Content Changes

Content Changes

Psychology in Everyday Life, Third Edition, includes more than 600 new research citations, a new study system that reflects the latest in cognitive psychology research on retention, a revised chapter organization, a fresh new design, and many fun new photos and cartoons. In addition, you will find the following, significant con tent changes in this new third edition.

CHAPTER 1
Psychology’s Roots, Big Ideas, and Critical Thinking Tools

• New illustration introduces biopsychosocial perspective more effectively.
• Chapter organization lightly modified and improved. (For example, naturalistic observation is now covered before surveys rather than after, and illusory correlations coverage removed.)
• Now introduces basic research/applied research distinction.
• Now introduces health psychologists; and new forensic psychology example and photo.
• Now includes discussion of Perceiving Order in Random Events, with World Cup photo example.
• New current event examples incorporated.
• New research support for hindsight bias.
• Scientific method now illustrated with theory about sleep’s value for effective learning.
• New case study photo example of Freud’s work with Little Hans.
• New survey data examples.
• New pornography experimental versus correlational study example.
• New research examples of the placebo effect in athletes and others.
• U.S. health insurance controversy used as new example of effect of wording on survey results.
• Now includes discussion of confounding variables.
• Discussion of experimental ethics expanded; new key terms informed consent and debriefing.
• Now closes with new section titled Improve Your Retention—And Your Grades detailing the testing effect and how to apply it effectively to learning with this text.

CHAPTER 2
The Biology of Mind and Consciousness

• New chapter introduction tells the story of a brain tumor changing a man’s sexual behavior.
• New coverage of glial cells.
• New illustration of serotonin pathways in the brain.
• Expanded illustration of the functional divisions of the nervous system.
• Clarified discussion of reflexes. New research example of reflex speed and size of organism.
• New coverage of oxytocin’s effects on physical and social responses.
• New example of woman with destroyed amygdala experiencing no fear.
• New neuroscience research suggesting that there is no one “God spot” in the brain that is activated during religious experiences.
• New photo series shows neural prosthetic in action.
• New research demonstrates the role of dopamine in pleasant experiences and memories.
• Coverage of language in the brain moved to Chapter 8.
• New coverage of brain plasticity in those who are blind or deaf.
• Brain plasticity and music therapy demonstrated with example of Gabrielle Giffords.
• Expanded coverage of conscious awareness, with several new research examples.
• Selective attention discussion expanded, with new research examples related to cell phones and driving.
• Additional research support for some level of awareness—via brain response—in noncommunicative patients.
• Change blindness is now a key term, with additional narrative coverage.
• This chapter adopts the new American Academy of Sleep Medicine classification of sleep stages (REM, NREM-1, NREM-2, and NREM-3).
• New art illustrates sleep times of various animals.
• New coverage of effects of sleep deprivation—reducing memory, athletic performance, driving safety, immune system functioning, and longevity, and increasing depression rates (in adolescents and adults) and cyberloafing.
• New, improved art for Stages in a Typical Night’s Sleep, with new graphs comparing sleep among older and younger adults.
• Improved, expanded sleep tips.
• New anatomical art shows physiological effects of sleep deprivation (in the brain, immune system, and stomach and reflected in blood pressure and weight).
• New table compares dream theories.

CHAPTER 3
Developing Through the Life Span

• David Myers’ personal story now opens the chapter.
• New discussion of epigenetics, with new art, elaborates gene-environment interaction.
• Infant sensory abilities expanded with new research on smell, and long-term learned preferences.
• New discussion of assimilation and accommodation.
• Autism spectrum disorder discussion significantly revised to match DSM-5 update, with new research.
• Expanded discussion of value of the Harlow experiments.
• New research stories of devastating effects on children of Romanian and other poorly run orphanages, but value from quality orphanages in some communities, with new photo.
• Now includes epigenetics of child abuse effects.
• New coverage suggests trauma may boost resilience.
• Parenting Styles expanded with new cross-cultural research.
• New research explains emotional stability and agreeableness changes in late adolescence, and gender differences in adolescent challenges.
• New coverage of moral intuition and automatic moral responses.
• New research expands Emerging Adulthood discussion.
• New social networking research updates peer relationship discussion.
• New research on sexuality in middle adulthood.
• Aging and Intelligence moved to Chapter 8.
• New research explores many older adults’ reluctance to embrace new technologies.
• New subsection on Sustaining Mental Abilities.
• New discussion of what maintains (exercise) and what wears down (aging, smoking, obesity, stress) the telomeres.
• New research, with new graph, suggests well-being relates to time spent socializing, for all ages.
• Dementia is now neurocognitive disorder (DSM-5 update).
• New research explains neuroscience of age-related moderating of emotional experiences, and overall more positive interpretations with age.
• Includes discussion of new research on persistence of personality traits throughout life, the link between self-control and less trouble later, and the connection between smiling school photos and later marriage success (with new illustrations).

CHAPTER 4
Gender and Sexuality

• New co-author Nathan DeWall led the revision of this chapter for the third edition.
• Revised introduction includes new gender diversity story.
• Gender and Social Power expanded and improved with new research throughout, including gender inequality in advanced career positions.
• New research on gender differences in aggression, with relational aggression now a key term.
• New research on gender differences in size of social network.
• New key term spermarche.
• New research updates discussion of earlier puberty.
• Gender Development expanded with new research on evolution of pink and blue gender colors, and the discussion of transgender.
• New research details gender similarities in self-esteem.
• Gender and Social Connections includes new research on gender differences in texting behavior, on differences in vocational interests, and on changing gender-related attitudes for parents.
• The Nature of Gender updated with new research throughout, including relationship between prenatal testosterone exposure and later male-typical play and athletic success. Includes new section on Variations on Sexual Development.
• New research expands discussion of Hormones and Sexual Behavior.
• New research updates and expands discussion of changing gender roles in U.S. academia, and cross-cultural perspectives on women at work.
• Psychology of Sex updated with new research.
• New section on Sexual Dysfunctions and Paraphilias with DSM-5 updates; includes enhanced discussion of sexual disorders in women.
• Discussion of Sexually Transmitted Infections updated with new information about oral sex.
• Sexual Orientation statistics updated with new research.
• Biology and Sexual Orientation updated with new research.
• New research enhances coverage of Sex and Human Values.
• New research updates Natural Selection and Mating Preferences.

CHAPTER 5
Sensation and Perception

• Now includes explanation of bottom-up and top-down processing with new photo example.
• New coverage of the adaptation of emotion perception, with “try this” photo example.
• New research describes effects of motivation and emotion on our perceptions.
• New coverage of face recognition in the brain, with new anatomical art.
• Now includes complete coverage of color vision.
• New coverage of the experience of hearing loss; includes sensorineural and conduction hearing loss and new coverage of cochlear implants, with new art.
• New research on recent increased hearing loss among teens.
• New research-based discussion of gender, genetic, and environmental effects on experience of pain.
• Two new sports examples of the powerful effect of distraction on the experience of pain.
• New research on the effects of various smells on our attitudes and behaviors.
• New cognitive neuroscience research helps explain smell-cognition connection.
• Expanded coverage of Sensory Interaction is now its own section (previously mentioned within Taste) and now includes embodied cognition.
• New research expands discussion of gender differences in sensory experiences.
• New research on effects of action video games developing spatial skills.

CHAPTER 6
Learning

• New art illustrates operant conditioning.
• Now includes discussion of Thorndike’s law of effect, with new photos and graph.
• New research on subtle effects of learned associations.
• New research demonstrates process of learning healthy habits, and how long it takes to learn a habit.
• New research example suggests we generalize our dislike based on learned facial features.
• Now includes information on what happened to “Little Albert.”
• New research example of extinguishing a learned fear of flying.
• Improved table compares Ways to Decrease Behavior.
• Now includes coverage, with new neuroscience research, on vicarious reinforcement and vicarious punishment via observed models.
• New neuroscience research suggests we unconsciously synchronize behaviors with those we are observing; leads to cravings for smokers observing others’ smoking.
• New research suggests that observing risk-taking increases real-life risk-taking.
• New research examples update media violence viewing/violent behavior discussion.

CHAPTER 7
Memory

• Follows a new for mat, and more clearly explains how different brain networks process and retain memories. David Myers worked closely with Janie Wilson, Professor of Psychology at Georgia Southern University and Vice President for Programming of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, in this chapter’s revision.
• New music recognition research example.
• Now includes separate section on memory in the brain, with new research and more detail on brain locations where memories are processed and retained.
• New research on persistence of emotion even in brain-damaged patients who cannot form new conscious memories.
• Atkinson-Shiffrin’s three-stage model de-emphasized in favor of more current theories.
• Levels of Processing reconceptualized and improved.
• Memory subsystems clarified and simplified as automatic versus effortful, with implicit/explicit differences presented within that simpler organization; details provided about brain areas for these differing memory functions.
• New section presents Measures of Retention.
• Coverage of working memory updated and expanded with new research and new art; includes new research on effects of multitasking at various ages.
• New discussion with new research on the testing effect and other study tips, including best times to study and effects of spacing on memory over time. With link to Myers’ explanatory YouTube animation.
• New research shows that learning increases synaptic number as well as efficiency, with new application examples.
• New research describes tunnel-vision memory, and our better memories of personal best experiences.
• New research example expands discussion of emotions and memory.
• Updated coverage of Henry Molaison’s case, including new photo of those studying and preserving his brain.
• New discussion, with new research, of inaccurate autobiographical memories.
• Memory construction now demonstrated with Myers’ personal experience at Loftus presentation.
• New coverage of effects of priming on negative and positive behaviors.
• New research and examples expand discussion of misinformation effect and its influence on attitudes and behaviors.

CHAPTER 8
Thinking, Language, and Intelligence

• Updated and improved discussion of why we fear the wrong things, with new research and new illustrations.
• New research and examples improve framing discussion.
• New research suggests value of employing intuition for complex decisions.
• Now includes more information about the development of creative traits in girls.
• New research suggests ways to develop creativity, including value of creativity-fostering environments.
• Animal cognition now covered at end of Thinking—separate from animal language. New photo examples and new research on animals’ cognitive feats.
• Discussion of language development in the brain updated with new neuroscience research and moved here (from Chapter 2).
• New research updates discussion of g factor and cognitive abilities predicting later accomplishments.
• New research compares animal and human intelligence peaking in mid-life.
• New research suggests mastery (for example, of chess) requires 3,000–11,000 practice hours.
• New research suggests influence of intelligence on creativity.
• Narrative examples and explanation have been updated to 2008 version of the WAIS.
• New research updates SAT prediction strength.
• Aging and Intelligence moved here from Chapter 3, with cross-sectional and longitudinal studies as new key terms (repeated in Appendix A). New research supports strength of intelligence stability over time and explains resistance to new technologies in those with cognitive decline.
• New research suggests those with higher intelligence live healthier and longer.
• New research graph shows how word power changes with age.
• Grade inflation effects now included, with new research.
• New discussion, with new research, outlines interaction of schooling, intelligence, and motivation.
• Now includes coverage of the extremes of intelligence, including intellectual disability.
• New research updates discussion of twin studies and heritability of intelligence.
• New cross-cultural research supports impact of gender expectations on academic flourishing.
• New research suggests importance of establishing a growth mind-set for academic success.
• Gender differences in intelligence and vocation choices updated with new research.
• New research expands discussion of intelligence variation due to racial, ethnic, and socioeconomic differences.
• Stereotype threat discussion updated with new research and new explanations.

CHAPTER 9
Motivation and Emotion

• Hunger Games example now illustrates Maslow’s hierarchy.
• Psychology of Hunger updated with new research.
• Eating Disorders moved to Chapter 13.
• Obesity section updated with new research on negative social, health, and memory effects; increased risk for late-life cognitive decline; and increasing rates worldwide.
• New section on ecology of eating covers effects of social factors, serving size, and food variety.
• New research on changing workplace, with most modern jobs not requiring physical activity.
• Now includes research suggesting value of joining a support group for weight loss.
• Benefits of Belonging updated with new research, including on value of chain migration for immigrants.
• The Pain of Being Shut Out updated with new research, including on prison suicides in solitary confinement, love as a natural painkiller, and effects of Tylenol on relieving social pain. New example from Survivor TV show.
• Social Networking section thoroughly updated.
• Theories of Emotion reorganized, consolidated, and improved.
• New coverage, with new anatomical art, of our two-track mind pathways for emotional reactions in the brain.
• New neuroscience research expands discussion of emotional experience, including gender differences.
• New research suggests no one except some police professionals are able to beat chance in accurately detecting deceiving expressions.
• New research on using brain scans for lie detection.
• Now includes coverage of importance of context for accurate detection of facial expressions, with new illustrations.
• Anger is no longer a separate section; coverage has been streamlined and integrated within other discussions.
• New facial feedback research updates discussion of Botox slowing others’ interpretation of emotional expressions.

CHAPTER 10
Stress, Health, and Human Flourishing

• New co-author Nathan DeWall led the revision of this chapter for the third edition.
• Revised organization; now includes happiness and subjective well-being, moved here from Chapter 9.
• Resilience is now a key term here (as well as in Chapter 14).
• New research supports men’s tendency to socially withdraw under stress, and women’s tendency to tend and befriend.
• New research examples related to work and to pregnancy update discussion of harmful effects of stress, and new research supports value of low stress for effectiveness of vaccinations.
• New research updates stress reports in college students.
• New research expands coverage of oxytocin effects in relationships.
• New research updates Stress and AIDS.
• Stress and Heart Disease revised and updated with new explanation of role of inflammation. Now includes Type D personality (as well as Type A and Type B, with new research supporting Type A/heart disease link).
• New cross-cultural research suggests greater heart attack risk with work stress.
• Personal Control section revised and expanded with new research and photo examples.
• New research revises and expands discussion of optimism/pessimism.
• Social Support revised and updated with new research and new examples, including effect of friend clusters on promoting positive or negative health behaviors going out to three degrees of separation.
• Finding Meaning expanded with new research and explanations.
• More new research supports effects of exercise on preventing or reducing depression and anxiety, and new cross-cultural research supports exercise/life satisfaction link.
• Relaxation and Meditation section revised and updated with new research and examples, showing decrease in depression and anxiety due to meditation.
• New subsection on meditation and mindfulness; includes explanation of neurological changes prompted by practicing mindfulness.
• New research supports longevity/religiosity link, with new information about possible contributions of self-control, smoking, and other behaviors.
• Huge new Facebook study tracks positive versus negative posts across days of the week.
• New research shows higher happiness levels when buying shared experiences rather than stuff.
• New research suggests happiness value of meaningful conversations over small talk, and of having an income that is comparatively high.
• New research argues for considering psychological well-being when debating policies and planning neighborhoods.
• New research supports protective health benefits of happiness.
• New research suggests happiness levels affect marital success, and that we feel happier after spending money on others rather than ourselves.

CHAPTER 11
Personality

• New co-author Nathan DeWall led the revision of this chapter for the third edition.
• Compelling new chapter introduction.
• Improved coverage of modern-day psychodynamic approaches, now more clearly distinguished from historical Freudian roots.
• Freud’s work now presented in context of Victorian era.
• New research expands discussion of modern unconscious mind.
• New research supports value of humanistic psychology’s positive regard.
• More detailed introduction to Trait Theories.
• New critical thinking box on the Stigma of Introversion (replaces Astrology box).
• 
• Big Five discussion expanded and updated with new research, including cultural changes over time, relation to brain structure/function, and actual prediction of behavior.
• New research suggests communication preferences vary with personality traits.
• New research shows music preferences, bedrooms, and offices give clues to personality traits.
• Social-Cognitive Theories revised and updated with new research; self-efficacy now a key term; expanded to include heredity-environment interaction.
• New subsections on Assessing Behavior in Situations, and Evaluating Social-Cognitive Theories.
• New table compares major perspectives on personality, including assumptions, assessment methods, and key proponents.
• New research outlines importance of positive goal-setting in considering possible selves.
• The Benefits of Self-Esteem and Self-Serving Bias subsections updated with new research.
• New research explains increase in U.S. individualism, including increase in distinctive baby names with new graph.
• New discussion of collectivist attitudes and elder respect.

CHAPTER 12
Social Psychology

• This chapter now follows Personality (rather than following Therapy, as in previous edition).
• New research shows power of priming in how attitudes affect actions.
• New research expands group pressure and conformity discussion, including Iraq and Afghanistan War research on factors that contribute to conformity.
• New research on use of classroom clickers to discuss controversial topics.
• New research in online communities supports deindividuation findings, with new photo example of 2011 British riots.
• New data, with new graph, on increased acceptance of interracial dating.
• New research and coverage of persisting subtle prejudice, including implicit prejudice.
• New research examples of ingroup bias in political partisanship.
• Forming categories discussion enhanced with new research on categorizing mixed-race people by their minority identity, with visuals from the research.
• New research updates Biology of Aggression section.
• Psychology of Aggression updated with new research and new explanations.
• Observing Models of Aggression updated with new research data and examples, including new research linking nonviolent pornography with aggression.
• New research updates discussion of Media Models for Violence.
• New graph tracks prejudice over time in various age groups.
• New research on contributors to aggression, including more information on alcohol consumption, external temperature, and prior provocation, with new graph of baseball research example.
• Discussion of effects of video games on violence updated with new research on prosocial effects of playing positive games, on violent video games increasing players’ aggression and decreasing their compassion and altruism, and on increased game playing leading to more trouble at school.
• Expanded box on Online Matchmaking and Speed-Dating.
• Attraction section updated with new evolutionary psychology research, and research on beneficial effects of mutual self-disclosure.
• New biochemical research supports forming of companionate love.
• New research suggests emotional response to witnessing altruism; includes new research example demonstrating reciprocity norm; also new research showing link between religiosity and volunteer work and charitable giving.
• New research demonstrates positive effects of contact for heterosexuals’ attitudes toward gay people.

CHAPTER 13
Psychological Disorders

• Reorganized and thoroughly updated to reflect changes to psychiatry’s latest edition of its diagnostic manual—the DSM-5. Includes integration of psychiatric diagnoses into mainstream medical practice, redefinition of disorders, new disorder categories, changes in labels, and new definition of psychological disorder.
• New, careful explanation of how care providers use DSM-5 criteria and codes for diagnosis and treatment, using insomnia disorder as illustrative example.
• New critical thinking box on ADHD, including controversies about diagnosis, and concerns about those seeking the “good-grade pills.”
• New mentions of controversial changes in the DSM-5 throughout the chapter, including the new disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, removal of the bereavement exception for depression, and loosened criteria for adult ADHD.
• New results of field trials on clinician agreement with DSM-5 for certain categories of disorder.
• New Close-Up box: Are People With Psychological Disorders Dangerous?
• New research updates PTSD statistics.
• Learning perspective on anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD updated with expanded coverage of observational learning; new subsection on cognitive learning includes role of hyper-vigilance and intrusive thoughts.
• New table outlines When Is Drug Use a Disorder?
• Updated addiction discussion now includes gambling and hoarding disorders, with mention of Internet gaming disorder “for further study”; new definitions for addiction and withdrawal.
• New research on success of smoking cessation attempts.
• New research highlights how depression can have adaptive value.
• Suicide rates discussion updated to reflect higher fatal attempts in U.S. states with more gun ownership.
• New research updates discussion of depression, including statistics from college student populations, effects of natural disasters on rates, gender differences research (with updated graph), and new information on typical long-term prognosis.
• New coverage of dysthymia.
• Suicide section expanded with new research and explanations; now also covers nonsuicidal self-injury.
• New discussion of seasonal pattern for depression and bipolar disorder.
• Detailed new table, Diagnosing Major Depressive Disorder.
• New graph illustrates heritability of various psychiatric disorders.
• Now includes epigenetic effect on experience of depression.
• New research emphasizes dangers of relentless, self-focused rumination.
• Understanding Mood Disorders updated with new research studies exploring genetic, biochemical, cognitive, and behavioral predictors.
• New research updates discussion of cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia; offers more information on typical prognosis.
• Now includes discussion of epigenetic factors in schizophrenia onset, with new genetics research updates.
• New cross-cultural and other research updates Eating Disorders (moved here from Chapter 9).
• Discussion of antisocial personality disorder updated and improved with new social psychological, developmental, learning, biological, and genetics research.

CHAPTER 14
Therapy

• New co-author Nathan DeWall led the revision of this chapter for the third edition.
• New research updates Psychodynamic Therapy.
• Now includes key term insight therapies.
• Cognitive-behavioral therapy discussion updated with new research and information, including on Internet therapy; new research on importance of homework for client with new examples.
• New research suggests that certain psychotherapies work best for specific disorders.
• New table details Selected Cognitive Therapy Techniques.
• New explanation of personal differences for what we find rewarding, and how that affects cognitive therapy.
• Beck’s Therapy for Depression has a new introduction and now includes concept of catastrophizing.
• Biomedical Therapy explains that primary care providers now do most prescription writing.
• New emphasis on importance of cultural match for therapeutic alliance, and APA efforts to achieve this.
• New case study example of successful use of antipsychotics.
• Clarified and updated explanation of antidepressants, with revised key term definition; includes idea that many professionals prefer the term SSRIs given their multiple treatment uses (not just for depression).
• New research explores placebo effect in ECT treatment.
• Psychosurgery updated with new research on value of micro-scale surgery in extreme cases.
• Therapeutic Lifestyle Change updated with new research suggesting value of time spent outdoors.
• New table compares psychotherapies and biomedical therapies by the way they understand the problems, their aims, and their techniques.
• New research suggests value of deep-brain stimulation for treating bipolar disorder and substance use disorders.
• New research supports concept of higher resilience in certain groups.
• New research suggests importance of finding meaning to foster posttraumatic growth after tragedy, and as a preventive mental health strategy.
• Now includes a brief conclusion to the text.

Appendix A
Statistical Reasoning in Everyday Life

• New appendix covers descriptive and inferential statistics.
• Includes measures of central tendency (mean, median, mode), measures of variation (range, standard deviation, normal curve), details on correlation (correlation coefficient, scatterplot), regression toward the mean, and reliability and significance of observed differences.
• Design methodology focuses on cross-sectional and longitudinal studies as key example of importance of understanding which method was used in a study.

Appendix B
Psychology at Work

• New research suggests busier, focused people are happier.
• New grit research on danger of getting “stuck in the middle” of projects (easy to start, hard to finish).
• New research explores success-morale relationship for employees.
• Expanded discussion of successful goal-setting from effective leaders, and value of collective intelligence.
• New research links feelings of empowerment at work with creativity.
• New example of employee-owned company and benefits of that level of employee engagement.

Appendix C
Subfields of Psychology

• New appendix focuses on educational requirements, type of work, and likely places to work for each of psychology’s main subfields.