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I began by wanting to write a book entitled something like Where Psychology Has
Gone Wrong. The reason for this desire came from thinking that psychology is
a far more interesting and stimulating subject than it would appear to be from
a glance at some academic texts and journal articles. Also, many students begin
their psychological studies with enthusiasm and then rapidly have to come to
terms with the subject not being quite as they thought that it might be. Somehow,
it all seems rather remote from everyday issues and problems, in fact, not to put
too fi ne a point on it, rather remote from people and what they do.
However, those close enough to me to receive my confi dences about the proposed
book gently suggested that it seemed a hint negative. So, instead I thought
of writing something not only about where psychology had lost its way, but also
about more positive and interesting directions it had taken and where it might
go more positively in the future. This still seemed somewhat negative.
Finally, then, came the idea of picking the eyes out of psychology, of amassing
in one place all of those aspects of psychology which have been developed in an
interesting and practically useful way. When it came to looking for them, then
there they were. There was also the further consideration of identifying the
potential readership. This was an easier problem. The book is intended generally
for any person who wishes to fi nd out a little about psychology in a way that
would be useful to them in their everyday world, be it at work or at home, when
alone or in the company of others. The book is also intended specifi cally for any
student who is required (or wishes) to study psychology for one year as part of
some other training (teaching, medicine, paramedical services, police work, and
so on). It will give them a reasonably thorough grounding in many (but not all)
aspects of psychology, but will also ensure that this grounding occurs in the
everyday world.
In the end, this is not a didactic book. It has a much more practical set of
aims – to be useful and stimulating and, above all, to communicate and engage.
Psychology can be both surprising and fascinating.
Returning to the point made at the start of this preface, I am now in a position
of easily identifying those aspects of psychological research that (in my view)
have been, let us say, less than riveting. They are simply all of those parts of
psychology not included in Applying Psychology to Everyday Life, but the thought
of writing a book about them is also less than riveting. This was the better way
to do it. |
