Psychology for Living: Adjustment, Growth, and Behavior Today, 11th edition

Helps readers apply psychological insights to their own lives.

The eleventh edition of Psychology for Living: Adjustment, Growth, and Behavior Today is designed for students interested in applying psychological insights and principles to their own lives. The text helps readers achieve a better understanding of themselves and others.

The scope of Psychology for Living draws material from the major perspectives of psychology, including the psychodynamic, ecological, cognitive-behavioral, and humanistic viewpoints. The goal of the text is based firmly on increasing readers’ understanding as well as their knowledge about adjustment, in order that they may continue learning and growing on their own. 

This text is available in a variety of formats — digital and print. Pearson offers its titles on the devices students love through CourseSmart, Amazon, and more. To learn more about our programs, pricing options and customization, click the Choices tab.

Learning Goals

Upon completing this book, readers will be able to:

• Apply psychological insights and principles to their own lives.
• Increase their knowledge on adjustment, in order to continue learning and growing on their own.
• Understand themselves and others better.

• How to Study section — At the beginning of the book, this section provides suggestions for studying and test taking. 
• Chapter outlines — Located at the beginning of each chapter give students an overview of what will be covered.
• Learning objectives — Identify what students are expected to attain in regard to knowledge, understanding, and application.
• Cases or vignettes — An interesting case or vignette relevant to the material included throughout each chapter.
• Key Terms — Terms that may be new to students are boldfaced and are followed by an italicized definition that is repeated in the glossary. Each time the term is used, regardless of the chapter, it is highlighted so that no matter in what order the chapters are read, the term will be familiar to the reader.
• Special-interest boxes, figures, and tables --  Contain interesting and important material supplemental to the text.
• Glossary — At the end of the book defines key, boldfaced terms in the text.
• End-of-chapter summaries — Summaries are arranged by major headings to help the reader to grasp the main points of the chapter.
• Self-tests — Consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions, help students to assess their under-standing of the material covered.

• Over 320 new references as well as new glossary terms.
• Technology and how it is benefiting yet at the same time perplexing our lives.
• Applications from the field of positive psychology.
• The ecological perspective on human development.
• The impact of parental monitoring and different parenting styles on youth.
• The impact and proliferation of hand-held devices such as PDAs and cell phones.
• The malleability versus fixedness of personality.
• The definition and application of defensive pessimism.
• Bullying and cyber-bullying.
• Children’s understanding of death.
• Why we make up excuses for or misdeeds.
• Obesity, the obesity stigma, and body image.
• The insanity defense.
• Academic dishonesty.
• What to do when someone tells you they are suicidal.
• Panic disorder and dysthymia.
• The relationship between music and suicide.
• Infertility, infertility treatments, and adoption.
• Updated U.S. census figures (and world population growth) throughout the book.
• Recent research on body image and the influence of the media.
• New research on post-decision regret, including hindsight bias.
• Frenemies.
• What makes a face attractive.
• Women in management positions and their experience with the glass cliff.
• Updated research on the impact of electronic communication at work.
• The issues surrounding having a therapist of a similar or different race.
• The resurgence of interest in the trait approach to leadership.
• Inclusion of new information on post-traumatic stress syndrome.
• The prominence of resilience in everyday life and in coping with stressors.
• The influence of the media in promoting eating disorders.
• Data on the prevalence of personality disorders.
• The concept that well-being is different from the mere absence of disorder and stress.
• The movement away from theories of stages of bereavement and toward interest in growth theories of bereavement.
• The continuing threat of terrorism and how it has changed the way we live and cope.
• Expanded information on the concepts of individual and collective societies.
• Changes in the American family and how they affect individual members.
• The effects of the baby boomers on society as they enter later adulthood.
• Thoughtful analysis of the role ethnicity and race play in health care, psychotherapy, and other areas.
• More coverage on cultural effects of nonverbal communication
• Additional information on child pornography and sexual assault.
• Learning Aids:  Several features have been included to assist the student in making the best use of this book:
• A How to Study section at the beginning of the book provides suggestions for studying and test taking.
• Chapter outlines at the beginning of each chapter give students an overview of what will be covered.
• Learning objectives identify what students are expected to attain in regard to knowledge, understanding, and application.
• Terms that may be new to students are boldfaced and are followed by an italicized definition that is repeated in the glossary.
• Special-interest boxes, figures, and tables contain interesting and important material supplemental to the text.
• A glossary at the end of the book defines key, boldfaced terms in the text.
• End-of-chapter summaries, arranged by learning objectives, help the reader to grasp the main points of the chapter.
• Self-tests, consisting of 10 multiple-choice questions, help students to assess their understanding of the material covered.