Solving Modern Problems With a Stone-Age Brain

Solving Modern Problems With a Stone-Age Brain PDF

Author: Douglas T. Kenrick

Publisher: American Psychological Association

Published: 2022-05-17

Total Pages: 330

ISBN-13: 1433834790

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Like our ancestors, we must do our best to survive, form friendships, win respect, attract mates, and care for our families. In the 21st century, however, the threats to our survival are sometimes hidden. This book presents evolutionary science-based advice for fending off our modern attackers and learning how to be happy in the modern world.

Mismatch

Mismatch PDF

Author: Ronald Giphart

Publisher: Robinson

Published: 2021-03-04

Total Pages: 352

ISBN-13: 9781472139726

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Our brains evolved to solve the survival problems of our Stone Age ancestors, so when faced with modern day situations that are less extreme, they often encounter a mismatch. Our primitive brains put us on the wrong foot by responding to stimuli that - in prehistoric times - would have prompted behaviour that was beneficial. If you've ever felt an anxious fight or flight response to a presenting at a board meeting, equivalent to facing imminent death by sabre-toothed tiger, then you have experienced a mismatch.Mismatch is about the clash between our biology and our culture. It is about the dramatic contrast between the first few million years of human history - when humans lived as hunters and gatherers in small-scale societies - and the past twelve thousand years following the agricultural revolution which have led us to comfortable lives in a very different social structure. Has this rapid transition been good for us? How do we, using our primitive minds, try to survive in a modern information society that radically changes every ten years or so?Ronald Giphart and Mark van Vugt show that humans have changed their environment so drastically that the chances for mismatch have significantly increased, and these conflicts can have profound consequences.Reviewed through mismatch glasses, social, societal, and technological trends can be better understood, ranging from the popularity of Facebook and internet porn, to the desire for cosmetic surgery, to our attitudes towards refugees.Mismatches can also affect our physical and psychological well-being, in terms of our attitudes to happiness, physical exercise, choosing good leaders, or finding ways to feel better at home or work.Finally, Mismatch gives us an insight into politics and policy which could enable governments, institutions and businesses to create an environment better suited to human nature, its potential and its constraints.This book is about converting mismatches into matches. The better your life is matched to how your mind operates, the greater your chances of leading a happy, healthy and productive life.

The Rational Animal

The Rational Animal PDF

Author: Douglas T. Kenrick

Publisher: Basic Books (AZ)

Published: 2013-09-10

Total Pages: 290

ISBN-13: 0465032427

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Why do three out of four professional football players go bankrupt? How can illiterate jungle dwellers pass a test that tricks Harvard philosophers? And why do billionaires work so hard—only to give their hard-earned money away? When it comes to making decisions, the classic view is that humans are eminently rational. But growing evidence suggests instead that our choices are often irrational, biased, and occasionally even moronic. Which view is right—or is there another possibility? In this animated tour of the inner workings of the mind, psychologist Douglas T. Kenrick and business professor Vladas Griskevicius challenge the prevailing views of decision making, and present a new alternative grounded in evolutionary science. By connecting our modern behaviors to their ancestral roots, they reveal that underneath our seemingly foolish tendencies is an exceptionally wise system of decision making. From investing money to choosing a job, from buying a car to choosing a romantic partner, our choices are driven by deep-seated evolutionary goals. Because each of us has multiple evolutionary goals, though, new research reveals something radical—there’s more than one “you” making decisions. Although it feels as if there is just one single “self” inside your head, your mind actually contains several different subselves, each one steering you in a different direction when it takes its turn at the controls. The Rational Animal will transform the way you think about decision making. And along the way, you’ll discover the intimate connections between ovulating strippers, Wall Street financiers, testosterone-crazed skateboarders, Steve Jobs, Elvis Presley, and you.

A History of the Brain

A History of the Brain PDF

Author: Andrew P. Wickens

Publisher: Psychology Press

Published: 2015

Total Pages: 0

ISBN-13: 9781848723641

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This book describes how we have come to understand the brain throughout the ages, from prehistory and antiquity, to the establishment of the basic fundamentals of modern neuroscience.

Mental Health and Mental Disorders [3 volumes]

Mental Health and Mental Disorders [3 volumes] PDF

Author: Len Sperry

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing USA

Published: 2015-12-14

Total Pages: 2518

ISBN-13:

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Serving as an indispensable resource for students and general-interest readers alike, this three-volume work provides a comprehensive view of mental health that covers both mental well-being and mental illness. A three-volume ready-reference encyclopedia, this up-to-date work supplies a holistic introduction to the fields of mental health and mental disorders that is written specifically for high school students and college students. Covering the full continuum of mental health, the set describes typical functioning, including biology and neurology of the brain, emotions, and the traits and characteristics of mental well-being. It also addresses mental disorders and conditions, from obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD) and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) to phobias and schizophrenia. Mental Health and Mental Disorders: An Encyclopedia of Conditions, Treatments, and Well-Being highlights important concepts and phenomena, key individuals, treatment techniques, organizations, and diagnostic tools to give readers a complete view of this broad field of study. It also investigates all sides of wellness, exploring what it means to be "normal" and consistently identifying the links between lifestyle and mental health. The encyclopedia is consistent with the goals of AP psychology curricula and addresses the various disorders classified in the new edition of the APA Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-V-TR).

Developmental Psychology

Developmental Psychology PDF

Author: Jacki Watts

Publisher: Juta and Company Ltd

Published: 2009

Total Pages: 700

ISBN-13: 9781919895154

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Offers a theory-driven approach to understanding human development from two perspectives - the psychoanalytic and the cognitive. This book presents thoughts on the South African context and the impact it has on development. It is suitable for undergraduates, postgraduates and health professionals.

Education and Mind in the Knowledge Age

Education and Mind in the Knowledge Age PDF

Author: Carl Bereiter

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2005-04-11

Total Pages: 541

ISBN-13: 1135644799

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In this book, Carl Bereiter--a distinguished and well-known cognitive, educational psychologist--presents what he calls "a new way of thinking about knowledge and the mind." He argues that in today's Knowledge Age, education's conceptual tools are inadequate to address the pressing educational challenges and opportunities of the times. Two things are required: first, to replace the mind-as-container metaphor with one that envisions a mind capable of sustaining knowledgeable, intelligent behavior without actually containing stored beliefs; second, to recognize a fundamental difference between knowledge building and learning--both of which are essential parts of education for the knowledge age. Connectionism in cognitive science addresses the first need; certain developments in post-positivist epistemology address the second. The author explores both the theoretical bases and the practical educational implications of this radical change in viewpoint. The book draws on current new ways of thinking about knowledge and mind, including information processing, cognitive psychology, situated cognition, constructivism, social constructivism, and connectionism, but does not adhere strictly to any "camp." Above all, the author is concerned with developing a way of thinking about the mind that can usher education into the knowledge age. This book is intended as a starting point.

An Introduction to Positive Evolutionary Psychology

An Introduction to Positive Evolutionary Psychology PDF

Author: Glenn Geher

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2023-05-31

Total Pages: 97

ISBN-13: 100928682X

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Over the past few decades, evolutionary psychology has shed light on such features of the human experience as mating, love, religion, aggression, warfare, physical health, mental health, and more. The field of positive psychology has progressed along a parallel trajectory, using behavioral science techniques to help our understanding of human thriving at the individual and community levels. Positive Evolutionary Psychology is dedicated to the integration of positive and evolutionary psychology, with an eye toward using Darwinian-inspired concepts to help advance our understanding of human thriving. This Element describes the basic ideas of this new approach to behavioral science as well as examples that dip into various aspects of the human experience, including such topics as health, education, friendships, love, and more–all with an eye toward providing a roadmap for the application of Darwinian principles to better understanding human thriving and the good life.

The Happiness Trap

The Happiness Trap PDF

Author: Russ Harris

Publisher: Exisle Publishing

Published: 2013

Total Pages: 282

ISBN-13: 1921966343

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A guide to ACT: the revolutionary mindfulness-based program for reducing stress, overcoming fear, and finding fulfilment – now updated. International bestseller, 'The Happiness Trap', has been published in over thirty countries and twenty-two languages. NOW UPDATED. Popular ideas about happiness are misleading, inaccurate, and are directly contributing to our current epidemic of stress, anxiety and depression. And unfortunately, popular psychological approaches are making it even worse! In this easy-to-read, practical and empowering self-help book, Dr Russ Harries, reveals how millions of people are unwittingly caught in the 'The Happiness Trap', where the more they strive for happiness the more they suffer in the long term. He then provides an effective means to escape through the insights and techniques of ACT (Acceptance and Commitment Therapy), a groundbreaking new approach based on mindfulness skills. By clarifying your values and developing mindfulness (a technique for living fully in the present moment), ACT helps you escape the happiness trap and find true satisfaction in life. Mindfulness skills are easy to learn and will rapidly and effectively help you to reduce stress, enhance performance, manage emotions, improve health, increase vitality, and generally change your life for the better. The book provides scientifically proven techniques to: reduce stress and worry; rise above fear, doubt and insecurity; handle painful thoughts and feelings far more effectively; break self-defeating habits; improve performance and find fulfilment in your work; build more satisfying relationships; and, create a rich, full and meaningful life.

Positive Evolutionary Psychology

Positive Evolutionary Psychology PDF

Author: Glenn Geher

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2019-08-12

Total Pages: 288

ISBN-13: 0190647140

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Positive psychologists focus on ways that we can advance the lives of individuals and communities by studying the factors that increase positive outcomes such as life satisfaction and happiness. Evolutionary psychologists use the principles of evolution, based on Darwin's understanding of life, to help shed light on any and all kinds of psychological phenomena. This book brings together both fields to explore positive evolutionary psychology: the use of evolutionary psychology principles to help people and communities experience more positive and fulfilling lives. Across eleven chapters, this book describes the basic ideas of both evolutionary and positive psychology, elaborates on the integration of these two fields as a way to help advance the human condition, discusses several domains of human functioning from the perspective of positive evolutionary psychology, and finally, looks with an eye toward the future of work in this emerging and dynamic field. Over the past few decades, evolutionary psychologists have begun to crack the code on such phenomena as happiness, gratitude, resilience, community, and love. This book describes these facets of the human experience in terms of their evolutionary origins and proposes how we might guide people to optimally experience such positive phenomena in their everyday lives.