Karen Duffy is a Distinguished Service Professor—emerita, at the State University of New York College at Geneseo. She received her Ph.D. in social and personality psychology from Michigan State University. Dr. Duffy served as a family mediator for the New York Unified Court System. She has also served on the executive committee and as the chief instructor for the training insti-tute for the New York State Employee Assistance Program (EAP), as well as on the board of di-rectors for a shelter for domestic violence and on an educational committee for a family planning agency. She has consulted to a variety of work settings on stress management, EAPs, and other work issues. She is a member of the American Psychological Society. Dr. Duffy has written sev-eral other books, including Community Mediation: A Handbook for Practitioners and Research-ers and Community Psychology. She also edits several hard-copy and web-based annual editions for another publisher, on topics including psychology of personality, social psychology, intro-ductory psychology, and adjustment. She has held two Fulbright Fellowships to St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg, Russia. While in Russia, she worked with AIDS International, several children’s shelters, and other community agencies. More recently, she completed a hu-manitarian aid trip to Mongolia.

            Steven J. Kirsh is a Professor of Psychology at The State University of New York at Geneseo. Dr. Kirsh’s primary areas of research focus on the influence of violent media on emo-tion recognition and social information processing. He has published Children, Adolescents, and Media Violence: A Critical Look at the Research (2006) and Media and Youth: A Developmental Perspective (2010) as well as numerous scientific articles and book chapters.

1. Self-Direction in a Changing World

2. The Puzzle of Childhood  

3. Affirmative Aging — Adulthood

4. Seeking Selfhood

5. Toward Better Health

6. Taking Charge

7. Managing Motives and Emotions

8. Making and Keeping Friends

9. Leader or Follower?

10. At Work and Play

11. Sexuality

12. Love and Commitment

13. Stress

14. Understanding Mental Disorders

15. If You Go for Help

16. Good Grief and Death

Full Table of Contents

Part 1 - Introduction

1. Self-Direction in a Changing World

    Social Change

        Living in a Technological World

        Living with Other Social Changes

        How Certain Is Our Future

    The Challenge of Self-Direction

        Self-Direction and Society

        The Ambiguity of Personal Freedom

        Taking Charge of Our Lives

        Living in Today's Individualized Society

    Themes of Personal Growth

        Living With Contradictions and Uncertainty

        Continuity and Change

        The Experience of Personal Growth

        Beyond Individualism

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

Part 2 - Becoming

2. The Journey Begins — Childhood

    Perspectives on Child Development

    The Biological Perspective on Child Development

        Nature versus Nurture - An Old Debate

        A Newer Approach

        Applying It to Yourself

    The Psychodynamic Perspective on Child Development

        Bronfenbrenner’s Ecological Environment

        Development of Personality

        The Structure of Personality

        Personality Dynamics

        Modifications

        Applying It to Yourself

    The Social-Cognitive Perspective on Child Development

        Social Learning Theories

        Recent Additions:

        Cognition and Behavior

        Applying It to Yourself

    The Humanistic Perspective on Development

        The Phenomenal Self

        Self-Actualization

        Applying It to Yourself

        Conclusion

    Developmental Challenges in Childhood

        Temperament

        Self-Recognition and Self-Concept

        Attachment

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

3. Affirmative Aging — Adulthood

    Adult Development

    Decisions, Decisions, Decisions - Early Adulthood

        Leaving Home

        Choosing a Career

        Establishing Close Relationships

        Starting a Family

    Same Old, Same Old? - Middle Adulthood

        Midlife Transition or Midlife Crisis?

        Physical and Cognitive Changes

        Possible Career Changes

        Sexual Changes

    Aging Gracefully - Late Adulthood

        Physical and Cognitive Changes

        Personal and Social Adjustment

        Retirement

        Successful Aging

    Summary

    Answers to Aging Quiz    

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

    What is the Self-Concept

        Self-Image

        Ideal self

        Multiple Selves

    Core Characteristics of Self-Concept

        Self-Consistency

        Self-Esteem

        Self-Enhancement and Self-Verification

    The Self-Concept and Personal Growth

        The Self You'd Like to Be

        Our Social Selves

        Learning from Criticism

        Greater Self-Direction

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

5. Toward Better Health

    Body Image

        How We Feel About Our Bodies

        Our Ideal Body

    Psychological Factors and Physical Illness

        The Immune System

        Personality

        Lifestyle Choices

        Environmental Issues

    Coping with Illness

        Noticing and Interpreting Symptoms

        Seeking Help

        Adhering to Treatment

    Promoting Wellness

        Taking Charge of Your Own Health

        Eating Sensibly

        Getting Enough Sleep

        Keeping Physically Fit

        Finding Social Support

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

6. Taking Charge

    Mastery and Personal Control

        Perceived Control

        Consequences of Perceived Control

        Misperception and Maladjustment

        Learned Optimism

    Personal Resolve and Decision Making

        The Process of Decision Making

        Making Better Decisions

    Decisions and Personal Growth

        Identifying the Basic Decisions in Your Life

        Making New Decisions

        Some Practical Applications    

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

7. Managing Motives and Emotions

    Understanding Motivation

        Understanding Your Needs

        Differences between You and Others

        Everyone's Basic Needs

        Psychosocial Motives

        Personal Motivation

    Understanding Emotions

        What are Emotions?

        Experiencing Emotions

        Expressing Emotions

        Managing Emotions

        Special Emotions

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information 

    Meeting People

        Are First Impressions Most Important?

        Mistaken Impressions

        Shyness

    Keeping Friends

        Friendships are Precious

        When Friends Get Together

        Self-Disclosure - Those Little Secrets

        Same-Sex, Opposite-Sex Friends

        Staying Friends

        Loneliness

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

9. Leader or Follower?

    Kinds of Groups

        Favored Groups - Primary Groups

        Bigger than Both of Us - Secondary Groups

        What Goes Wrong at Rock Concerts? - Collectives

        "Us" Versus "Them" - In-Groups and Out-Groups

    How Do Groups Form?

    Why Join a Group?

    What Goes on in Groups?

        What Did You Say? - Communication Patterns

        You Want Me to Do What? - Social Influence

        Let the Other Guy Do It - Social Loafing

        All in Favor Say "Aye" - Group Polarization

    Are Leaders Made or Born?

        The Great Man Theory

        Situational Explanations of Leadership

        Contingency Theory

        Contemporary Theories

        Gender and Leadership

        Culture and Leadership

    When Groups Go Wrong

        The Fiasco of Groupthink

    A Little Shove Goes a Long Way - Group Conflict

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

10. At Work and Play

    Choosing Your Career

        Taking Stock of Yourself

        Identifying Compatible Careers

        Arriving at Your Career Decision

        Preparing for Your Career

    Your Career Outlook

        Forecasting Your Career's Growth

        Changing Jobs or Careers

    Contemporary Issues in the World of Work

        Job Satisfaction

        Technology and Work

        Diversity in the Workplace

    Leisure Time

        What is Leisure?

        Work and Leisure

        Using Leisure Positively

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

    Men and Women

        Changing Views of Sexuality

        Sexual Communication

        Initiating and Refusing Sex

    Sexual Responsiveness

        The Sexual Response Cycle

        Individual Differences

        Love and Sex

    Practical Issues

        Sexual Dysfunctions

        Contraception

        Sexual Transmitted Diseases

        Sexual Victimization

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

12. Love and Commitment

    Love and Intimacy

        The Ingredients of Love

        Love and Close Relationships

    Commitment

        Cohabitation

        Marriage and Other Committed Relationships

    Adjusting to Intimate Relationships

        Sharing Responsibilities

        Communication and Conflict

        Making the Relationship Better

        Sexuality

        Changes over Time

    Divorce and Its Consequences

        The Divorce Experience

        Single-Parent Families

        Remarriage

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

    Oh No! - Understanding Stress

        Conceptualizing Stress

        Stress and You

    Yikes! - Reactions to Stress

        Physiological Stress Reactions

        Psychological Stress Reactions

        How Do You React to Stress?

    Phew! - Managing Stress

        Modifying Your Environment

        Altering Your Lifestyle

        Using Stress for Personal Growth

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

14. Understanding Mental Disorders

    Psychological Disorders

        What Are Psychological Disorders?

        How common are Psychological Disorders?

        How are Disorders Classified?

    Anxiety Disorders: The Most Common Disorder

        Generalized Anxiety Disorder

        Phobias: Fear of Something That Won't Really Hurt

        Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: The Doubting Disease

        Trauma and Disaster

    Mood Disorders

        What is Depression?

        Suicide: Who and Why?

        What is Bipolar Disorder?

    Other Common Disorders

        Do You Have an Eating Disorder?

        What are Personality Disorders?

        Schizophrenia - The Enigmatic Disorder

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information

15. If You Go for Help

    Insight Therapies - The Talking Cure

        Psychoanalysis

        The Person-Centered Approach

        A Variety of Approaches

    Cognitive-Behavioral Therapies

        Behavioral Therapies

        Cognitive Therapies

        Status of Psychotherapy Today

    Other Approaches to Treatment

        Family, Couples, and Relationship Therapy

        Biomedical Therapies

        Community-Based Services

   How Well Does Therapy Work

   Finding Help

   Summary

   Self-Test

   Exercises

   Questions for Self-Reflection

   For Further Information

16. Good Grief and Death.

    Death and Dying

        Risks of Dying

        Awareness of Death

        Near-Death Experiences

        The Experience of Dying

    Bereavement and Grief

        Grief Work

        Unresolved Grief

        Good Grief

    Life and Death in Perspective

        The Right to Die

        A Natural Death

        Funerals and Other Services

        Death and Growth

    Summary

    Self-Test

    Exercises

    Questions for Self-Reflection

    For Further Information 

Answers to Self-Tests

Glossary

References

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