SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMAN NATURE, 4th Edition, offers a remarkably fresh and compelling exploration of the fascinating field of social psychology. Respected researchers, teachers, and authors Roy Baumeister and Brad Bushman give students integrated and accessible insight into the ways that nature, the social environment, and culture interact to influence social behavior. While giving essential insight to the power of situations, the text's contemporary approach also emphasizes the role of human nature -- viewing people as highly complex, exquisitely designed, and variously inclined cultural animals who respond to myriad situations. With strong visual appeal, an engaging writing style, and the best of classic and current research, SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMAN NATURE helps students make sense of the sometimes baffling -- but always interesting -- diversity of human behavior.

1. The Mission and the Method.
2. Culture and Nature.
3. The Self.
4. Behavior Control: The Self in Action.
5. Social Cognition.
6. Emotion and Affect.
7. Attitudes, Beliefs, and Consistency.
8. Social Influence and Persuasion.
9. Prosocial Behavior: Doing What's Best for Others.
10. Aggression and Antisocial Behavior.
11. Attraction and Exclusion.
12. Close Relationships: Passion, Intimacy, and Sexuality.
13. Prejudice and Intergroup Relations.
14. Groups.

SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMAN NATURE, 4th Edition, offers a remarkably fresh and compelling exploration of the fascinating field of social psychology. Respected researchers, teachers, and authors Roy Baumeister and Brad Bushman give students integrated and accessible insight into the ways that nature, the social environment, and culture interact to influence social behavior. While giving essential insight to the power of situations, the text's contemporary approach also emphasizes the role of human nature -- viewing people as highly complex, exquisitely designed, and variously inclined cultural animals who respond to myriad situations. With strong visual appeal, an engaging writing style, and the best of classic and current research, SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY AND HUMAN NATURE helps students make sense of the sometimes baffling -- but always interesting -- diversity of human behavior. Several chapters have new and updated vignettes. Topics include the return of previously eradicated diseases in the wake of parents deciding not to vaccinate their children (Ch. 5, "Social Cognition"); the worldwide "pay it forward" phenomenon (Ch. 9, "Prosocial Behavior"); and the long history of "human zoos," in which Africans and conquered indigenous peoples were kept in pens and cages as if they were animals (Ch. 13, "Prejudice"). The modules on applying social psychology to consumer behavior, the workplace, health, law, and the environment (Modules A, B, C, D, and E) are thoroughly revised and updated. These modules appear at the end of the text and can be assigned according to your preference. The authors updated the book's well-received endnote reference style, which is used in the top scientific journals (e.g., Science, Nature, and Proceedings of the National Academy of Science). Each of the very popular self-quizzes includes one relatively challenging item, thereby providing more variety so that students of all ability levels can find questions that are useful and appropriate for checking their progress. "Money Matters" boxes illuminate social psychology concepts by applying them to familiar concerns from everyday life. These entertaining, pragmatically useful extensions of each chapter's basic research themes include such topics as: How did some football teams pay a price for racial prejudice? Would You Sell Your Soul for $1? and Money, Men, and Mating. The text focuses on the key findings that have shaped theoretical thought -- including the best of both classic and current research -- and helps students develop an integrative yet broad and informed understanding of the field. Graphs and images, such as a multi-country scatterplot graph in the Aggression chapter illustrating decreased violence levels worldwide in the 20th century, engage students and enhance their learning and understanding. Baumeister and Bushman succeed at their goal of putting the person back in the situation. Rather than focusing on humans as blank slates who just respond to situations, and treating the subject as unrelated lists of findings and phenomena, the authors use running themes throughout the book to emphasize the role of human nature and tie the material together. Themes include "the duplex mind", "putting people first", "the long road to social acceptance", and "nature says go, culture says stop". "Food for Thought" boxes tie chapter material to an intriguing social psychology issue as it relates to food -- a central theme in the lives of today's students given that college presents a novel set of challenges and opportunities for eating, drinking, dieting, and related concerns. Topics include "It's the Thought that Counts (or Doesn't Count) the Calories", "Mood and Food", "Virtuous Vegetarians", and "Restaurants, Rules, and the Bad Taste of Nonconformity". Many decisions and dilemmas involve tradeoffs, so there is often no single right answer that will suit everyone. "Tradeoffs" boxes help students develop a greater capacity to see both sides of many problems and behaviors, and realize that solving one problem will sometimes create another. Topics include "Now Versus Tomorrow: Delay of Gratification", "Self-Handicapping", "Affect Intensity, or the Joys of Feeling Nothing", and "Lower Expectations to Increase Happiness".