How do people think about the world? How do individuals make sense of their complex social environment? What are the underlying mechanisms that determine our understanding of the social world? Social cognition - the study of the specific cognitive processes that are involved when we think about the social world - attempts to answer these questions. Social cognition is an increasingly important and influential area of social psychology, impacting on areas such as attitude change and person perception. This introductory textbook provides the student with comprehensive coverage of the core topics in the field: how social information is encoded, stored and retrieved from memory; how social knowledge is structured and represented; and what processes are involved when individuals form judgements and make decisions. The overall aim is to highlight the main concepts and how they interrelate, providing the student with an insight into the whole social cognition framework. With this in mind, the first two chapters provide an overview of the sequence of information processing and outline general principles. Subsequent chapters build on these foundations by providing more in-depth discussion of memory, judgemental heuristics, the use of information, hypothesis-testing in social interaction and the interplay of affect and cognition. Social Cognition will be essential reading for students and researchers in psychology, communication studies, and sociology.

Use the following for Social Work catalogs: Social Cognition and Individual Change provides a much needed link among several perspectives in social work practice (such as the ecological or generalist model) and the myriad of atheoretical "techniques" that social work practitioners must choose from. This new social work practice book makes more concrete and practical the basic premises of "person-environment interaction" and ′starting where the client is." It details the processes through which people perceive and interpret the social world, how problems arise, and how understanding these processes can significantly sharpen our assessments, intervention planning, goal selection, and evaluation. It draws upon the best up-to-date work in cognitive and emotional functioning, self-concept formation and change, and coping with stress. This book goes beyond introductory practice texts in describing how social work theory can guide practice. Special topics include clinical reasoning, the structure of memory, and social-cognitive explanations for psychodynamic phenomenon. Social Cognition and Individual Change should be included in courses for advanced practice and social work practice theory. Use this ad copy for psych: In recent years, there have been some major developments in the area of person-environment interaction--specifically the study of social cognition. Although knowledge of this literature is critical for the helping professional, social cognition in clients has been among the more difficult to adequately assess and use for intervention. Until now. Clear and succinct, Social Cognition and Individual Change offers a comprehensive introduction to a "cognitive-ecological" approach to counseling and clinical practice. To provide a solid conceptual grounding for the reader, the theoretical underpinnings of the cognitive-ecological model are described in detail, including its key components, strengths, and limitations. The model is then applied to relevant stages of practice such as assessment, goal setting, intervention planning, and evaluation. In addition, the authors provide numerous examples to illustrate how practitioners can use the model to enhance their work. Among the other topics covered are social perception and the practitioner, and feedback and follow-through. Social Cognition and Individual Change is perfectly suitable for courses on human behavior in the social environment and courses on practice methods. Human service practitioners, who would like an updated resource to fill a gap in their social psychological training, will also appreciate this volume. "The structure of this book allows one to use it for training students as well as a resource for professional practitioners. The material presented in each chapter is reinforced by the material in the succeeding chapter. The authors systematically develop the theoretical underpinnings and practice behaviors requisite for empowering clients and workers." --Families in Society Use this for social work catalog: "In this era of the cognitive revolution, books that address the use of cognitive techniques to facilitate personal change are abundant. None, however, match the conceptual depth and clarity offered by Brower and Nurius. . . . By using clear conceptual descriptions, vivid and relevant examples, step-by-step procedural guidelines, chapter introductions, and capsule summaries, Brower and Nurius deftly follow their own prescriptions about how to capture attention, prime associations, and facilitate recall." --from the foreword by Sharon B. Berlin, The University of Chicago Use this quote for Psych crowd: "Brower and Nurius have put together a valuable and practical blend of theory and research from areas of social cognition, self psychology, and counseling practice. I recommend it highly." --Michael J. Mahoney, University of North Texas

Social problems in many domains, including health, education, social relationships, and the workplace, have their origins in human behavior. The documented links between behavior and social problems have compelled governments and organizations to prioritize and mobilize efforts to develop effective, evidence-based means to promote adaptive behavior change. In recognition of this impetus, The Handbook of Behavior Change provides comprehensive coverage of contemporary theory, research, and practice on behavior change. It summarizes current evidence-based approaches to behavior change in chapters authored by leading theorists, researchers, and practitioners from multiple disciplines, including psychology, sociology, behavioral science, economics, philosophy, and implementation science. It is the go-to resource for researchers, students, practitioners, and policy makers looking for current knowledge on behavior change and guidance on how to develop effective interventions to change behavior.

Brower, an ETHS graduate of 1976, and Nurius provide a model for a "cognitive-ecological" approach to counseling and clinical practice.

How do people think about the world? How do individuals make sense of their complex social environment? What are the underlying mechanisms that determine our understanding of the social world? Social cognition - the study of the specific cognitive processes that are involved when we think about the social world - attempts to answer these questions. Social cognition is an increasingly important and influential area of social psychology, impacting on areas such as attitude change and person perception. This introductory textbook provides the student with comprehensive coverage of the core topics in the field: how social information is encoded, stored and retrieved from memory; how social knowledge is structured and represented; and what processes are involved when individuals form judgements and make decisions. The overall aim is to highlight the main concepts and how they interrelate, providing the student with an insight into the whole social cognition framework. With this in mind, the first two chapters provide an overview of the sequence of information processing and outline general principles. Subsequent chapters build on these foundations by providing more in-depth discussion of memory, judgemental heuristics, the use of information, hypothesis-testing in social interaction and the interplay of affect and cognition. Social Cognition will be essential reading for students and researchers in psychology, communication studies, and sociology.

Available online via SciVerse ScienceDirect, or in print for a limited time only, The International Encyclopedia of Housing and Home, Seven Volume Set is the first international reference work for housing scholars and professionals, that uses studies in economics and finance, psychology, social policy, sociology, anthropology, geography, architecture, law, and other disciplines to create an international portrait of housing in all its facets: from meanings of home at the microscale, to impacts on macro-economy. This comprehensive work is edited by distinguished housing expert Susan J. Smith, together with Marja Elsinga, Ong Seow Eng, Lorna Fox O'Mahony and Susan Wachter, and a multi-disciplinary editorial team of 20 world-class scholars in all. Working at the cutting edge of their subject, liaising with an expert editorial advisory board, and engaging with policy-makers and professionals, the editors have worked for almost five years to secure the quality, reach, relevance and coherence of this work. A broad and inclusive table of contents signals (or tesitifes to) detailed investigation of historical and theoretical material as well as in-depth analysis of current issues. This seven-volume set contains over 500 entries, listed alphabetically, but grouped into seven thematic sections including methods and approaches; economics and finance; environments; home and homelessness; institutions; policy; and welfare and well-being. Housing professionals, both academics and practitioners, will find The International Encyclopedia of Housing and Home useful for teaching, discovery, and research needs. International in scope, engaging with trends in every world region The editorial board and contributors are drawn from a wide constituency, collating expertise from academics, policy makers, professionals and practitioners, and from every key center for housing research Every entry stands alone on its merits and is accessed alphabetically, yet each is fully cross-referenced, and attached to one of seven thematic categories whose ‘wholes' far exceed the sum of their parts

For many years, social cognition models have been at the forefront of research into predicting and explaining health behaviours. Until recently, there have been few attempts to go beyond prediction and understanding to intervention - but now the position has changed, and a number of excellent interventions have been set up. The purpose of this book is to bring them together in one volume.