Positive Illusions Or Adaptation

Integrating significant advances in motivation science that have occurred over the last two decades, this volume thoroughly examines the ways in which motivation interacts with social, developmental, and emotional processes, as well as personality more generally. The Handbook comprises 39 clearly written chapters from leaders in the field. Cutting-edge theory and research is presented on core psychological motives, such as the need for esteem, security, consistency, and achievement; motivational systems that arise to address these fundamental needs; the process and consequences of goal pursuit, including the role of individual differences and contextual moderators; and implications for personal well-being and interpersonal and intergroup relations.

Current policies treat adolescent risk behaviours as separate problems requiring separate solutions, ignoring the overlap of many risk behaviours. This text seeks to move beyond the fractured approach of preventing one kind of behaviour at a time and suggests more comprehensive prevention strategies.

This volume examines how local communities respond and adapt to ecological changes and disasters resulting from climate change. The main aim of the book is to understand the range of human responses to ecological change and to contextualise the reasons for adopting any particular adaptive strategy by a community. Through the help of specific case studies presented as individual chapters, the book aims to find out whether adaptation due to environmental stress is an individual decision and, therefore, is an isolated phenomenon, or if resilience and adaptation are part of the same action paradigm of society as a whole in response to environmental change. Of particular interest are the case studies of climate change or disasters that have rendered the site unsuitable for the return of its community at present, and thus necessitated the relocation of such communities to new locations. The case studies in the book focus on regions in India, but cover different parts of the world as well, and address concepts of resilience, vulnerability, risk, adaptation, and mitigation. The book will be useful for students and researchers in the fields of geography, disaster management, environmental science, and anthropology.

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In The Military Lens, Christopher P. Twomey shows how differing military doctrines have led to misperceptions between the United States and China over foreign policy—and the potential dangers these might pose in future relations. Because of their different strategic situations, histories, and military cultures, nations may have radically disparate definitions of effective military doctrine, strategy, and capabilities. Twomey argues that when such doctrines—or "theories of victory"—differ across states, misperceptions about a rival's capabilities and intentions and false optimism about one's own are more likely to occur. In turn, these can impede international diplomacy and statecraft by making it more difficult to communicate and agree on assessments of the balance of power. When states engage in strategic coercion—either to deter or to compel action—such problems can lead to escalation and war. Twomey assesses a wide array of sources in both the United States and China on military doctrine, strategic culture, misperception, and deterrence theory to build case studies of attempts at strategic coercion during Sino-American conflicts in Korea and the Taiwan Strait in the early years of the Cold War, as well as an examination of similar issues in the Arab-Israeli conflict. After demonstrating how these factors have contributed to past conflicts, Twomey amply documents the persistence of hazardous miscommunication in contemporary Sino-American relations. His unique analytic perspective on military capability suggests that policymakers need to carefully consider the military doctrine of the nations they are trying to influence.

Positive psychology is the scientific study of what goes right in life, from birth to death and at all stops in between. It is a newly-christened approach within psychology that takes seriously the examination of that which makes life most worth living. Everyone's life has peaks and valleys, and positive psychology does not deny the valleys. Its signature premise is more nuanced, but nonetheless important: what is good about life is as genuine as what is bad and, therefore, deserves equal attention from psychologists. Positive psychology as an explicit perspective has existed only since 1998, but enough relevant theory and research now exist to fill a textbook suitable for a semester-long college course.A Primer in Positive Psychology is thoroughly grounded in scientific research and covers major topics of concern to the field: positive experiences such as pleasure and flow; positive traits such as character strengths, values, and talents; and the social institutions that enable these subjects as well as what recent research might contribute to this knowledge. Every chapter contains exercises that illustrate positive psychology, a glossary, suggestions of articles and books for further reading, and lists of films, websites, and popular songs that embody chapter themes.A comprehensive overview of positive psychology by one of the acknowledged leaders in the field, this textbook provides students with a thorough introduction to an important area of psychology.

"According to Leo Tolstoy’s famous statement "all happy families are alike, each unhappy family is unhappy in its own way". Knud Larsen in his book on human happines proves the opposite. Summarizing the classical and recent research in successful human adaptation, adjustment and well-being of the soul and body he shows the many faces of individual human happiness. Moreover, the book opens the perspective into the directions of social, cultural and biological evolution. What I like most in the book, is its usefulness. Knud has many practical pieces of advice suggesting that we can improve our well-being if we try. I wish Anna Karenina had read this well-conceived, well written text.", Gyorgy Csepeli, Professor of Social Psychology, Chair of the Interdisciplinary Social Research Program of the Doctoral School of the Faculty of Social Science at ELTE, Senior Research Fellow of the Institute of Advanced Studies at Kőszeg (iASK) "This unique, reader-friendly volume covers psychological aspects of successful living with such diversity and depth that I have not encountered hitherto. It is essential reading for psychology undergraduates as well as more seasoned academics and practitioners", Howie Giles, Distinguished Professor Communication, University of California, Santa Barbara, USA & Honorary Professor of Psychology, University of Queensland, Australia "This book by Professor Larsen is very enjoyable reading and covers the many challenges humans face across the lifespan. The focus is on positive psychology as supportive solutions are offered for the many challenges of living. This is also a relatively rare book that evaluates adaptation from a socio-cultural perspective since most books today emphasize cognitive aspects of coping and development. I especially appreciated how Professor Larsen weaved his salient knowledge of cross-cultural psychology into this important work on human adaptation. In the book the author discusses the issue of adaptation in its varying aspects of human life and through the prism of cultural influence on personality and behavior.", Askar Jumageldinov, Ph.D, Assistant Professor at Catholic University in Lyon "This book uniquely ties together the author’s personal experiences with in-depth research on human adaptation. What strikes the reader is the very personal narrative that illustrates the many points of struggling with the challenges of being human. The book combines the best of classical literature along with very current and meaningful research. The whole human journey is evaluated from identity and finding meaning, through optimizing health in midlife to facing the final existential questions related to both death and longevity. A very thoughtful book.", Sven Morch, Ph.D , Professor, University of Copenhagen "An enlightened and enlightening story of the challenges we meet through our life course. Although the general reader may find useful information to the journey of life it is also a volume packed with research-based information from the psychological and social sciences with implications for how we can grow as human beings and live satisfying lives together.", Reidar Ommundsen, Professor Emeritus, University of Oslo "I have found the work of Knud Larsen to dove-tail with my own work on behalf of indigenous and third world peoples since I first became acquainted with him in the context of supporting the People of Cuba. Dr. Larsen, as manifest in this career-capping work, has the ability – rare among non-ethnologist academics – to be engaged in the inner cognitive world of people inside other cultures while viewing their society in his own unique perspective. This broad and deep treatment will deepen and broaden my own view of the peoples that I have engaged with on the cognitive level. It also broadens my view of the challenges of my own life and how to live a happy life.", John Allison, Cognitive ethnologist and author