Lay theories everyday understanding of problems in the social sciences /
Lay theories - the informal, common-sense explanations people give for particular social behaviours - are often very different from formal 'scientific' explanations of what actually happens. While they have been studied in the past, this is the first attempt to review, in detail, the natur...
| Main Author: | Furnham, Adrian. |
|---|---|
| Other Authors: | ScienceDirect (Online service) |
| Format: | eBook |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Oxford [Oxfordshire] ; New York :
Pergamon Press,
1988.
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| Physical Description: |
1 online resource (xiii, 252 pages) : illustrations. |
| Edition: | 1st ed. |
| Series: |
International series in experimental social psychology ;
v. 17. |
| Subjects: |
| Summary: |
Lay theories - the informal, common-sense explanations people give for particular social behaviours - are often very different from formal 'scientific' explanations of what actually happens. While they have been studied in the past, this is the first attempt to review, in detail, the nature of these beliefs. More specifically, it is the first study to consider such fundamental questions as the structure, aetiology, stability and consequence of lay theories about a range of topics. Each chapter covers a different area, such as psychology, psychiatry, medicine, economics, statistics, law and education. |
|---|---|
| Item Description: |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-245) and index. Lay theories - the informal, common-sense explanations people give for particular social behaviours - are often very different from formal 'scientific' explanations of what actually happens. While they have been studied in the past, this is the first attempt to review, in detail, the nature of these beliefs. More specifically, it is the first study to consider such fundamental questions as the structure, aetiology, stability and consequence of lay theories about a range of topics. Each chapter covers a different area, such as psychology, psychiatry, medicine, economics, statistics, law and education. Front Cover; Lay Theories: Everyday Understanding of Problems in the Social Sciences; Copyright Page; Dedication; Foreword; Table of Contents; Chapter 1. Lay and Scientific Theories; 1.1 Introduction ; 1.2 Differences between ""lay"" and ""Scientific"" theories; 1.3 The study of lay theorise of human behaviour; 1.4 Some Definitional Distinctions; 1.5 How does one measur, assess or investigate tlay theories; 1.6 Conclusion; Chapter 2. Common Sense and Human Nature; 2.1 Introduction; 2.2 Common senes; 2.3 Human nature. 2.4 Two approaches to understanding lay theories (world views, cognitive systems)2.5 Information gathering and hypothesis testing; 2.6 Conclusion; Chapter 3. Lay Theories in Psychology; 3.1 Introduction; 3.2 Knowledge of psychological principles; 3.3 Changes over time; 3.4 Personality and individual differences; 3.5 Intelligence; 3.6 Conclusion; Chapter 4. Lay Theories in Psychiatry; 4.1 Introduction; 4.2 Attitudes to, and concepts of, mentla healht; 4.3 Attributions for addiction; 4.4 Explanations for depression; 4.5 Explanations for neuroticism; 4.6 The Attribution of cure; 4.7 Conclusion. Chapter 5. Lay Theories in Medicine5.1 Introduction; 5.2 Cultural determinants of health beliefs; 5.3 Health beliefs; 5.4 Doctor-patient communication; 5.5 Specific beliefs; 5.6 Lay theories of specific illnesses; 5.7 Conclusion; Chapter 6. Lay Theories in Economics; 6.1 Introduction; 6.2 Developmental studies; 6.3 Studies on adult economic beliefs; 6.4 Conclusion; Chapter 7. Lay Theories in Statistics; 7.1 Introduction; 7.2 The failure of intuition; 7.3 Lay psychometrics; 7.4 Gambling; 7.5 Limitations and artefacts of the current research; 7.6 Conclusion; Chapter 8. Lay Theories in Law. 8.1 Introduction8.2 Attribution theory; 8.3 Lay theories of delinquency and deviance; 8.4 Theories of justice; 8.5 Attitudse to punishment; 8.6 Legal reasoning; 8.7 Fear of crime; 8.8 Is there a criminal type?; 8.9 The police the public and crime; 8.10 Conclusion; Chapter 9. Lay Theories in Education; 9.1 Introduction; 9.2 Common sense; 9.3 Divergent perspectives; 9.4 Teacher expectations: fulfilling prophesies and confirming theories; 9.5 Parents' beliefs; 9.6 Pupils' perceptions and expectations; 9.7 Beliefs about the causes of success and failure; 9.8 Conclusion; Chapter 10. Conclusion. 10.1 Introduction10.2 A terminologlical note; 10.3 Common sense; 10.4 Constructionism and ethnomethodology; 10.5 Current research concerns; 10.6 Amateurs, hobbyists and avocational scientists; 10.7 The lay psychometrician; 10.8 Lay theories and memory; 10.9 Errors in lay thinking: the art of doubt; 10.10 The self-presentation of lay theories; 10.11 The communication of scientific information to non-scientists; 10.12 Selling and marketing pet theories; 10.13 Choosing, using and formulating theories; References; Index. |
| Physical Description: |
1 online resource (xiii, 252 pages) : illustrations. |
| Bibliography: |
Includes bibliographical references (pages 227-245) and index. |
| ISBN: |
0080326943 9780080326948 9781483286471 1483286479 |