Psychology

Introduction to Psychology, by Jorden A. Cummings (Associate Professor, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan) and Lee Sanders (Sessional Lecturer, Department of Psychology, University of Saskatchewan), has been created from a combination of original content and materials compiled and adapted from several open educational resources (OERs).

This book is designed to introduce students to psychology. It is an approachable, comprehensive overview of the main perspectives and sub-fields, with a focus on the science of psychology. There is an explicitly Canadian perspective, and the book incorporates open access material from other experts. Readers are also shown how to approach learning about psychology while being given the content.

This text introduces students to the fundamental principles of what it is like to think like a psychology researcher with a focus on the Canadian experience. This textbook is an adaptation of one written by Paul C. Price (California State University, Fresno). The first Canadian edition (published in 2013) was authored by Rajiv S. Jhangiani (Kwantlen Polytechnic University). This second Canadian edition was co-authored by Rajiv S. Jhangiani (Kwantlen Polytechnic University) and I-Chant A. Chiang (Quest University Canada).

This is a free textbook teaching introductory statistics for undergraduates in Psychology. This textbook is part of a larger OER course package for teaching undergraduate statistics in Psychology, including this textbook, a lab manual, and a course website. All of the materials are free and copiable, with source code maintained in Github repositories. The links below connect to various components of the project.

Instruction in Functional Assessment introduces learners to functional assessment (FA), which includes a variety of assessment approaches (indirect, observational, and experimental) for identifying the cause of an individual’s challenging behavior for the purpose of designing effective treatments. FA is mandated by federal law and is a recognized empirically based approach to treatment of individuals with challenging behaviors (e.g., disruptive, self-injurious, and aggressive behaviors). Instruction in FA is essential for students who will one day enter professions as educators, psychologists, social workers, counselors, or mental health professionals.

In this textbook, students are introduced to the fundamental principles of linguistics and psycholinguistics. Students will explore theories and models of language development, comprehension and production as well as bilingualism and reading. All of these topics are approached from a Canadian perspective and include ideas from indigenous cultures and languages of Canada.

The science of social psychology investigates the ways other people affect our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. It is an exciting field of study because it is so familiar and relevant to our day-to-day lives. Social psychologists study a wide range of topics that can roughly be grouped into 5 categories: attraction, attitudes, peace & conflict, social influence, and social cognition. This textbook presents core concepts common to introductory social psychology courses. The 8 units include 27 modules covering key social psych topics such as research methods, group processes, social influence, and relationships.

In this critical study, readers are asked to consider the ways in which children and youth are constrained by social, cultural, political, and economic forces and how they overcome the false adult-child dichotomy to exercise their own agency. Among the issues raised in the chapters of this volume is the place of institutional and residential care and a child’s right to determine where they live; children as the subjects of academic research; and the voice of children and youth in the justice system, particularly that of Indigenous youth.

In this open textbook, you will find seven chapters: What are Drugs? A Brief Introduction -- How the Body Works in Relation to Drugs -- Types of Drugs Commonly Misused -- Prescriptions, Over The Counter Medications, and Supplements -- Law, Regulation, and Social Policy -- Use, Abuse, Addiction & Treatment – Prevention

This text has been created from a combination of original content and materials compiled and adapted from several open educational resources. Available through the University of Saskatchewan Open Press.

This textbook tells the story of community psychologists, who view social problems as being due to the unequal distribution of resources, which causes poverty, homelessness, unemployment, and crime. This textbook will show students how to comprehensively analyze, investigate, and address escalating problems of economic inequality, violence, substance abuse, homelessness, poverty, and racism. It will provide students with perspectives and tools to partner with community members and organizations to promote a fair and equitable allocation of resources and opportunities.

Psy-sciences (psychology, psychiatry, psychoanalysis, pedagogy, criminology, special education, etc.) have been connected to politics in diverse ways during the 20th and 21st centuries. Besides episodes in the history of psychoanalysis in politically troubled times, the chapters in the book explore the full variety of “psy” disciplines in dictatorships and authoritarian regimes such as Nazi Germany, East European communist regimes, a Latin-American military dictatorship, and the South African apartheid regime, discussing psychology’s role in legitimating and “normalizing” dictatorships. The essays’ authors also explain the ideological and political foundations of ideas concerning mental health and illness in Russia, Hungary, post-war Transylvania, and Germany. Currents of critical psychology are also discussed, which try to understand how academic, therapeutic, and everyday psychological knowledge is produced within the power relations of modern—market or state—capitalist societies.