
Abnormal Psychology by Peter Mckellar
In what ways can psychology bridge the gap between normal and abnormal mental life? Professor Peter McKellar believes that the words `experience’ and `behaviour’ provide on answer: what men and women do, their behaviour, becomes more understandable when we know more about their experience. This book provides a guide to understanding psychological phenomena which are, or seem to be, abnormal. It also examines the relation of these to subjective experiences of people we regard as normal, this emphasizing the continuity between normal and abnormal mental life. Reflecting the recent revival in interest in dissociation of the personality, rather than thinking of a single `Unconscious’, Professor McKellar examines the rich variety of subjective experiences: hypnagogic imagery, imaginary companions, déjà vu, synaesthesia, illusions of waking while still asleep, and lucid dreams when there is a co-conscious awareness of being asleep and dreaming. He discusses seemingly supernatural interpretations and `spirit possessions’ beliefs about multiple personality and dissociation. Professor McKellar brings to his analysis the perspectives of anthropology and the history of ideas, especially within science and philosophy. He argues that `the psychologist character in literature’ has frequently shown the way to the scientific psychologist: writers like Dostoevsky, Cervantes, Melville, Poe and Coleridge have drawn on introspection as well as observation in creating their characters and insights.| SKU | Unavailable |
| ISBN 13 | 9780415031325 |
| ISBN 10 | 041503132X |
| Title | Abnormal Psychology |
| Author | Peter Mckellar |
| Condition | Unavailable |
| Binding Type | Paperback |
| Publisher | Taylor & Francis Ltd |
| Year published | 1989-08-03 |
| Number of pages | 352 |
| Cover note | Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary. |
| Note | Unavailable |