For courses in Introductory Psychology. This new and exciting American Psychological Reader, edited by Kathleen H. Briggs, University of Minnesota, with a foreword by Carol Tavris, includes over 20 articles that have been carefully selected for the undergraduate audience, and taken from the very accessible Current Directions in Psychological Science journal. These timely, cutting-edge articles allow instructors to bring their students real-world perspective--from a reliable source--about today's most current and pressing issues in introductory psychology.SCIENTIFIC THINKING: Klahr, D & Simon, HA, What have psychologists (and others) discovered about the process of scientific discovery? Anderson, CA, Lindsay, JJ, & Bushman, BJ, Research in the Psychological Laboratory: Truth or Triviality? Rosenthal, R, Covert communication in laboratories, classrooms and the truly real world. Kuhn, D, Metacognitive development. Dunning, D, Johnson, K, Ehrlinger & Kruger, J, Why people fail to recognize their own incompetence. Martin, RA , Is laughter the best medicine? Humor, laughter and physical health. Lassiter, GD, Illusory causation in the courtroom. NATURE/NURTURE: Dick, DM & Rose, RJ, Behavior genetics: What's New? What's next? Kolb, B, Gibb, R & Robinson, TE, Brain Plasticity and Behavior. Brembs, B, Operant reward learning in Aplysia. DiPietro, JA, The role of prenatal maternal stress in child development. Kochanska, G, Mutually responsive orientation between mothers and their young children: A context for the early development of conscience. Maccoby, E, Gender and group processes: A developmental perspective. Hendrie, HC, Exploration of environmental and genetic risk factors for Alzheimer's disease: The value of cross-cultural studies. CONSCIOUSNESS: Mack, A, Inattentional Blindness: Looking without seeing. Frensch, PA & Runger, D, Implicit Learning. Roser, M & Gazzaniga, MS, Automatic Brains-Interpretive Minds. Thompson, SC, Illusions of control: How we overestimate our personal influence. Howe, ML, Memories from the cradle. Zajonc, Mere Exposure: A gateway to the subliminal. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES: Fleeson, W, Moving Personality Beyond the person-situation debate: The challenge and the opportunity of within-person variability. Garlick, D, Integrating brain science research with intelligence research. Gottfredson, LS & Deary, IS, Intelligence predicts health and longevity, but why? Elfenbein, HA & Ambady, N, Universals and cultural differences in recognizing emotions. Peplau, LA, Human Sexuality: How do Men and Women differ? Kring, AM, Emotion in schizophrenia: Old Mystery, New Understanding. APPLICATIONS: Bushman & Phillips, If the television program bleeds, Memory for the advertisement recedes. Cialdini, RB, Crafting normative messages to protect the environment. Kazdin, AE & Benjet, C, Spanking children: Evidence and Issues. Batson, CD & Thompson, ER, Why don't moral people act morally? Motivational considerations. Fiske, ST, What we know now about Bias and intergroup conflict, the problem of the century. Alloy, LB, Abramson, LY, and Francis, EL, Do negative cognitive styles confer vulnerability to depression? Neil, V, Why Young Men Drive Dangerously: Implications for Injury Prevention. Allen, K, Are pets a healthy pleasure? The influence of pets on blood pressure.