PSYC08023 2022 Psychological Connections for Wellbeing

This module focuses on Positive Psychology and its contribution to health & wellbeing. It addresses areas such as: our relationship with ourselves, with other people, with animals & with technology. From birth to death we are engaged in complex relationships, the nature of which Psychology has long strived to understand.  The range and quality of our connections will be investigated, and the data derived from the scientific discipline of Positive Psychology will be presented.

"An Introduction to Human-Animal Relationships is a comprehensive introduction to the field of human-animal interaction from a psychological perspective across a wide range of themes. Hollin examines the topic of the relationships between humans and animals as seen in owning a companion animal alongside more indirect relationships such as our approaches to eating meat. The core issues under discussion include the moral and ethical issues raised in using animals for entertainment, in therapy, to keep us safe, and in sports such as horse racing. The justifications for hunting and killing animals as sport and using animals in scientific experimentation are considered. The closing chapter looks to the future and considers how conservation and climate change may influence human-animal relationships. This key text brings an important perspective to the field of human-animal studies and will be useful to students and scholars in the fields of psychology, sociology, animal welfare, anthrozoology, veterinary science, and zoology"--

Since the last edition of this definitive textbook was published in 2013, much has happened in the field of animal behavior. In this fourth edition, Lee Alan Dugatkin draws on cutting-edge new work not only to update and expand on the studies presented, but also to reinforce the previous editions focus on ultimate and proximate causation, as well as the books unique emphasis on natural selection, learning, and cultural transmission. The result is a state-of-the-art textbook on animal behavior that explains underlying concepts in a way that is both scientifically rigorous and accessible to students. Each chapter in the book provides a sound theoretical and conceptual basis upon which the empirical studies rest. A completely new feature in this edition are the Cognitive Connection boxes in Chapters 217, designed to dig deep into the importance of the cognitive underpinnings to many types of behaviors. Each box focuses on a specific issue related to cognition and the particular topic covered in that chapter. As Principles of Animal Behavior makes clear, the tapestry of animal behavior is created from weaving all of these components into a beautiful whole. With Dugatkins exquisitely illustrated, comprehensive, and up-to-date fourth edition, we are able to admire that beauty anew.

An important new BPS Textbook in Psychology exploring the interactions between individuals, societies, and digital technologies Outlines key theories and empirical research within cyberpsychology and provides critical assessments of this rapidly changing field Identifies areas in need of further research and ways to use digital technologies as a research tool Covers topics such as online identity, online relationships and dating, pornography, childrens use of the internet, cyberbullying, online games and gambling, and deception and online crime Engaging and accessible for students at the undergraduate and graduate level with real life examples, activities, and discussion questions

We live in a world unimaginable only decades ago: a domain of backlit screens, instant information, and vibrant experiences that can outcompete dreary reality. Our brave new technologies offer incredible opportunities for work and play. But at what price? Now renowned neuroscientist Susan Greenfieldknown in the United Kingdom for challenging entrenched conventional viewsbrings together a range of scientific studies, news events, and cultural criticism to create an incisive snapshot of the global now. Disputing the assumption that our technologies are harmless tools, Greenfield explores whether incessant exposure to social media sites, search engines, and videogames is capable of rewiring our brains, and whether the minds of people born before and after the advent of the Internet differ. Stressing the impact on Digital Nativesthose whove never known a world without the InternetGreenfield exposes how neuronal networking may be affected by unprecedented bombardments of audiovisual stimuli, how gaming can shape a chemical landscape in the brain similar to that in gambling addicts, how surfing the Net risks placing a premium on information rather than on deep knowledge and understanding, and how excessive use of social networking sites limits the maturation of empathy and identity. But Mind Change also delves into the potential benefits of our digital lifestyle. Sifting through the cocktail of not only threat but opportunity these technologies afford, Greenfield explores how gaming enhances vision and motor control, how touch tablets aid students with developmental disabilities, and how political clicktivism foments positive change. In a world where adults spend ten hours a day online, and where tablets are the common means by which children learn and play, Mind Change reveals as never before the complex physiological, social, and cultural ramifications of living in the digital age. A book that will be to the Internet what An Inconvenient Truth was to global warming, Mind Change is provocative, alarming, and a call to action to ensure a future in which technology fostersnot frustratesdeep thinking, creativity, and true fulfillment. Praise for Mind Change Greenfields application of the mismatch between human and machine to the brain introduces an important variation on this pervasive view of technology. . . . She has a rare talent for explaining science in accessible prose.The Washington Post Greenfields focus is on bringing to light the implications of Internet-induced mind changeas comparably multifaceted as the issue of climate change, she argues, and just as important.Chicago Tribune Mind Change is exceedingly well organized and hits the right balance between academic and provocative.Booklist [A] challenging, stimulating perspective from an informed neuroscientist on a complex, fast-moving, hugely consequential field.Kirkus Reviews [Greenfield] is not just an engaging communicator but a thoughtful, responsible scientist, and the arguments she makes are well-supported and persuasive.Mail on Sunday Greenfields admirable goal to prove an empirical basis for discussion is . . . an important one.Financial Times An important presentation of an uncomfortable minority position.Jaron Lanier, Nature

'A realistic approach to positive thinking' Sunday Times Do you want to be better at pursuing goals, grasping opportunities and facing set-backs? Do you want to FLOURISH? Psychologist Maureen Gaffney believes that in an increasingly uncertain world it is not only possible for us to flourish but essential that we take steps to do so. In Flourishing she shows you how to: Achieve a deeper sense of well-being, meaning and purpose Use adversity as a positive turning point Train your mind to pay attention Master your emotions and focus on your goals This gripping, stimulating and inspiring book will help you change your life for the better. Get ready to flourish!

Remediating deficits and managing disabilities has been a central preoccupation for clinical psychologists. Positive Psychology, in contrast, is concerned with the enhancement of happiness and well-being, involving the scientific study of the role of personal strengths and positive social systems in the promotion of optimal wellbeing. Alan Carr's Positive Psychology has become essential reading for anyone requiring a thorough and accessible introduction to the field. This new edition retains all the features that made the first edition so popular, including: accounts of major theories and relevant research learning objectives chapter summaries research and personal development questions suggestions for further reading measures for use in research glossaries of new terms. The book has also been completely updated to take account of recent research and major advances, and includes a new chapter on Positive Psychotherapy, an extended account of research on character strengths and virtues, and a discussion of recent ground-breaking research on emotional intelligence. This new edition of Positive Psychology will prove a valuable resource for psychology students and lecturers, as well as those involved in postgraduate training in related areas such as clinical psychology, social work, counselling and psychotherapy.

THE LIFE-CHANGING BESTSELLER. MINDFULNESS reveals a set of simple yet powerful practices that can be incorporated into daily life to help break the cycle of unhappiness, stress, anxiety and mental exhaustion and promote genuine joie de vivre. It's the kind of happiness that gets into your bones. It seeps into everything you do and helps you meet the worst that life can throw at you with new courage. The book is based on Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT). MBCT revolves around a straightforward form of mindfulness meditation which takes just a few minutes a day for the full benefits to be revealed. MBCT has been clinically proven to be at least as effective as drugs for depression and it is recommended by the UK's National Institute of Clinical Excellence - in other words, it works. More importantly it also works for people who are not depressed but who are struggling to keep up with the constant demands of the modern world. MINDFULNESS focuses on promoting joy and peace rather than banishing unhappiness. It's precisely focused to help ordinary people boost their happiness and confidence levels whilst also reducing anxiety, stress and irritability.

Additional readings will be recommended in class and updated frequently

http://www.mprcenter.org/mpr/ American Psychological Association.

http://www.bps.org.uk/ British Psychological Society.

http://www.repsych.ac.uk Royal College of Psychiatrists.

It is proposed to include an education field trip to the Education Centre, Dublin Zoo for this module.

As a 5 credit module, the total student independent effort hours for this module are 3 hours per week.