A Companion to Introductory Psychology: Engaging Essays for Students

A Companion to Introductory Psychology is a rich collection of thought-provoking chapters, which enhance student interest and promote group discussions, training entry-level students in critical thinking skills and engaging them with course material.

Organized into five key sections--Biological, Cognition, Developmental, Social and Personality, and Mental and Physical Health--each features contemporary chapters accompanied by insightful discussion questions, further resources, and activities to encourage reflection by the reader and to promote group debate in a classroom context. These prompt readers to reflect deeply, to evaluate long-held beliefs and/or personal biases, and to assess controversial topics by analyzing them through a psychological lens.

Mapped to the American Psychological Association Pillar model, this book will benefit a wide variety of audiences ranging from high school to college undergraduates. Primarily useful for courses in introductory psychology, this book is also practical for courses in behavioral neuroscience, cognitive psychology, developmental psychology, social psychology, health psychology, and abnormal and clinical psychology.

Frank M. Ferraro III earned a Ph.D. in psychology (behavioral neuroscience) from Kansas State University, USA, and is now Adjunct Professor teaching psychology at Midland University, USA. He has published scientific articles in the areas of alcohol/drug addiction and the benefits of wilderness experiences on human creativity. Much of his career has been spent at liberal arts teaching institutions, where he has taught introductory psychology, research methods, psychopharmacology, behavioral neuroscience, and upper-level research capstones. He is an award-winning teacher, having been honored by both Nebraska Wesleyan University and Midland University for excellence in teaching. This companion book is an accumulation of engaging essays he has written for his undergraduate psychology students. They are published here now, in the hopes that they enhance classroom discussions. He lives in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA.