and our good ones? What’s the line between a normal mood swing and a psychological disorder?