Author Profile

Andrew Norton is Professor of Social Psychology in Society in the Department of Psychology at the University of Cambridge and Director of the Cambridge Social Decision-Making Lab. Before coming to Cambridge, he held posts at Princeton and Yale University. His research interests center around the psychology of human judgment and decision-making and human-technology interaction. In particular, he is interested in the social influence and persuasion process and how people are influenced by (mis)information and gain resistance to persuasion and manipulation through psychological inoculation. He also researches the psychology of conspiracy theories, extremism, the impact of genAI, LLMs, deepfakes, and digital media, social networks, reasoning about evidence, and the public understanding of risk and uncertainty. His research uses a variety of techniques, from virtual reality to survey, neuro, and lab studies to computational social science, big data, and largescale (online) interventions.

About The Book

History and Theories of Psychology provides a comprehensive overview of psychology's development, covering structuralism, psychoanalysis, cognitivism, and social constructionism. It explores key figures like Wilhelm Wundt and William James, focusing on intellectual, social, and political contexts. Does mainstream psychology offer us a 'true' insight into human nature? Or are current psychological theories and philosophies as much to be taken in the context of today's social and political thinking as were past beliefs within the discipline? Addressing this sometimes-contentious debate, 'History and Theories of Psychology' introduces the core issues of critical psychology from a historical perspective. The book shows how the development of the discipline, far from being a steady progression towards an empirically verifiable truth, has been significantly shaped by its host society throughout history. The book provides an overview of the history of psychology, using the benefit of hindsight to demonstrate how the discipline has been influenced and encroached upon by external events. It applies the broad perspective to issues in present day psychology, covering topics such as: the role of contemporary psychology, methodology within psychology, folk psychology and social constructionism. By addressing these issues in the light of critical psychology, the book aims to present a more realistic appreciation of the nature and scope of modern psychology, promoting greater critical awareness in students and teachers alike. This book's great strength is the way it weaves psychology between events and trends in society. It shows that psychology isn't separate, watching through a one-way mirror, but that psychology and society are threads woven together in the same tapestry. Key theories and 'big names' fit into a story that makes sense, and become more human than legend... The writing style is clear and direct; highly informative book that would benefit students, psychologists and aspiring psychologists. This book surveys the entire range of thinking in psychology, from ancient times to the present, encompassing philosophies and theories of mind that predate our modern conception of psychology as a science, and extending to the current findings of neuroscience. It will set the theories into their historical context and cross-reference key influences, such as Darwin's on Freud. International in scope, this book will involve history of psychology experts from around the world and the coverage of topics will be set in global context. The aim will be to provide a reference work of more depth than discussions that are currently available in textbooks, with the ability to connect to a multitude of relevant topics. This work will provide a picture of psychology as it has emerged into the present time and position it among other related fields such as anthropology, sociology, philosophy, and medicine.

Table of Contents

Preface
1. HISTORY AS METATHEORY
2. THE FOUNDING OF PSYCHOLOGY
3. THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF
4. THE DEVELOPMENT OF APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY
5. PSYCHOANALYSIS AND PSYCHOLOGY
6. PSYCHOLOGY AND SOCIETY
7. THE DEVELOPMENT OF SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY
8. THE RISE OF COGNITIVISM
9. PSYCHOLOGY AND MINORITIES
10. THE NATURE AND ROLE OF CONTEMPORARY PSYCHOLOGY
11. EVERYDAY PSYCHOLOGY
12. METHODOLOGICAL ISSUES
13. COGNITIVE PSYCHOLOGY
14. CONNECTIONISM
15. SOCIAL CONSTRUCTIONISM
16. CONDITIONING AND LEARNING
17. REMEMBERING AND FORGETTING
18. THINKING AND PROBLEM SOLVING
Bibliography
Index