Applied Psychology

by Debra Anne Bekerian, Archie Levey

For many students, the lecture hall or seminar room may seem vastly removed from the reality of everyday life. Applied Psychology: Putting theory into practice demystifies the link between the study of psychology, and psychology in the real world, illustrating how the application of psychology can be of benefit in many everyday settings. This book is uniquely structured as a series of themed 'rooms' which the reader is encouraged to explore, with each room examining a real world situation in which the psychologist has an important impact. These include the Work room, examining the role of the occupational psychologist; the Teaching room, focusing on the field of educational psychology; and the Crime room, centered on the activities of the forensic psychologist. Each room contains an overview of the key psychological concepts which are applied in each situation, before leading the reader through a number of scenarios - case studies which present the concepts in an applied context, and show how the psychologist's expertise is drawn upon, and what effect their input can have.Applied Psychology: Putting theory into practice is an invaluable resource for all students of psychology, showing just how psychology extends beyond the lecture hall to have a vital impact on our everyday lives. Online Resource CentreThe Online Resource Centre to accompany Applied Psychology: Putting theory into practice features: For registered adopters of the book: - PowerPoint slides, showcasing accompanying material for each chapter of the book, for lecturers to download and adaptFor students: -A Journal Club provision of related research articles and accompanying questio

372 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 3, 2005

Reviews

[AmbWitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read Applied Psychology: Putting theory into practice at university as I decided that I should actually read some of the textbooks I’d bought. I started with this one as it was one of the smaller ones and I expected it to be less dense than the others. It looks at different fields that you can use psychology in, including education, clinical, forensic, and sport, discusses how it can be of use, and the sort of research and theory that is relevant. It’s an alright read. There were some interesting parts in there but I didn’t find it particularly riveting. But it’s a textbook, so that’s no surprise.

The introduction was really long and I found myself wondering when we would actually start learning what the book is supposed to be teaching us. The rest of the book is split into ‘rooms’ where each room is a different job field. I had a mix of interest in the rooms but was surprised at how interesting the War Room was. The book also discussed ethical issues that can arise in each field of work. For instance, in the War Room it discussed how in the future we could use biopsychology to turn someone into a ’good fighting machine’, and how this could have ethical implications. Another example could be found in the Treatment Room where it discussed how in therapy there is always a power imbalance, because of the knowledge of the professional and how the patient needs to be vulnerable. As with anywhere there are power imbalances, this opens it up to abuse, a sad part of the world.

There are pop culture references made throughout this book. For example, when discussing Freud’s theories on unconscious desires it gives an example of Ross in Friends saying the wrong name at the wedding. It also used events in the news and these references helped to make the information within the book relevant, not just to the different career areas, but also to the world around us. That being said, these references may now be dated and would perhaps not be as useful to younger readers. This version is the most up to date edition of the book so it may need a new edition to connect more to younger readers. Additionally, as Psychology is an ever evolving field, there would be new research that could be relevant to include in this book in a future edition. Unfortunately, this edition, the most recent, is now over ten years old.

I don’t think Applied Psychology is a book that I am going to keep. I have decided what field of psychology I want to go into. Naturally I have chosen one of the most competitive and are struggling to find work at the moment, but that’s a grumble for another day. Having already looked into the field I wish to work in, I don't think that this book will tell me more than I already know or that I will find useful. People are always crying out for second hand textbooks due to the extortionate pricing of new copies, so I will see if I can find someone to take it of my hands.