Constructing Meaning

Offering a fresh approach to teaching introductory psychology, Constructing Meaning: An Introduction to Psychology provides a newly designed, scaffolded, applied learning approach to the foundational concepts of psychology. A constructivist pedagogy is the approach and framework for this work which facilitates encoding and retention with an emphasis on application. Beginning with essential concepts, the treatment of the content is succinct, conceptual, and practical, presenting an integrative flow of the material that allows students to build on previously acquired knowledge to construct knowledge and improve retention and learning. These distinctive approaches in the development of the topics allows learning to build upon previous learning, providing readers with multiple opportunities to apply theory and learn important terms and concepts.

The chapters are designed to progress through neuroscience, behavioral psychology, cognition, emotion, social psychology, basic psychopathology, and therapeutic interventions. Each chapter in Constructing Meaning includes learning objectives, stop and think applications, definitions of key terms, mini quizzes, and other helpful learning aids. These tools provide an intuitive way for the learner to think about, comprehend, and apply psychology in a meaningful and instructive manner.