Chaos theory in Psychology and the Life Sciences - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0805817379 ISBN 13: 9780805817379

Publisher: Routledge, 1995

Synopsis

This book represents the best of the first three years of the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology conferences. While chaos theory has been a topic of considerable interest in the physical and biological sciences, its applications in psychology and related fields have been obscured until recently by its complexity. Nevertheless, a small but rapidly growing community of psychologists, neurobiologists, sociologists, mathematicians, and philosophers have been coming together to discuss its implications and explore its research possibilities.

Chaos theory has been termed the first authentic paradigm shift since the advent of quantum physics. Whether this is true or not, it unquestionably bears profound implications for many fields of thought. These include the cognitive analysis of the mind, the nature of personality, the dynamics of psychotherapy and counseling, understanding brain events and behavioral records, the dynamics of social organization, and the psychology of prediction. To each of these topics, chaos theory brings the perspective of dynamic self-organizing processes of exquisite complexity. Behavior, the nervous system, and social processes exhibit many of the classical characteristics of chaotic systems -- they are deterministic and globally predictable and yet do not submit to precise predictability.

This volume is the first to explore ideas from chaos theory in a broad, psychological perspective. Its introduction, by the prominent neuroscientist Walter Freeman, sets the tone for diverse discussions of the role of chaos theory in behavioral research, the study of personality, psychotherapy and counseling, mathematical cognitive psychology, social organization, systems philosophy, and the understanding of the brain.

About this title

From the Author:

Offers applications of chaos theory in psychology.
Chaos theory is the 3rd great scientific challenge of the 20th century (along with relativity & quantum mechanics). It offers a new approach to reality, in which traditional science is a limit case. It has already moved into all the "hard" sciences, and is now offering a new approach to psychology and the other life sciences. This volume is one of the first to bring together papers on the applications of chaos theory to psychology & the life sciences.

Synopsis:

This volume represents the work of the first three years of the Society for Chaos Theory in Psychology conferences. The book explores ideas from chaos theory in a broad, psychological perspective ranging from a study of personality to mathematical cognitive psychology.

About this edition

• Publisher: Routledge
• Publication date: 1995
• ISBN 10: 0805817379
• ISBN 13: 9780805817379
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 414
• Editor: Robertson Robin