Psychology 101: I Want to Learn Basic Psychology. Suggestions?

[jayman]

Hello,

I'm trying to learn the basics of psychology. Can anyone recommend any books, articles, or websites that would teach me the basics of psychology?

Specifically, deception and the mechanisms of self-deception?

I would really appreciate any and all help.


Thanks!

Josh,
The Cleveland Skeptics (http://www.clevelandskeptics.org/)

[Dancing David]

Any good history is a good place to start, but then be sure to read up on Skinner and the behaviorists.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is where it is at.

[jayman]

Any good history is a good place to start, but then be sure to read up on Skinner and the behaviorists.
Cognitive behavioral therapy is where it is at.

What do you mean by "any good history"?

[Perpetual Student]

What do you mean by "any good history"?

Yeah right! Don't forget Freud!:yikes:

[Piscivore]

Yeah right! Don't forget Freud!:yikes:

Strike that; reverse it.

[blutoski]

Hello,

I'm trying to learn the basics of psychology. Can anyone recommend any books, articles, or websites that would teach me the basics of psychology?

Specifically, deception and the mechanisms of self-deception?

I would really appreciate any and all help.


Thanks!

Josh,
The Cleveland Skeptics (http://www.clevelandskeptics.org/)

In terms of introduction to psychology: I'd wait two weeks and pop by the local university to buy a used 'introduction to psychology' textbook. For other topics, maybe review the syllabi (syllabuses?).

In terms of deception and self-deception: these are not introductory topics. They're actually pretty specialized and somewhat obscure. For example, learning about deception would benefit from a lot of forensic studies and some sociology titles.

[MysteryMammal]

I'd suggest getting an Intro to Psych textbook. You should be able to find them used for cheap on Amazon.com or perhaps at a local used bookstore.

[M.R.B.]

Well, any public library should have introductory texts in psychology if you are looking for the basics. The mechanisms of self-deception might not be described in any great detail in any of those.

[jasonpatterson]

A lot of what you'd look for depends on what you're interested in learning about. If it's very general psychology, including quite a bit of history, then you'd be after an intro psych book as already suggested. If you want to know about the ways that people perceive the world and process information, then you're looking at cognitive psych. If you want to know about learning and training, it'd be behavioral psych (cognitive and behavioral are often taught together.) If you want to know about psychological disorders, then abnormal psychology is the way to go. If you want to know about the psychology of people in groups, social psychology is the way to go. If you want to know about psychological treatments, then it's psychotherapy that you're interested in (there are tons of these.) If you want to know about how the mind changes with age, you're interested in developmental (or perhaps just child) psychology.

There are more, but these are (most of) the big areas that you could read an introductory textbook in and not really need any additional background to understand well.

Case Western has a decent psych department and if the engineering society is still doing it, their big used book sale should be happening soon (it's the first week or so of classes.) If not, the bookstore is at Euclid and Adelbert...

[rsaavedra]

I agree with the other posts suggesting that an intro text in psychology probably won't deal with the mechanisms of self-deception. Well, depends on what depth you are looking for.

One book that I've read and would highly recommend is How We Know What Isn't So by T. Gilovich. It deals with beliefs and biases and self-deception. See if it might match closely enough what you are after.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Know-What-Isnt-Fallibility/dp/0029117062/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251158828&sr=8-1

One of the reviews there on Amazon is mine btw, I gave it five starts. Here it is for your convenience:

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for anyone who cares about sound reasoning and critical thinking, March 22, 2008
By Raul Saavedra (Caracas, Venezuela) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)


This book excels in showing how and why people adopt questionable beliefs, and how/why people cling tenaciously to demonstrably erroneous beliefs, even when confronted to contrary evidence. The reasons are not simple narrow mindedness or gullibility, but several cognitive biases and circumstances that make us process information in certain ways. Processing our everyday experience without certain healthy habits of mind and sound reasoning can only too easily lead to the formation of those beliefs.

The first two thirds of the book survey some of the cognitive issues involved in the formation of questionable beliefs, while at the same time describing associated psychological literature and research. Numerous references are included pointing to studies supporting all the findings and facts presented.

The last third of the book goes over some typical questionable beliefs: the belief in ineffective "alterative" health practices, in ESP, and in the effectiveness of questionable interpersonal strategies.

At some points the book might feel in fact a bit too "academic." Thomas Gilovich, the author, is a social psychologist and researcher from Cornell University after all. Yet, this academic slant or style, in my opinion, just gives more precision and strength to all the information so well presented and explained in the book.

Gilovich closes the book stating that the healthy habits of mind required to avoid the formation of dubious beliefs actually are not as common as we might think; not even among people trained in the hard sciences! Apparently, the "soft" sciences have an advantage in more effectively teaching the kind of methodological skills most suitable for the sound evaluation of our own everyday experiences.

In summary, this book encourages us readers to question our assumptions; it challenges what we think we know, and also gives us some recommendations for building the right habits of mind to better learn how not to deceive ourselves and stay clear of dubious beliefs.

[Mcguman]

Enroll yourself for some basic psychology/sociology courses at the local community college. if you're lucky this will be more helpful than any book (even though the courses I've taken were a waste of time)

[Jeff Corey]

I agree with the other posts suggesting that an intro text in psychology probably won't deal with the mechanisms of self-deception. Well, depends on what depth you are looking for.

One book that I've read and would highly recommend is How We Know What Isn't So by T. Gilovich. It deals with beliefs and biases and self-deception. See if it might match closely enough what you are after.

http://www.amazon.com/How-Know-What-Isnt-Fallibility/dp/0029117062/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251158828&sr=8-1

One of the reviews there on Amazon is mine btw, I gave it five starts. Here it is for your convenience:

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended for anyone who cares about sound reasoning and critical thinking, March 22, 2008
By Raul Saavedra (Caracas, Venezuela) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)


This book excels in showing how and why people adopt questionable beliefs, and how/why people cling tenaciously to demonstrably erroneous beliefs, even when confronted to contrary evidence. The reasons are not simple narrow mindedness or gullibility, but several cognitive biases and circumstances that make us process information in certain ways. Processing our everyday experience without certain healthy habits of mind and sound reasoning can only too easily lead to the formation of those beliefs.

The first two thirds of the book survey some of the cognitive issues involved in the formation of questionable beliefs, while at the same time describing associated psychological literature and research. Numerous references are included pointing to studies supporting all the findings and facts presented.

The last third of the book goes over some typical questionable beliefs: the belief in ineffective "alterative" health practices, in ESP, and in the effectiveness of questionable interpersonal strategies.

At some points the book might feel in fact a bit too "academic." Thomas Gilovich, the author, is a social psychologist and researcher from Cornell University after all. Yet, this academic slant or style, in my opinion, just gives more precision and strength to all the information so well presented and explained in the book.

Gilovich closes the book stating that the healthy habits of mind required to avoid the formation of dubious beliefs actually are not as common as we might think; not even among people trained in the hard sciences! Apparently, the "soft" sciences have an advantage in more effectively teaching the kind of methodological skills most suitable for the sound evaluation of our own everyday experiences.

In summary, this book encourages us readers to question our assumptions; it challenges what we think we know, and also gives us some recommendations for building the right habits of mind to better learn how not to deceive ourselves and stay clear of dubious beliefs.

That's why I assigned it for my Critical Thinking class in a few weeks. Another paperback available on Amazon is How to Think Straight about Psychology,by Keith E Stanovich
and then there's Shermer's Why people believe in weird things.
Intro psych texts won't help you with the self deception problem. These might.

[PixyMisa]

Run, do not walk, run to MIT's Open Courseware site ( http://ocw.mit.edu ) and download the Introduction to Psychology (http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Brain-and-Cognitive-Sciences/9-00Fall-2004/LectureNotes/index.htm) lecture series. It's brilliant.

[CanadaGlass]

This lecture is on randomness, but it covers self deception along the way.

http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=551&Itemid=568&lecture_id=7639

[Dancing David]

What do you mean by "any good history"?


There are a lot of just general histories. But be aware until Skinner it was all just speculation and surmise.

[Dancing David]

The issue with self deception is going to be a very subtle one depending on what you mean by self deception, I can think of so many things that would be labeled self deception.

Mainly confirmation bias and social conditioning, then there is always the plain old conditioning.

Like in domestic violence. There are many reasons those in the victimstance perceive things in such a skewed fashion.

[Kuko 4000]

Run, do not walk, run to MIT's Open Courseware site ( http://ocw.mit.edu ) and download the Introduction to Psychology (http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Brain-and-Cognitive-Sciences/9-00Fall-2004/LectureNotes/index.htm) lecture series. It's brilliant.


Thanks for this, downloading now :)

[Vermonter]

A good reputable intro psych textbook and/or enrolling in a freshmen psychology course at your local university.