Essential Psychology

Praise for previous editions



"My favourite core psychology textbook is now even better. It is fresh and contemporary yet mindful of historical and critical issues that continue to shape how psychology is understood and practiced. Nobody embarking on their undergraduate psychology journey could wish for a trustier companion." - Dr Andrew Hart, University of Bradford

"Essential Psychology is the perfect companion for those wishing to develop their understanding of psychology. The material is very clearly laid out and students will find it interesting to read. Each chapter has discussion questions for students to explore and suggestions for further reading." - Frank Carter, Lecturer at South Eastern Regional College - SERC

"I particularly like the active learning approach. The exercises help students to link their own experiences to the topics, providing an excellent framework for class discussions. The definitions of technical language and chapter summaries equip students with the tools to apply theoretical knowledge to everyday situations." - Michele Ponting, Access and Accreditation Manager, Portslade Aldridge Community Academy

"As suggested by the title, this text captures the essential subject areas needed for student studies. I found it easy to read through, as it is written in plain language, without an overload of jargon. I was particularly interested in Chapter 24 on the application to mental health, as this is my specialism." - Neil Robdale, Wrexham Glyndwr University

"This is a very informative and up-to-date textbook. The authors make the complex concepts become a lot easier to digest. This book is great for those who want to grasp fundamental knowledge in the field of contemporary Psychology." - Miss Jaruwan Sakulku, Sirindhorn International Institute of Technology

Gayle Dillon is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. Christine Norman is a Senior Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University. Belinda is a Reader in Forensic Psychology. She teaches primarily within forensic psychology, with specific focus on sexual crime. She has a strong background in psychometrics and individual differences, and retains her enthusiasm for quantitative research (continuing to teach multivariate statistics in what she hopes is a fun and interactive manner). Her research is leading her to incorporate qualitative research methods as she continues to develop a programme of research in collaboration with HMP Whatton (the largest sex offender prison in Europe) that makes a significant and practical contribution to our understanding of sex offenders and sexual crime. Additional areas of interest (both in terms of teaching and research) include the psychology of fraud, lying and deception.

SECTION A: The Foundations of Modern Psychology: What We Know About Human Beings Chapter 1: Once Upon a Time The Evolution of Human Behaviour Chapter 2: How Psychology Became a Science Chapter 3: Psychology, Racism and Coloniality Chapter 4: The Replication Crisis SECTION B: Cognitive Psychology: How We Think and Make Sense of the World Chapter 5: Memory Chapter 6: An Introduction to Sensation, Perception and Attention Chapter 7: Learning Chapter 8: Problem Solving and Reasoning SECTION C: Biological Psychology: How Our Brains Affect Our Behaviour Chapter 9: The Human Nervous System: Functional Anatomy Chapter 10: Communication within the Brain Chapter 11: Motivation and Emotion SECTION D: Social Psychology: How We Interact with Each Other Chapter 12: Behaviour within Groups Chapter 13: Behaviour between Groups Chapter 14: Social Judgements and Behaviour SECTION E: Developmental Psychology: How We Grow and Change Chapter 15: Development during the Early Years Chapter 16: Development during the School Years Chapter 17: Atypical Child Development Chapter 18: Adulthood to Ageing SECTION F: The Psychology of Individual Differences: How We Know and Measure Our Individuality Chapter 19: Personality Chapter 20: Psychopathology Chapter 21: LGBTQ+ Psychology Chapter 22: Self SECTION G: Applied Psychology: How We Use Psychology Chapter 23: Psychological Interventions Chapter 24: Health Psychology Chapter 25: Forensic Psychology Chapter 26: Language and Literacy