Understanding Psychology (10th Ed)

cognitive perspective
The approach 
that focuses on how people think, 
understand, and know about the 
world.
humanistic perspective
The approach 
that suggests that all individuals 
naturally strive to grow, develop, and 
be in control of their lives and behavior.
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Applying Psychology 
in the 21st Century 
Psychology Matters
“Investigators search for clues at site of 
suicide bombing.”
“Deepest recession in decades produces 
huge rates of unemployment.”
“Eyewitness to killing proves unable to 
provide reliable clues.”
“Texting while driving blamed for rise 
in traffi c fatalities”
“Childhood obesity rates surge.”
A quick review of any day’s news head-
lines reminds us that the world is beset by 
a variety of stubborn problems that resist 
easy solutions. At the same time, a con-
siderable number of psychologists are de-
voting their energies and expertise to 
addressing these problems and improving 
the human condition. Let’s consider some 
of the ways in which psychology has ad-
dressed and helped work toward solutions 
of major societal problems:
• 
What are the causes of terrorism?
What 
motivates suicide bombers? Are they 
psychologically disordered, or can their 
behavior be seen as a rational response 
to a particular system of beliefs? As 
we’ll see in Module 48 when we discuss 
psychological disorders, psychologists 
are gaining an understanding of the fac-
tors that lead people to embrace suicide 
and to engage in terrorism to further a 
cause in which they deeply believe (Lo-
cicero & Sinclair, 2008; Mintz & Brule 
2009; Post et al., 2009; Stronink, 2007).
•