The Second Edition has evolved with the changing needs of instructors and students, to provide features that support the learning process for all students. The text covers a full range of psychology topics, with a strong critical thinking theme, an integrated focus on real world applications, and comprehensive pedagogical aids.

An emphasis on "learning by doing" brings three new features to the book: captioned photographs to help students understand and remember psychological principles; marginal icons that mark active learning opportunities in the narrative; and active review exercises in the end-of-chapter study guide, which asks students to write about and analyze chapter topics.