The Psychology of Action by Peter M Gollwitzer

The Psychology of Action by Peter M Gollwitzer

Moving beyond the traditional, and unproductive, rivalry between the fields of motivation and cognition, this book integrates the two domains to shed new light on the control of goal-directed action. Renowned social and motivational psychologists present concise formulations of the latest research programs which are effectively mapping the territory, providing new findings, and suggesting innovative strategies for future research. Ideally structured for classroom use, this book will effectively familiarize readers with important theories in the psychology of action.

This book is a must read for anyone interested in human motivationIn this well-edited volume, top theorists and researchers bring us up to date on their efforts to integrate cognition and motivation through the use of goal concepts and a focus on action. Not only is motivation back but along with it such important topics as intention, willpower, self-regulation, and the dynamics of action. --Lawrence A. Pervin, Ph.D., Rutgers University

The artificial separation of cognition and motivation was an unfortunate by-product of the demise of grand theories in psychology. This book takes a large step toward re-integrating these constructs. It does more, however: it integrates the new with old. Although the scholarship that enlightens these chapters is impressive in its currency, the underlying issues addressed--the role of consciousness in life, the operation of choice and will in action, the basically functional nature of behavior--take us back to our roots in the great age of the classical approaches. --Russell G. Geen, Ph.D., Curators' Professor of Psychology, University of Missouri

The aspiration of the editors implied in the title of this important volume--to find a link between action and cognition--is as admirable as it is risky. For decades, cognition has relied heavily on the computer model of the mind, and like the computer, had no conceptual instruments to allow for derivations about behavior and action. Action could be modeled in the robotics. But the robot that engages in motion requires an external source of energy, independent of the software that runs it. This is not so in the case of living organisms where `software' and `hardware' are intimately interlaced. The editors are to be congratulated for taking the risk and achieving a most promising breakthrough in the search for a conceptual union between cognition and action. --Robert B. Zajonc, Ph.D.
- This book is a must read for...academics teaching courses such as motivation and emotion, the psychology of motivation, or cognitive psychology where the topic of affect is addressed to some degree. If you want to get the latest theorizing for your students or your own personal research, I recommend that you get your hands on this volume. --Journal of Psychology and Christianity, 1/24/1996

John A. Bargh is Professor of Psychology at New York University. He received his Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Michigan in 1981. He has served as Associate Editor of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology and is currently President of the Society for Experimental Social Psychology. In 1989 he received the Distinguished Scientific Award for an Early Career Contribution to Psychology from the American Psychological Association for his research on the automaticity of social cognition and perception.

Peter M. Gollwitzer received his Diploma in Psychology from the Ruhr-Universitat Bochum (Germany) in 1977, and his Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin in 1981. In 1983 he joined the Max-Planck-Institute for Psychological Research in Munich and started research on the role of volition in motivation. Since 1993, Dr. Gollwitzer has held the social psychology and motivation chair at the University of Konstanz. His research interests focus on aspects of the willful pursuit of goals (e.g., identity goals, mindsets, implementation intentions).

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781572300323
ISBN 10	1572300329
Title	The Psychology of Action
Author	Peter M Gollwitzer
Condition	Unavailable
Publisher	Guilford Publications
Year published	1996-02-28
Number of pages	683
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.
Note	Unavailable