This book describes psychological research methods that treat the behavior of living organisms as purposeful rather than mechanical.

Selected papers of William T. Powers: 22 articles and papers published here for the first time. This second in the Living Control Systems series underscores the potential of control theory to revolutionize the life sciences, in particular psychology... where, indeed, the theory found its most responsive audience. Powers makes the case for testable models in the tradition of scientific integrity, as the means for developing a genuine science of living control systems. Also included, selected published works on Living Control Systems, 1989-1991.

A survey of how engineering techniques from control and systems theory can be used to help biologists understand the behavior of cellular systems.

Work as fundamental to life, explored at different levels of organization from the perspectives of a variety of biological and nonbiological disciplines.

Dynamics systems (living organisms, electromechanical and industrial systems, chemical and technological processes, market and ecology, and so forth) can be considered and analyzed using information and systems theories. For example, adaptive human behavior can be studied using automatic feedback control. As an illustrative example, the driver controls a car changing the speed and steer ing wheels using incoming information, such as traffic and road conditions. This book focuses on the most important and manageable topics in applied multivariable control with application to a wide class of electromechanical dynamic systems. A large spectrum of systems, familiar to electrical, mechanical, and aerospace stu dents, engineers, and scholars, are thoroughly studied to build the bridge between theory and practice as well as to illustrate the practical application of control theory through illustrative examples. It is the author's goal to write a book that can be used to teach undergraduate and graduate classes in automatic control and nonlin ear control at electrical, mechanical, and aerospace engineering departments. The book is also addressed to engineers and scholars, and the examples considered allow one to implement the theory in a great variety of industrial systems. The main purpose of this book is to help the reader grasp the nature and significance of multivariable control.

Correspondence between William T. Powers, originator of Perceptual Control Theory, PCT, and Philip J. Runkel, professor of psychology and education at the University of Oregon. 500 pages of original letters show how Phil Runkel reevaluated everything he knew about psychology. This focused correspondence deals with the science (or lack thereof) and (inappropriate) methods used in psychology while introducing a new approach to a new natural science of psychology. Enclosures that go with the letters are available on the web.

Control Applications for Biomedical Engineering Systems presents different control engineering and modeling applications in the biomedical field. It is intended for senior undergraduate or graduate students in both control engineering and biomedical engineering programs. For control engineering students, it presents the application of various techniques already learned in theoretical lectures in the biomedical arena. For biomedical engineering students, it presents solutions to various problems in the field using methods commonly used by control engineers. - Points out theoretical and practical issues to biomedical control systems - Brings together solutions developed under different settings with specific attention to the validation of these tools in biomedical settings using real-life datasets and experiments - Presents significant case studies on devices and applications