Health, Happiness, and Well-Being

Psychological Science and Well Being provides students with essential scientific thinking tools to become knowledgeable consumers of information related to their physical health and optimum psychological functioning. Students are bombarded with information about their well being that is not based on science. This book allows students to benefit from the research of expert psychologists at the forefront of promoting behavioral health and enhancing the quality of life. The book assists readers in evaluating claims and evidence in terms of appreciating the value of replication, the need to distinguish correlation vs. causation, appreciating cognitive biases (e.g., post hoc, ergo propter hoc reasoning, reasoning by representativeness), understanding limitations in conclusions that can be drawn imposed by biased samples, and the influence of popular yet unsubstantiated beliefs in shaping opinions about behavioral health and psychological well being. The authors illustrate these concepts with examples drawn from the popular media and scientific journals, and also discuss why accurate and valid health information is vital to achieving the good life in terms of the benefits of acquiring up-to-date information, and lost opportunities associated with pursuing ineffective treatment. Features: - Chapter One presents the principles of scientific thinking and means of distinguishing science from pseudoscience to enable readers to become knowledgeable consumers of information. - Includes contributions from leading scholars in the field - Covers key topics in psychological health and well being often overlooked in many textbooks such as emotion regulation, parenting, sleep, and problem solving