The Great Ideas of Psychology

About this book

If youve ever wanted to delve more deeply into the mysteries of human emotion perception and cognition and of why we do what we do these 48 lectures offer a superb place to start. With them youll see the entire history of psychology unfold. In the hands of Professor Robinson these lectures encompass ideas speculations and point-blank moral questions that might just dismantle and rebuild everything you once thought you knew about psychology. In fact youll not only learn what psychology is but even if it is as Professor Robinson discusses the constantly shifting debate over the nature of psychology itself. Lecture by lecture Professor Robinson navigates from one subject to the next and youll follow along as he recreates a Platonic dialogue; explains brain physiology; or explores the intricacies of middle ear construction the psychological underpinnings of the Salem witch trials and the history of the insanity defense. Among other things youll learn: How a brilliant young scientists temporary blindness led to pioneering research in sensory psychology How the once-prestigious now-derided sciences of phrenology and mesmerism contributed to psychological knowledge What happened when a Stanford psychologist and his students decided to study being sane in insane places by getting themselves committed to a mental institution How the brain is able to rewire itself to compensate for particular traumas at an early age If high heritability determines how much the environment influences the value of a trait and more.