Psychology for Living: Adjustment, Growth, and Behavior Today, 11th edition

Steven J. Kirsh
, Karen Grover Duffy
, Eastwood Atwater

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Helps readers apply psychological insights to their own lives.

The eleventh edition of Psychology for Living: Adjustment, Growth, and Behavior Today is designed for students interested in applying psychological insights and principles to their own lives. The text helps readers achieve a better understanding of themselves and others.

The scope of Psychology for Living draws material from the major perspectives of psychology, including the psychodynamic, ecological, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic viewpoints. The goal of the text is based firmly on increasing readers’ understanding as well as their knowledge about adjustment, in order that they may continue learning and growing on their own.

This text is available in a variety of formats — digital and print. Pearson offers its titles on the devices students love through CourseSmart, Amazon, and more. To learn more about our programs, pricing options and customization, click the Choices tab.

Learning Goals

Upon completing this book, readers will be able to:

Apply psychological insights and principles to their own lives.
Increase their knowledge on adjustment, in order to continue learning and growing on their own.
Understand themselves and others better.

ISBN-13: 9780137617371

Subject: Psychology

Category: Behavioral Psychology

In this Section:

Brief Table of Contents
Full Table of Contents

1. Brief Table of Contents

Chapter 1: Self-Direction in a Changing World
Chapter 2: The Puzzle of Childhood
Chapter 3: Affirmative Aging — Adulthood
Chapter 4: Seeking Selfhood
Chapter 5: Toward Better Health
Chapter 6: Taking Charge
Chapter 7: Managing Motives and Emotions
Chapter 8: Making and Keeping Friends
Chapter 9: Leader or Follower?
Chapter 10: At Work and Play
Chapter 11: Sexuality
Chapter 12: Love and Commitment
Chapter 13: Stress
Chapter 14: Understanding Mental Disorders
Chapter 15: If You Go for Help
Chapter 16: Good Grief and Death

2. Full Table of Contents

PART 1: Introduction

Chapter 1: Self-Direction in a Changing World
- Social Change
- The Challenge of Self-Direction
- Themes of Personal Growth

PART 2: Becoming

Chapter 2: The Puzzle of Childhood
- Perspectives on Child Development
- Key Foundational Elements of Childhood
Chapter 3: Affirmative Aging—Adulthood
- Adult Development
- Decisions, Decisions, Decisions—Early Adulthood
- Same Old, Same Old?—Middle Adulthood
- Aging Gracefully—Late Adulthood
Chapter 4: Seeking Selfhood
- What Is Self-Concept?
- The Components of the Self
- Core Characteristics of Self-Concept
- The Self-Concept and Personal Growth
Chapter 5: Toward Better Health
- Body Image
- Health and the Mind–Body Relationship
- Coping with Illness
- Promoting Wellness
Chapter 6: Taking Charge
- Personal Control
- Decision Making
- Decisions and Personal Growth
Chapter 7: Managing Motives and Emotions
- Understanding Motivation
- Understanding Emotions

PART 4: Being Social

Chapter 8: Making and Keeping Friends
- Meeting People
- Keeping Friends
- When It's Hard to Make Friends
Chapter 9: Groups: Belonging, Following, and Leading
- Kinds of Groups
- Creating and Joining Groups
- What Goes on in Groups?
- When Groups Go Wrong
- Group Leadership
Chapter 10: At Work and Play
- At Work
- At Play

PART 5: Being Intimate

Chapter 11: Sexuality
- Sexuality and Shared Partnerships
- Sexual Responsiveness
- Sexual Orientation
- Practical Issues
Chapter 12: Love and Commitment
- Love is a Many Splendored (and Defined) Thing
- Finding Love
- Marriage and Other Committed Relationships
- Adjusting to Intimate Relationships
- Divorce and Its Consequences

PART 6: Facing Challenges

Chapter 13: Stress!
- Oh No!—Understanding Stress
- Yikes!—Reactions to Stress
- Phew!—Managing Stress
Chapter 14: Understanding Mental Disorders
- Psychological Disorders
- Anxiety Disorders
- Mood Disorders
- Other Disorders
- Applying This to Yourself
Chapter 15: If You Go for Help
- Psychotherapy: What is it? Who Uses it?
- Insight Therapies—The Talking Cure
- Cognitive and Behavioral Therapies
- Other Approaches to Treatment
- How Well Does Therapy Work?
- Finding Help
Chapter 16: Death, Dying, and Grief
- Death and Dying
- Life and Death in Perspective
- Bereavement and Grief