Psychology: Why It Matters

You are remarkable: You experience a vast range of thoughts and feelings, including falling in love, remembering last Tuesday, and contemplating the meaning of life. And you can carry all sorts of astonishing behaviours, such as sauntering down the street, singing in falsetto and riding a unicycle. Psychologists study every aspect of how you think, feel, and behave.

Richard Wiseman takes you on a personal journey into this fascinating world, focusing on what makes for meaningful research. He explores how psychology reveals the hidden workings of the mind, boosts critical thinking, debunks myths, improves lives, and informs debates in politics, philosophy, and education. This insider’s guide lifts the lid on how psychologists go about their work, examines contemporary challenges associated with studying the mind, and encourages students and researchers to reflect on why they do what they do.

If you’ve ever wanted to think like a psychologist, spot a liar, uncover the truth about happiness, or discover how to create a more altruistic society, then this book is for you.

Richard Wiseman is Professor of the Public Understanding of Psychology at the University of Hertfordshire, and the bestselling author of numerous books which have been translated into over thirty languages. He has given keynote addresses to The Royal Society, The Swiss Economic Forum, Google and Amazon. He is the creator of the YouTube channel Quirkology which has two and a half million subscribers.

Acknowledgements

Introduction
1 How Does Your Mind Really Work?
2 A Unique Toolkit
3 Myth Busting
4 Informing and Resolving Debate
5 Creating a Better World
Conclusion

Notes
References and Further Reading