Catherine A. Sanderson

Books + Courses

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Introduction to Psychology (The Great courses)

From the days of Freud, Piaget, and Skinner to the modern science of fMRIs, Introduction to Psychology is a grand introduction to one of the most captivating fields of inquiry—where the subject is you, and everyone around you. Taught by Professor Catherine A. Sanderson of Amherst College, these 36 insightful lessons not only give you a panoramic grounding in the history, methods, and fundamental findings of psychology, but they also introduce you to the most up-to-date 21st-century research and discoveries—including strategies to increase your happiness and to improve how to live your life.

 
 
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Why We Act: Turning Bystanders into Moral Rebels

US Edition | Published by Harvard University Press


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The Bystander Effect: The Psychology of Courage and Inaction (now in paperback)

UK Edition | Published by HarperCollins UK

WHY WE ACT: TURNING BYSTANDERS INTO MORAL REBELS (US Edition)

The Bystander Effect: The Psychology of Courage and Inaction (UK Edition)

*Note: Why We Act (US Edition) and The Bystander Effect (UK Edition) are the same book.

Why do good people so often do nothing when a small intervention could make a big difference? Catherine Sanderson demystifies the mindset of bullies and bystanders to show why courage comes at such a high cost, and how we can learn to be brave.

When we are bombarded with reports of bad behaviour every day, it’s tempting to blame evil acts on evil people. But the fact is that in the face of wrongdoing – whether it might be bullying, sexual harassment, a political movement we ardently oppose, or any course of action we view immoral, dangerous or unfair – few of us choose to speak up. As Martin Luther King said, progress and social justice often find their strongest enemies not in the strident clamour of the bad, but in ‘the appalling silence of good people.’

Why We Act draws on the latest developments in psychology and neuroscience, mapping the neural impact of deviating from social norms and group dynamics, to tackle a question that many people have been asking themselves with increasing urgency: why do so many otherwise good people become bystanders to evil, doing nothing to stop bad behaviour?

Sanderson gives practical strategies for resisting these pressures in our own lives, laying out how – from schools to the workplace – people can be nudged into taking action and speaking out.

Courage, it turns out, is not just an innate virtue. A bystander can learn to be brave.

The Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset to Improve Happiness, Health, and Longevity

It’s the reason why spending time on Facebook makes us feel sad and lonely. Why expensive name-brand medicines provide better pain relief than the generic stuff, even if they share the same ingredients. And why a hospital room with a good view speeds up recovery from surgery.

In The Positive Shift: Mastering Mindset for Happiness, Health, and Longevity, Dr. Catherine Sanderson breaks down the science of thought and shows how our mindset or thought pattern exerts a substantial influence on our psychological and physical health.

Most important, this book demonstrates how, no matter what our natural tendency, with practice we can make minor tweaks in our mindset that will improve the quality and longevity of our life.

 
Slow and Steady Parenting by Catherine A. Sanderson, PhD.

Slow and Steady Parenting: Active Child-Raising for the Long Haul

From Birth to Age 3: Avoiding the Short-Term Solutions That Lead to Long-Term Problems

This groundbreaking work shows parents that following the quick fix solutions in other books may not be the way to raise well-adjusted kids. Dr. Catherine A. Sanderson explains that the road to successful parenting is slow and steady. Filled with important lessons and helpful advice in everyday situations, this book demonstrates how to:

  • Decrease parent-child struggles

  • Enhance a child's psychological and physical well-being

Centered on the principle that "slow and steady wins the race," this is the perfect manual for raising children in today's world of immediate gratification.

Looking for textbooks by Dr. Sanderson?

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