The Little Book of Psychology: An Introduction to the Key Psychologists and Theories You Need to Know

by Emily Ralls, Caroline Riggs

If you want to know your Freud from your Jung and your Milgram from your Maslow, strap in for this whirlwind tour of the highlights of psychology. Including accessible primers on:

• The early thinkers who contributed to psychological ideas and the birth of modern psychology
• Famous (and often controversial) experiments and their repercussions
• What psychology can teach us about memory, language, conformity, reasoning and emotions
• The ethics of psychological studies
• Recent developments in the modern fields of evolutionary and cyber psychology.

This illuminating little book will introduce you to the key thinkers, themes and theories you need to know to understand how the study of mind and behaviour has sculpted the world we live in and the way we think today.

Genres: Psychology, Nonfiction, Self Help, Science, Philosophy, Social Science, Education

98 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2019

Reviews

[Jonathan O'Neill · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐
”The human brain is the only living thing that can study itself.”

A great launch pad for those interested in the field of Psychology. Introducing many of the prominent early thinkers and their ideas within the broader context of 6 different approaches in the field, this introductory work serves as a catalyst for further research into particular areas that may spark your interest.

The 6 approaches include Biological (lobe functions, neuron structure etc.), Psychodynamic (the conscious/unconscious mind [tripartite personality], dream analysis, psychosexual stages, Oedipus/Electra complexes, Jung’s archetypes), Behaviourist (classical conditioning, systematic desensitization), Cognitive (developmental theory of knowledge, Piaget’s schemas, zone of proximal development, the unreliable nature of our memories, cognitive behavioural therapy), Humanistic (Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, personcentered therapy) and Social Psychology (conformity[“groupthink”], normative social influence, informational social influence, Zimbardo’s ‘Lucifer Effect’).

Prominent psychologists mentioned in varying depths include, but are not limited to: Wilhelm Wundt, Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Ivan Pavlov, John B. Watson, B. F. Skinner, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Stanley Milgram, Philip Zimbardo, Abraham Maslow and Carl Rogers.

Freud and Jung were the 2 that I was most looking forward to learning about coming into this, however, in an unexpected twist, the psychodynamic approach is actually the one I walked away least convinced about, by far! First impressions, while I reserve the right to completely backflip on any comment made henceforth once I’ve read further, are a little bit of disbelief that somebody whose theories are so inherently unfalsifiable (being works regarding the immeasurable unconscious) and unscientific is arguably the most famous psychologist ever known. Don’t get me wrong, Freud’s theories are some of the most interesting to consider, but only from a purely theoretical standpoint. Is his work not the definition of pseudoscience?

The whole concept of the psychosexual stages through which our conscious and unconscious minds develop seems completely absurd. If a child becomes fixated with a particular stage of their development, problems relating to key events in that stage can arise in adulthood. Take the phallic stage (3-6 years old) for example, in which the key events are genital stimulation and experiencing the Oedipus/Electra complexes and the problems in adulthood, associated with fixation on these events are jealousy, vanity and unhealthy sexual desire. During the ‘Electra complex’ a girl is thought to have ”penis envy”.

“She notices that she does not have a penis, while the male members of her family do, and she wishes that she too had one. Freud thought that the girl's logical reasoning would be to believe that her mother had cut off her, the girl's, penis. Once the girl realizes it isn't possible for her to have a penis, she represses her rage against the mother and replaces her desire for a penis with a desire to have a baby.”

Is it just me or does that sound like completely fabricated horseshit? It gets better. Freud further suggests that girls/women never fully resolve their penis envy…. Take that, ladies!

I have a couple of theories I’m planning to hand in for publication as well actually:

1. The number of Mario Kart races that one wins/loses to friends/family members between the ages of 6-15 has a profound effect on one’s self-esteem and confidence in adulthood. Residual effects of a poor win/loss ratio can also include an irrational fear of turtle shells and slipping on banana skins. The subject is more inclined to see experimentation with magic mushrooms as a potentially positive experience, a chance for growth.

2. The Pasiphae Complex affects those who have had a traumatic bovine experience during adolescence (being chased by a bull, a bad milking experience etc.) and, consequently, are 73% more likely to find the works of wood sculptors distasteful. They are also more disposed to having snakes and/or scorpions as household pets.

If somebody would be willing to peer review my theories, that’d be great, thanks! :)

[Moriyah Cordova · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a really fun short book on psychology! It felt more like an overview but was still interesting and informative. I liked how short each of the stories were and all the different graphs, quotes, and pictures. This is really good if you want to know psychology basics. It’s also clean! There is a part that that I didn’t agree with (relating to women that was…offensive & weird to say the least) but otherwise it was fun. If your interested in psychology then this is a good book to read to understand some of the basics.

[Komal · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 120 page book set out as a introduction to Psychology! ⁣
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The book explains the history and how the psychology evolved over a period of time since 18th century exploring the works of renowned psychologists Sigmund Freud, Carl Jung, Ivan Pavlov, John Watson, B.F. Skinner, Jean Piaget and many more.⁣
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I haven't read much from Psychology so I found the book very fascinating. Specially Sigmund Freud's biological approach for psychology where he explains how concious and unconscious mind correlates and work together. ⁣
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Also I found the concept 'Classical conditioning' very interesting. It explains how mind associate good or bad reaction to different things. I think the habit formation basis lies somewhere beneath that concept.⁣
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Overall it was short, quick, insightful and equally exciting read. The language is simple enough except few scientific terms but the book keep you engage from the first page itself.⁣
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If you want to learn basics about psychology, how the term itself came into existence, how the different geniuses studied and invented the rock solid foundation concepts which even after centuries strongly holding and supporting the whole concept of psychology then this book is for you. ⁣

[Bastiaan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very compact and clear overview of the main ways of thinking in psychology. I found ‘Social
Psychology ’ to be the most interesting.
4.4

[sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

The book gives the reader a quick review of psychology focusing mainly on popular names in the field and their respective theories and approaches. It’s not what I was looking for, but that’s subjective. However, I do appreciate that it included examples to explain the psychological approaches better. The book reads fast, but doesn’t go deep. I would recommend it if you want some pointers for psychology for further reading.

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very interesting, quick summary of psychology from its beginnings

[Kapil Dhaimade · Rating 3 out of 5]

Short and sweet, the book does what it says. It's actually a little book in size too, which makes it cute. Gives a very basic idea of psychology and different schools of psychology, introduces popular psychologists and their theories. Follows a more or less chronological order of evolution of different theories. It made me realise that the various schools of psychology are more like movements, similar to the art movements, which led to the evolution of the field.

However, don't expect deep dive into any school of psychology or any theory. The book is too small for that. Don't expect many "wow" moments or episodes of contemplation spawned by a topic. The book itself is very matter of fact. It doesn't try to inspire you for further reading with a motivational, emotionally charged passage for example.

You'd have a better understanding of what to read next in psychology as per your taste, once you read this book.

[Mirte Leyssens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Het is een super interessant boek, zeker als je de geschiedenis van psychologie te weten wilt komen. (Lennert, bedankt om dit aan mij te geven!)

[Marie H.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars ⭐️


This book provides a concise and easy-to-understand overview of the key concepts, theories, and approaches in psychology. It covers topics such as memory, perception, cognition, personality, and social psychology - a perfect read for those who find psychology interesting!

The book is written in an accessible and engaging style, making it an easy read for anyone who is new to psychology or wants to refresh their understanding of the subject. The author also uses practical examples to illustrate complex psychological concepts and theories, making it easier for readers to understand and apply them in their daily lives. The book includes up-to-date research and studies, ensuring that readers are introduced to the latest findings and developments in the field of psychology.

In summary, I think "The Little Book of Psychology: An Introduction" is a valuable resource for anyone interested in psychology, whether as a student, a professional, or simply as someone looking to gain a better understanding of human behavior and mental processes.

[Esraa L deeb · Rating 3 out of 5]

الكتاب لطيف بس السرد بيفترض قارئ الكتاب مختص بالفعل فى علم النفس ف كان أثناء السرد بتفقد التركيز فى المعلومة لأنه الكاتب كأنه مفترض انك عندك خلفية عنها ..
وفى نفس الوقت اختصاره الشديد رغم اعتقادى انها ميزة لكنها كانت سبب للعيب السابق !
فى شوية تقسيمات كويسة عن علم النفس و كذلك بعض التجارب لو حتى ركزنا عليها فرادى بره سياق الكتاب هتفيدك ع المستوى الشخصى

[Raluca · Rating 3 out of 5]

“In order to reach our full potential and achieve “self-actualisation”, there needs to be balance between three major personal perceptions: our self-worth, our self-imagine and our ideal self.”

[Dinh Hong · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very little and very basic knowledge of psychology but still very interesting and inspired to encourage readers to make more steps into this awesome field.

[sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.50 stars! ⭐️ ⋆౨ৎ˚⟡˖ ࣪

This was actually a fun and interesting read, as someone who is interested in biology and neuroscience, this made me learn so many new and fun things about them. It was really nice to know the types of experiments they conducted, how important the scientific method is when conducting experiments.

Fav quotes ｡𖦹°‧

“Your current behaviors are the result of all of your previous experiences”

“It is not the kind of person we are that determines how we act, but rather the kind of situation we find ourselves in.”

[Nellie Colberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

En fantastisk introduktion till psykologins komplicerade värld! Kunskaperna som sprid är självklart grundläggande, och skulle passa en gymnasienivå, tycker alla ska läsa den dock! Speciellt intressant var diskussionen mellan etik i psykologin smag de tre största förhållningssättet man kan ha i psykologin, förutom få våra perspektiv!
5/5⭐

[Louise Niva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endelig en bok ferdig si!
Likte denne veldig godt, fint å få på plass engelsken og psykologien igjen. Den ga meg en refresher samtidig som den fylte inn noen tomrom for meg når det gjaldt psykologien. Forfatteren var til tider morsom, men aller mest informativ.
Det var indeed en liten bok om psykologi. Godt oppsummert.
Og takk Linea for lånet, raner bokhylla di jeg hihi.

[Bliss R · Rating 5 out of 5]

This little book summarises Psychology and provides the reader with a brief introduction. Included are some recognisable names of Psychologists and an overview of their theories, despite being small and short to read it contains some interesting information and is enjoyable to read. The quotes amongst the pages included are also enjoyable and break up the reading.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

took me one and a half years to finish this book .. worth it nonetheless 👍

[Beth · Rating 3 out of 5]

Was fine, I knew everything in the book but would be a perfect book for an intro to psychology.

[Ella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A quick and understandable summary of some of the key ideas of the Approaches topic in psychology. Good source of revision 👍

[Daisinraisin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid

[Annie Sarafian · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5⭐️

En go handbok och bra sammanfattning av psykologiämnet!

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pretty much what you'd expect, casts a wide net and provides many avenues to explore but does not go into great detail

[Mariyan Slavov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very cool summary of a broad and complex topic. Great starting point for anyone interested in psychology.

[Zaynab · Rating 4 out of 5]

I absolutely adore this book! Although brief, it covers almost all aspects of psychology ( the history , the biological approach , the cognitive approach etc) in a rather informative manner. As someone who studies psychology at school, I already have an interest in this remarkable subject, and would definitely see this book as laying down the foundations of basic psychology from where you would perhaps pick out your topics of interest to go on to do further reading. The layout of the book is also something that particularly stood out to me; providing relevant quotes from well-known psychologists, putting forward points from each chapter in a coherent and concise manner and explanatory diagrams for some visuals. Overall, I would recommend this book to people who are interested in beggining to dwell into the vast subject of psychology and would like something short and sweet yet enlightening :)

[Steve · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is exactly as described: a little book of psychology. To distill one of the largest and most complex fields of study into a pocket-sized read is daunting, as the book itself concludes.

This does provide a good overview of the main areas of psychology, with excellent examples. From the early foundations of Freud to Skinner and Maslow, and some of the most well known theories and experiments, this is an amazing introduction.

Definitely recommend this to anyone who wants to learn more about psychology. This gives an outline of the different fields, and can be used to inspire further reading - and study.

[Steffanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won’t lie I picked this up as I will be going back to school in October and wanted a refresher in what I was going to study. I have it three stars as it does jump around a bit but what do you expect for a small book on such a vast topic, I’m glad to say a lot of it I already knew but it’s always a good book to have nearby for a quick summary.

[Katarzyna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Things I read to entertain myself these days...

Unfortunately this little book is underdelivering on all it's promises, except that is little...

[Liv · Rating 5 out of 5]

Does exactly as the title suggests - a very brief introduction to psychology. I liked the engaging format with tables to show data and the quote pages were great too. Thoroughly enjoyed.

[FeedMyReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

With so many different mental health conditions and understandings of the human mind still developing it is interesting to have an understanding of just how far things have come in the field of psychology and a little about some of the beliefs of the major names in the field and that is exactly what this book sets out to do. This is not a book which is aiming to delve deep into psychology but is instead to give an overview of some theories, beliefs and understandings of psychology and enable the reader to gain some comprehension of the field so they can see if this is something they may wish to do a deep dive on.

For me this was an interesting book which gives a good balance of being simple to understand but not tying to dumb down the information for the reader. The authors have clearly worked to put things in a format and flow that will work and for me I found this to be one of the biggest pluses as some of these kind of works can sometimes feel a bit muddled, thankfully this is not the case with this book.

[fathi esam · Rating 4 out of 5]

**The human brain is the only living thing that can study itself**

علم النفس الحديث ونظرياته...

منذ بداياتي في القراءة وانا مهتم بذلك العالم المثير للاهتمام بالنسبة لي وبالرغم من توسع قرائاتي في بقية المجالات ولكن دائما ما أشعر بنوع من انواع الحنين ناحية الكتب التي تتحدث عن علم النفس والأمراض النفسية....

The little book of psychology... كتاب صغير مش بيتكلم عن الأمراض النفسية قد ما بيتكلم عن ظهور تخصص علم النفس الحديث والاسس اللي اتبنى عليها والعلماء اللي ساهموا على تطويره ووصوله للشكل اللي موجود عليه اليوم بداية من سيجموند فرويد وكارل يونج وماسلو وزمباردو وبافلوف وغيرهم والنظريات اللي توصلوا إليها من تجارب اتعملت على البشر والحيوانات

الكتاب بسيط ومنمق ومرتب بشكل مشجع على القراءة وفي نفس الوقت يحمل القدر الكافي من المعلومات التي سوف تجعلك تستمع به

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