Invitation to Psychology, 8th edition

Published by Pearson (April 1, 2021) © 2022

  • Carole Wade Dominican University of California
  • Carol Tavris American Psychological Association, Association for Psychological Science
  • Samuel R Sommers Tufts University
  • Lisa M. Shin Tufts University

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For courses in Introductory Psychology.

An inclusive introduction to psychological science that emphasizes critical thinking and human diversity

Invitation to Psychology weaves scientific and critical thinking into the fabric of psychological science. Authors Carole Wade, Carol Tavris, Samuel Sommers and Lisa Shin empower students to separate fact from fiction and to distinguish wishful thinking from thinking wisely. In so doing, they inspire students to ask questions and be willing to wonder, essential skills for learning how to think like psychologists.

The 8th Edition has been updated with engaging new features and coverage of recent events such as the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hallmark features of this title

  • A 3-pronged approach to critical thinking has been woven seamlessly throughout the narrative.
    • First, the authors define what critical thinking is and what it is not.
    • Next, the authors model these guidelines in their evaluations of research and popular ideas.
    • Finally, students are prompted to practice what the authors have preached.
  • The text reports up-to-date findings from biology and neuroscience and integrates studies of gender and culture. Throughout, the authors emphasize an inclusive overview of psychological science and a representative depiction of human nature that resonates with students from a diversity of backgrounds.
  • Each chapter includes a Taking Psychology with You section that presents lessons for readers to apply to their own lives.

New and updated features of this title

  • NEW: Revisiting the Classics features in each chapter critically examine, in narrative form, the methods, conclusions and continuing implications of a particularly well-known study or approach from "classic" psychology.
  • NEW: Replication Check features highlight research findings that have been identified as particularly robust. Furthering the authors' long-standing emphases on critical thinking and research transparency, these appear as brief paragraphs multiple times in each chapter.
  • UPDATED: An expanded focus on recent real-world events and popular culture illustrates psychological principles and sparks students' curiosity. In particular, students benefit from new examples related to the COVID-19 crisis, including implications for learning, memory, sleep, social connection and mental health.
  • UPDATED: Topics and research throughout the text have been updated to reflect progress in the field and cutting-edge discoveries. Examples include the application of psychology to understanding the phenomenon of "fake news" and data on the impacts of "sexting" among young people.
  • UPDATED: All of the text's content has been mapped to revised learning objectives, which highlight the major concepts throughout each chapter. Test Bank items are also keyed to these updated learning objectives.

Features of Revel for the 8th Edition

  • An exclusive video series, created by co-authors Samuel Sommers and Lisa Shin, brings the details of research to life through modern study reenactments, clinical interviews and engaging demonstrations. Featuring diverse subjects, these videos further emphasize the text's themes of gender and culture.
  • NEW: Each chapter ends with an interactive animated series created and narrated by the authors called Critical Thinking Illustrated. This series guides readers through the steps of critical thinking necessary to interrogate provocative claims about the world around them.
  • Chapter-opening survey questions prompt students to explore the applicability of the topic at hand to their own lives.
  • Interactive review tables, chapter outlines and chapter summaries (in paragraph form) help students review what they've learned.
  1. What Is Psychology?
  2. The Brain and the Nervous System
  3. Sensation and Perception
  4. Consciousness and Sleep
  5. Learning
  6. Memory
  7. Thinking and Intelligence
  8. The Major Motives. Food, Love, Sex, and Work
  9. Emotion, Stress, and Health
  10. Development Over the Lifespan
  11. Social Psychology
  12. Theories of Personality
  13. Psychological Disorders
  14. Approaches to Treatment and Therapy

About our authors

Carole Wade earned her Ph.D. in cognitive psychology at Stanford University. She began her academic career at the University of New Mexico, where she taught courses in psycholinguistics and developed the first course at the university on the psychology of gender. She was professor of psychology for 10 years at San Diego Mesa College and then taught at College of Marin and Dominican University of California. Dr. Wade has written and lectured widely on critical thinking and the enhancement of psychology education. In addition to this text, she and Carol Tavris have written Psychology; Psychology in Perspective and The Longest War: Sex Differences in Perspective.

Carol Tavris earned her Ph.D. in the interdisciplinary program in social psychology at the University of Michigan. She writes and lectures extensively on diverse topics in psychological science and critical thinking. Dr. Tavris is co-author with Elliot Aronson of Mistakes Were Made (But Not by Me): Why We Justify Foolish Beliefs, Bad Decisions and Hurtful Acts. She is also author of The Mismeasure of Woman and Anger: The Misunderstood Emotion. Many of her book reviews and opinion essays have been collected in Psychobabble and Biobunk: Using Psychology to Think Critically About Issues in the News.

Samuel R. Sommers earned his Ph.D. in psychology at the University of Michigan and has been a professor of psychology at Tufts University since 2003, where he currently serves as Department Chair. He is a social psychologist whose research focuses on issues related to racial equity and diversity, with a frequent focus on the intersection of psychology and law. Dr. Sommers teaches courses in Experimental Psychology, Social Psychology, and Psychology and Law, and team-teaches Introduction to Psychology and a course on Psychological Lessons for Coping with COVID-19 with Dr. Shin. In addition to this text, he is a co-author of the Aronson et al. Social Psychology textbook and has written two general audience books, Situations Matter: Understanding How Context Transforms Your World and This Is Your Brain on Sports: The Science of Underdogs, the Value of Rivalry and What We Can Learn from the T-Shirt Cannon.

Lisa M. Shin earned her Ph.D. in psychology at Harvard University, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Psychiatry at The Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School. She has been on the faculty at Tufts University since 1998, where she is currently Director of Undergraduate Studies in the Department of Psychology. Dr. Shin's research involves examining brain function and cognitive processing in patients with anxiety disorders, particularly posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Dr. Shin teaches courses in Research Methods in Clinical Psychology, Biological Bases of Psychopathology, and Emotion and Memory, and team-teaches Introduction to Psychology and a course on Psychological Lessons for Coping with COVID-19 with Dr. Sommers.

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