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Historical and Conceptual Issues in Psychology, 3rd edition

Published by Pearson (February 24, 2021) © 2021

  • Marc Brysbaert University of Ghent, Belgium
  • Kathy Rastle Royal Holloway University of London

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Historical and Conceptual Issues in Psychology,  3rd Edition, by Brysbaert & Rastle offers a unique and engaging introduction to key historical and conceptual issues in psychology, explaining the philosophical context from which psychology has emerged as a discipline.

Excerpts from original texts, profiles of key figures and fascinating examples drawn from across the world take you from ancient Greece to modern day debates, stopping off at important developments in psychology, philosophy and science along the way. 

This best-selling text is essential reading for undergraduate psychology students and those interested in how the discipline has developed from ancient origins to reach its current standing today.

  • Broad and balanced coverage of key issues, exploring both historical and contemporary themes
  • Discussion questions at the beginning of each chapter encourage students to reflect and think critically about the issues raised
  • Myth busting boxes throughout highlight and explore common misconceptions in psychology.
  • The 3rd edition features a new chapter on the replication crisis that hit psychology and other sciences in the 2010s, including information on open science practices becoming more important in scientific research.
  • Every chapter has been updated to reflect the newest findings and insights, with particular attention drawn to those findings that have not stood up to replication tests.

 1 The wider picture Where did it all start?

 2 The scientific revolution of the seventeenth century and its aftermath   

 3 Eighteenth- and nineteenth-century precursors to a scientific psychology

 4 Establishing psychology as an independent academic discipline

 5 Strengthening the scientific standing of psychology Behaviourism and cognitive psychology  

 6 The input from brain research   

 7 The mind–brain problem, free will and consciousness   

 8 How did psychology affect everyday life? The history of applied psychology

 9 What is science?

10   Is psychology a science?

11   The contribution of quantitative and qualitative research methods  

12   The precarious balance between biological, psychological and social influences 

13   Psychology and society The socio-political side   

 

Epilogue   

Notes  

Glossary   

Bibliography   

Index  

Marc Brysbaert is Professor of Psychology at Ghent University. Previously he taught at Royal Holloway, University of London, where the first edition of this book was written.

 

Kathy Rastle is Professor of Cognitive Psychology at Royal Holloway, University of London.

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