For decades the psychological assessment and treatment of offenders has run on invalid and untested programmes. Robert A. Forde exposes the current ineffectiveness of forensic psychology that has for too long been maintained by individual and commercial vested interests, resulting in dangerous prisoners being released on parole, and low risk prisoners being denied it, wasting enormous amounts of public money. Challenging entrenched ideas about the field of psychology as a whole, and how it should be practised in the criminal justice system, the author shows how effective changes can be made for more just decisions, and the better rehabilitation of offenders into society, while significantly reducing the cost to the taxpayer. This is a fearless account calling for a return to scientific evidence in the troubled field of forensic psychology.

Psychology Gone Wrong: The Dark Sides of Science and Therapy explores the dark sides of psychology, the science that penetrates almost every area of our lives. It must be read by everyone who has an interest in psychology, by all those who are studying or intend to study psychology, and by present and potential clients of psychotherapists. This book will tell you which parts of psychology are supported by scientific evidence, and which parts are simply castles built on sand. This is the first book which comprehensively covers all mistakes, frauds and abuses of academic psychology, psychotherapy, and psycho-business.

A cutting-edge text that provides a comprehensive introduction to mental health problems and criminal behaviour, this book explores the link between mental health and criminality and considers the most common and effective therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime. · Part 1 explores the predominant tensions between forensic and therapeutic agendas; · Part 2 considers how criminal and ‘insane’ identities and careers may be considered gendered, classed, culturally and age-dependent experiences, and be related to power and oppression; · Part 3 examines issues around sex and sexuality in forensic and therapeutic settings; · Part 4 introduces a range of therapeutic approaches for working with offenders and victims of crime; · Part 5 covers forensic and therapeutic practices, including programmes for the prevention of both mental health issues and offending. Edited by an expert team from the Open University and written by a broad range of contributors, this book draws on a wealth of experience in this popular subject area. It will be a key text for students of forensic psychology, counselling and psychotherapy, and for health and social care professionals working in therapeutic and forensic settings.

"The most important book at the borderland of psychology and politics that I have ever read."—Martin E. P. Seligman, Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology at that University of Pennsylvania and author of Learned Optimism Why are we devastated by a word of criticism even when it’s mixed with lavish praise? Because our brains are wired to focus on the bad. This negativity effect explains things great and small: why countries blunder into disastrous wars, why couples divorce, why people flub job interviews, how schools fail students, why football coaches stupidly punt on fourth down. All day long, the power of bad governs people’s moods, drives marketing campaigns, and dominates news and politics. Eminent social scientist Roy F. Baumeister stumbled unexpectedly upon this fundamental aspect of human nature. To find out why financial losses mattered more to people than financial gains, Baumeister looked for situations in which good events made a bigger impact than bad ones. But his team couldn’t find any. Their research showed that bad is relentlessly stronger than good, and their paper has become one of the most-cited in the scientific literature. Our brain’s negativity bias makes evolutionary sense because it kept our ancestors alert to fatal dangers, but it distorts our perspective in today’s media environment. The steady barrage of bad news and crisismongering makes us feel helpless and leaves us needlessly fearful and angry. We ignore our many blessings, preferring to heed—and vote for—the voices telling us the world is going to hell. But once we recognize our negativity bias, the rational brain can overcome the power of bad when it’s harmful and employ that power when it’s beneficial. In fact, bad breaks and bad feelings create the most powerful incentives to become smarter and stronger. Properly understood, bad can be put to perfectly good use. As noted science journalist John Tierney and Baumeister show in this wide-ranging book, we can adopt proven strategies to avoid the pitfalls that doom relationships, careers, businesses, and nations. Instead of despairing at what’s wrong in your life and in the world, you can see how much is going right—and how to make it still better.

This insightful book identifies the cause of evil as a psychological mechanism we all share. This mechanism causes us to project that the problem is "out there," meaning we tend to blame others for the origin of evil and conflict. Through real-life examples, the author explains why those who cause conflict will never be able to stop conflict. Only people who are willing to think outside the box will be able to make a real contribution to the removal of evil. Unfortunately, people with this potential usually withdraw from the debate and this is part of the explanation for the endurance of evil. Many people feel powerless to do anything about a problem as immense as evil. This book explains that we have been brought up to feel powerless and that we can overcome this programming by acknowledging who we really are. In this deeply empowering book, you will learn: How non-aggressive people can make a difference How elitism is the key to understanding history How the localized self, the ego, is the cause of personal evil How our minds filter out information and how this allows people to do evil while being convinced they are doing good How black-and-white thinking plays a role in most conflicts How most people are trapped in certain mind states that make them susceptible to evil How we can reclaim our true identity as non-local, universal, spiritual beings

Offers an inspirational and compassionate approach to understanding the problems of life, and argues that we should continue to believe in God's fairness.

What impact can video games have on us as players? How does psychology influence video game creation? Why do some games become cultural phenomena? The Psychology of Video Games introduces the curious reader to the relationship between psychology and video games from the perspective of both game makers and players. Assuming no specialist knowledge, this concise, approachable guide is a starter book for anyone intrigued by what makes video games engaging and what is their psychological impact on gamers. It digests the research exploring the benefits gaming can have on players in relation to education and healthcare, considers the concerns over potential negative impacts such as pathological gaming, and concludes with some ethics considerations. With gaming being one of the most popular forms of entertainment today, The Psychology of Video Games shows the importance of understanding the human brain and its mental processes to foster ethical and inclusive video games.