A comprehensive analysis of chess players' cognition which introduces and reanalyses a number of classic psychological concepts such as apperception and restructuring.

No detailed description available for "Thought and Choice in Chess".

Research from the neurosciences and behavioural sciences highlights the importance of individual differences in explaining human behaviour. Individual differences in core psychological constructs, such as intelligence or personality, account for meaningful variations in a vast range of responses and behaviours. Aspects of chess have been increasingly used in the past to evaluate a myriad of psychological theories, and several of these studies consider individual differences to be key constructs in their respective fields. This book summarizes the research surrounding the psychology of chess from an individual- differences perspective. The findings accumulated from nearly forty years' worth of research about chess and individual differences are brought together to show what is known - and still unknown - about the psychology of chess, with an emphasis on how people differ from one another.

This book consists of previously unpublished manuscripts by Vygotsky found in the first systematic study of Vygotsky’s family archive. The notebooks and scientific diaries gathered in this volume represent all periods of Vygotsky’s scientific life, beginning with the earliest manuscript, entitled The tragicomedy of strivings (1912), and ending with his last note, entitled Pro domo sua (1934), written shortly before his death. The notes reveal unknown aspects of the eminent psychologist’s personality, show his aspirations and interests, and allow us to gain insights into the development of his thinking and its internal dynamics. Several texts reflect the plans that Vygotsky was unable to realize during his lifetime, such as the creation of a theory of emotions and a theory of consciousness, others reveal Vygotsky’s involvement in activities that were previously unknown, and still others provide outlines of papers and lectures. The notes are presented in chronological order, preceded by brief introductions and accompanied by an extensive set of notes. The result is a book that allows us to obtain a much deeper understanding of Vygotsky’s innovative ideas.

Both chess play and psychological research offer rewards to their participants in the form of intellectual satisfaction. It seems to follow that combining these two forms of activity, by carrying out research into chess play, should be a particularly engaging enterprise. In the mid-1980s enough was now known for it to be feasible to tell a reasonably satisfying story by piecing together the accumulated results of experiments on chess. There were remaining gaps in knowledge, but the structure of chess skill had at least become sufficiently evident to exhibit where the gaps lay. Originally published in 1985, this book was an attempt to summarize the progress that had been made at the time, recounting some of the components of the research process while describing how the chessplayer seems to think, imagine, and decide.

A Wall Street Journal bestseller, now in paperback. Poker champion turned decision strategist Annie Duke teaches you how to get comfortable with uncertainty and make better decisions. Even the best decision doesn't yield the best outcome every time. There's always an element of luck that you can't control, and there's always information hidden from view. So the key to long-term success (and avoiding worrying yourself to death) is to think in bets: How sure am I? What are the possible ways things could turn out? What decision has the highest odds of success? Did I land in the unlucky 10% on the strategy that works 90% of the time? Or is my success attributable to dumb luck rather than great decision making? Annie Duke, a former World Series of Poker champion turned consultant, draws on examples from business, sports, politics, and (of course) poker to share tools anyone can use to embrace uncertainty and make better decisions. For most people, it's difficult to say "I'm not sure" in a world that values and, even, rewards the appearance of certainty. But professional poker players are comfortable with the fact that great decisions don't always lead to great outcomes, and bad decisions don't always lead to bad outcomes. By shifting your thinking from a need for certainty to a goal of accurately assessing what you know and what you don't, you'll be less vulnerable to reactive emotions, knee-jerk biases, and destructive habits in your decision making. You'll become more confident, calm, compassionate, and successful in the long run.

Finding strong moves does not simply depend on how much you know about chess. In fact, greater knowledge often makes choosing a move more complex because it increases the number of directions your mind can take. It’s about the way you think. His many years as a chess trainer have taught grandmaster Joel Benjamin how fundamental failings in their thought process cause his students to make mistakes. Pointing out the moves his students missed was just half the job. He needed to explain why they didn’t arrive at the right move. Analysing your game with a chess engine will not tell you where and why you went wrong. Chess engines represent a different reality: the top computer move isn’t always the right move to play. This book teaches how you can improve the structure and effectiveness of your thinking when sitting at the board. How to look for the right things. If you take the wrong direction at the start of your deliberations, as club players often do, you may be losing before you know it. Joel Benjamin concentrates on a wide array practical issues that players frequently have to deal with. By applying a grandmaster’s train of thought club players will more often arrive at strong moves and substantially improve their game.