Welcome events for the School of Psychology

"The science of cooperation tells us not only how we got here, but also where we might end up. In The Social Instinct  Nichola Raihani introduces us to other species who, like us, live and work together. From the pied babblers of the Kalahari to the cleaner fish of the Great Barrier Reef, they happen to be some of the most fascinating and extraordinarily successful species on this planet. What do we have in common with these animals, and what can we learn from them? The Social Instinct  is an exhilarating, far-reaching and thought-provoking journey through all life on Earth, with profound insights into what makes us human and how our societies work."  

Note: A fascinating collection of case-studies outlining the often-peculiar ways in which neurological disorders can impact our perception of the world around us.   

"Shortly before he died, Dr. Sacks wrote an essay looking back on his seminal 1985 book. It appeared for the first time as the preface to this paperback edition, published in 2021.  

Here Dr. Sacks recounts the case histories of patients lost in the bizarre, apparently inescapable world of neurological disorders: people afflicted with fantastic perceptual and intellectual aberrations; patients who have lost their memories and with them the greater part of their pasts; who are no longer able to recognize people and common objects; who are stricken with violent tics and grimaces or who shout involuntary obscenities; whose limbs have become alien; and more. 

If inconceivably strange, these brilliant tales remain, in Dr. Sacks’s splendid and sympathetic telling, deeply human. They are studies of life struggling against incredible adversity, and they enable us to enter the world of the neurologically impaired, to imagine with our hearts what it must be to live and feel as they do."

"Why is there more chance we'll believe something if it's in a bold type face? Why are judges more likely to deny parole before lunch? Why do we assume a good-looking person will be more competent? The answer lies in the two ways we make choices: fast, intuitive thinking, and slow, rational thinking. This book reveals how our minds are tripped up by error and prejudice (even when we think we are being logical), and gives you practical techniques for slower, smarter thinking, enabling you to make better decisions at work, at home, and in everything you do."

Note: A great introduction to Neuroscience.

"A brilliantly illustrated journey through the wonders and mysteries of the human brain – from a renowned husband-and-wife team of cognitive neuroscientists.

Professors and husband-and-wife team Uta and Chris Frith have pioneered major studies of brain disorders throughout their nearly fifty-year career. In Two Heads, their distinguished careers serve as a prism through which they share the compelling story of the birth of neuroscience and their paradigm-shifting discoveries across areas as wide-ranging as autism and schizophrenia research, and new frontiers of social cognition including diversity, prejudice, confidence, collaboration and empathy. 

Working with their son Alex Frith and artist Daniel Locke, they examine the way that neuroscientific research is now focused on the fact we are a social species, whose brains have evolved to work cooperatively. What happens when people gather in groups? How do people behave when they're in pairs – either pitted against each other or working together? Is it better to surround yourself with people who are similar to yourself, or different? And, are two heads really better than one? 

Highly original and ingeniously illustrated, Two Heads provides an expansive understanding of how our brains work, and how they work together."

"John T. Cacioppo’s groundbreaking research topples one of the pillars of modern medicine and psychology: the focus on the individual as the unit of inquiry. By employing brain scans, monitoring blood pressure, and analyzing immune function, he demonstrates the overpowering influence of social context—a factor so strong that it can alter DNA replication. He defines an unrecognized syndrome—chronic loneliness—brings it out of the shadow of its cousin depression, and shows how this subjective sense of social isolation uniquely disrupts our perceptions, behavior, and physiology, becoming a trap that not only reinforces isolation but can also lead to early death. He gives the lie to the Hobbesian view of human nature as a “war of all against all,” and he shows how social cooperation is, in fact, humanity’s defining characteristic. Most important, he shows how we can break the trap of isolation for our benefit both as individuals and as a society."

Note: Some points in this book are debated, but it is engaging and good for discussion!

"In his new book — The Anxious Generation: How the Great Rewiring of Childhood Is Causing an Epidemic of Mental Illness — NYU social psychologist Jonathan Haidt argues that the transition from a play-based childhood to a phone-based childhood has been an epochal disaster for the cognitive and social development of young people.  

Haidt has previously written or co-written provocative articles (like the viral Why the Past 10 Years of American Life Have Been Uniquely Stupid), and books, like The Coddling of the American Mind. And I’m quite sure this new book will engender heated discussion."

If you are more interested in novel-style books, you can see author Irvin D. Yalom. Some suggestions for books are The Schopenhauer Cure or The Spinoza Problem. However, there is a long list of books that cover psychology-related topics, therapy, and psychotherapy.