Define Adaptation In Psychology

Define Adaptation in Psychology: A Comprehensive Guide

Introduction:

Ever wondered how we navigate the complexities of life, from childhood trauma to career changes? The answer, in large part, lies in our remarkable capacity for adaptation. This isn't just about surviving; it's about thriving, learning, and growing in the face of adversity and change. This comprehensive guide delves into the multifaceted concept of adaptation in psychology, exploring its various forms, mechanisms, and implications for our well-being. We'll unravel the intricacies of this crucial psychological process, examining its theoretical underpinnings and practical applications. Prepare to gain a deeper understanding of how adaptation shapes our lives and empowers us to overcome challenges.


1. Defining Adaptation in Psychology: Beyond Mere Survival

When we talk about adaptation in psychology, we're not simply referring to adjusting to a new pair of shoes. Instead, it signifies a complex interplay of cognitive, emotional, and behavioral processes aimed at maintaining equilibrium – psychological homeostasis – in the face of internal or external stressors. These stressors can range from minor daily inconveniences to major life events like job loss, bereavement, or trauma. Adaptation isn't just about surviving; it's about adjusting, coping, and, ultimately, thriving within our environments. It involves actively modifying our thoughts, feelings, and behaviors to navigate challenges and achieve a sense of well-being. This process is dynamic and ongoing, constantly evolving as we encounter new situations and experiences.

2. Key Mechanisms of Psychological Adaptation:

Several key mechanisms contribute to successful psychological adaptation. These include:

Cognitive Reappraisal: This involves changing the way we think about a stressful situation. Instead of focusing on the negative aspects, we reframe the experience in a more positive or neutral light. For example, viewing a job loss not as a failure but as an opportunity for career growth.

Problem-focused Coping: This is a direct approach to managing stress by tackling the problem head-on. This might involve seeking information, developing a plan of action, or actively working to resolve the issue.

Emotion-focused Coping: This approach focuses on managing the emotional response to stress rather than directly addressing the problem itself. This might involve seeking social support, engaging in relaxation techniques, or using emotional regulation strategies.

Social Support: Having a strong support network of friends, family, or community members can significantly enhance our ability to adapt. Social support provides emotional comfort, practical assistance, and a sense of belonging.

Resilience: This refers to the ability to bounce back from adversity, to overcome challenges and maintain a positive outlook despite setbacks. Resilience is not an innate trait but a skill that can be developed and strengthened over time.

3. Individual Differences in Adaptation:

Not everyone adapts to stressful situations in the same way. Individual differences in personality, coping styles, prior experiences, and social support systems significantly influence our adaptive capacity. For instance, individuals with high levels of neuroticism may find it more challenging to adapt to stress compared to those with higher levels of extraversion or conscientiousness. Similarly, past experiences of trauma or adversity can impact an individual's ability to cope with future challenges. Understanding these individual differences is crucial for tailoring effective interventions and support strategies.

4. The Role of Personality in Adaptation:

Personality traits play a crucial role in shaping our adaptive responses. Individuals with traits like optimism, self-efficacy (belief in one's ability to succeed), and emotional regulation skills tend to demonstrate greater adaptive capacity. Conversely, individuals with traits like pessimism, low self-esteem, and poor impulse control may struggle more with adaptation. This highlights the importance of fostering positive personality traits and developing effective coping mechanisms to enhance resilience and adaptive abilities.

5. Maladaptive Coping Mechanisms: When Adaptation Goes Wrong

While adaptation is generally a positive process, maladaptive coping mechanisms can hinder our ability to effectively manage stress and can even worsen our psychological well-being. These mechanisms include substance abuse, avoidance, denial, and aggression. These strategies may provide temporary relief but often exacerbate the underlying problem in the long run, leading to a vicious cycle of distress and dysfunction. Identifying and replacing maladaptive coping mechanisms with healthier alternatives is crucial for promoting long-term psychological well-being.

6. Clinical Implications and Interventions:

Understanding the mechanisms of adaptation is fundamental to various clinical interventions. Therapists often use evidence-based approaches like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) to help individuals develop healthier coping mechanisms, challenge negative thought patterns, and enhance their adaptive skills. These therapies focus on empowering individuals to identify and modify maladaptive behaviors and develop strategies for navigating challenging situations.


7. The Future of Adaptation Research:

Research on psychological adaptation continues to evolve, with increasing focus on the interplay between biological, psychological, and social factors. Neuroscience is providing insights into the neural mechanisms underlying stress response and adaptation, while advances in technology offer new tools for assessing and measuring adaptive capacity. Future research will likely explore the role of epigenetics in shaping adaptation, investigate the impact of technology on our adaptive responses, and develop more personalized interventions to enhance resilience and well-being.


Article Outline: Define Adaptation in Psychology

Introduction: Hook, overview of the topic and what the article offers.
Chapter 1: Defining Adaptation – going beyond simple adjustment.
Chapter 2: Mechanisms of Psychological Adaptation – cognitive, emotional, behavioral approaches.
Chapter 3: Individual Differences – impact of personality, experiences, and social support.
Chapter 4: The Role of Personality – optimism, self-efficacy, and emotional regulation.
Chapter 5: Maladaptive Coping – substance abuse, avoidance, and other negative strategies.
Chapter 6: Clinical Implications and Interventions – CBT, DBT, and other therapeutic approaches.
Chapter 7: Future of Adaptation Research – neuroscience, technology, and personalized interventions.
Conclusion: Recap of key points and takeaway messages.


(The detailed content for each chapter is provided above in the main article.)


FAQs:

1. What is the difference between adaptation and coping? While often used interchangeably, adaptation is a broader term encompassing the entire process of adjusting to stressors, while coping refers to the specific strategies employed to manage stress.

2. Is adaptation always positive? No, maladaptive coping strategies can lead to negative outcomes.

3. How can I improve my adaptive capacity? Develop healthy coping mechanisms, build social support, practice self-compassion, and seek professional help when needed.

4. What role do genetics play in adaptation? Genetics can influence our predisposition to certain personality traits and coping styles, but they don't determine our adaptive capacity entirely.

5. Can adaptation be learned? Yes, adaptive skills can be learned and strengthened through experience and targeted interventions.

6. How does trauma impact adaptation? Trauma can significantly impair adaptive capacity, often leading to the development of maladaptive coping mechanisms.

7. What is the relationship between adaptation and resilience? Resilience is a key component of successful adaptation, reflecting the ability to bounce back from adversity.

8. What are some examples of maladaptive coping mechanisms? Substance abuse, self-harm, avoidance, denial, and aggression.

9. Is there a limit to our capacity for adaptation? While our adaptive capacity is considerable, there are limits to what we can endure without experiencing significant psychological distress.


Related Articles:

1. Stress and Coping Mechanisms: An exploration of various coping strategies and their effectiveness.
2. Resilience: Building Mental Toughness: Techniques for developing resilience and overcoming adversity.
3. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT): A Practical Guide: An overview of CBT and its applications in managing stress and improving mental well-being.
4. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT): Managing Intense Emotions: A focus on DBT and its effectiveness in managing intense emotions and improving interpersonal relationships.
5. The Role of Personality in Mental Health: An examination of how personality traits influence mental health outcomes.
6. Understanding Trauma and its Impact: A deeper look at the effects of trauma on mental health and well-being.
7. Social Support and Mental Well-being: The crucial role of social connections in promoting mental health.
8. The Neuroscience of Stress and Adaptation: An exploration of the biological mechanisms underlying stress response and adaptation.
9. Building Self-Efficacy: Believing in Yourself: Strategies for developing a strong belief in one's own abilities.


  define adaptation in psychology: The Oxford Handbook of Adaptation Studies Thomas M. Leitch, 2017 This collection of forty new essays, written by the leading scholars in adaptation studies and distinguished contributors from outside the field, is the most comprehensive volume on adaptation ever published. Written to appeal alike to specialists in adaptation, scholars in allied fields, and general readers, it hearkens back to the foundations of adaptation studies a century and more ago, surveys its ferment of activity over the past twenty years, and looks forward to the future. It considers the very different problems in adapting the classics, from the Bible to Frankenstein to Philip Roth, and the commons, from online mashups and remixes to adult movies. It surveys a dizzying range of adaptations around the world, from Latin American telenovelas to Czech cinema, from Hong Kong comics to Classics Illustrated, from Bollywood to zombies, and explores the ways media as different as radio, opera, popular song, and videogames have handled adaptation. Going still further, it examines the relations between adaptation and such intertextual practices as translation, illustration, prequels, sequels, remakes, intermediality, and transmediality. The volume's contributors consider the similarities and differences between adaptation and history, adaptation and performance, adaptation and revision, and textual and biological adaptation, casting an appreciative but critical eye on the theory and practice of adaptation scholars--and, occasionally, each other. The Oxford Handbook of Adaptation Studies offers specific suggestions for how to read, teach, create, and write about adaptations in order to prepare for a world in which adaptation, already ubiquitous, is likely to become ever more important.
  define adaptation in psychology: Adapting Tests in Linguistic and Cultural Situations Dragoş Iliescu, 2017-11-02 This book provides a practical but scientifically grounded step-by-step approach to the adaptation of tests in linguistic and cultural contexts.
  define adaptation in psychology: Encyclopedia of Child Behavior and Development Sam Goldstein, Jack A. Naglieri, 2010-11-23 This reference work breaks new ground as an electronic resource. Utterly comprehensive, it serves as a repository of knowledge in the field as well as a frequently updated conduit of new material long before it finds its way into standard textbooks.
  define adaptation in psychology: Evolutionary Psychology David Buss, 2015-10-02 This book examines human psychology and behavior through the lens of modern evolutionary psychology. Evolutionary Psychology: The Ne w Science of the Mind, 5/e provides students with the conceptual tools of evolutionary psychology, and applies them to empirical research on the human mind. Content topics are logically arrayed, starting with challenges of survival, mating, parenting, and kinship; and then progressing to challenges of group living, including cooperation, aggression, sexual conflict, and status, prestige, and social hierarchies. Students gain a deep understanding of applying evolutionary psychology to their own lives and all the people they interact with.
  define adaptation in psychology: Adaptation-level Theory Harry Helson, 1964
  define adaptation in psychology: Encyclopedia of Personality and Individual Differences Virgil Zeigler-Hill, Todd K. Shackelford, 2020-03-11 This Encyclopedia provides a comprehensive overview of individual differences within the domain of personality, with major sub-topics including assessment and research design, taxonomy, biological factors, evolutionary evidence, motivation, cognition and emotion, as well as gender differences, cultural considerations, and personality disorders. It is an up-to-date reference for this increasingly important area and a key resource for those who study intelligence, personality, motivation, aptitude and their variations within members of a group.
  define adaptation in psychology: Introduction to Psychology Jennifer Walinga, Charles Stangor, This book is designed to help students organize their thinking about psychology at a conceptual level. The focus on behaviour and empiricism has produced a text that is better organized, has fewer chapters, and is somewhat shorter than many of the leading books. The beginning of each section includes learning objectives; throughout the body of each section are key terms in bold followed by their definitions in italics; key takeaways, and exercises and critical thinking activities end each section.
  define adaptation in psychology: The Adapted Mind Jerome H. Barkow, Leda Cosmides, John Tooby, 1992 Although researchers have long been aware that the species-typical architecture of the human mind is the product of our evolutionary history, it has only been in the last three decades that advances in such fields as evolutionary biology, cognitive psychology, and paleoanthropology have made the fact of our evolution illuminating. Converging findings from a variety of disciplines are leading to the emergence of a fundamentally new view of the human mind, and with it a new framework for the behavioral and social sciences. First, with the advent of the cognitive revolution, human nature can finally be defined precisely as the set of universal, species-typical information-processing programs that operate beneath the surface of expressed cultural variability. Second, this collection of cognitive programs evolved in the Pleistocene to solve the adaptive problems regularly faced by our hunter-gatherer ancestors - problems such as mate selection, language acquisition, co-operation, and sexual infidelity. Consequently, the traditional view of the mind as a general-purpose computer, tabula rasa, or passive recipient of culture is being replaced by the view that the mind resembles an intricate network of functionally specialized computers, each of which imposes contentful structure on human mental organization and culture. The Adapted Mind explores this new approach - evolutionary psychology - and its implications for a new view of culture.
  define adaptation in psychology: Emotion and Adaptation Richard S. Lazarus, 1991 This work provides a complete theory of the emotional processes, explaining how different emotions are elicited and expressed, and how the emotional range of individuals develops over their lifetime. The author's approach puts emotion in a central role as a complex, patterned, organic reaction to both daily events and long-term efforts on the part of the individual to survive, flourish and achieve. In his view, emotions cannot be divorced from other functions - whether biological, social or cognitive - and express the intimate, personal meaning of what individuals experience. As coping and adapting processes, they are seen as part of the on-going effort to monitor changes, stimuli and stresses arising from the environment.
  define adaptation in psychology: Encyclopedia of Quality of Life and Well-Being Research Alex C. Michalos, 2014-02-12 The aim of this encyclopedia is to provide a comprehensive reference work on scientific and other scholarly research on the quality of life, including health-related quality of life research or also called patient-reported outcomes research. Since the 1960s two overlapping but fairly distinct research communities and traditions have developed concerning ideas about the quality of life, individually and collectively, one with a fairly narrow focus on health-related issues and one with a quite broad focus. In many ways, the central issues of these fields have roots extending to the observations and speculations of ancient philosophers, creating a continuous exploration by diverse explorers in diverse historic and cultural circumstances over several centuries of the qualities of human existence. What we have not had so far is a single, multidimensional reference work connecting the most salient and important contributions to the relevant fields. Entries are organized alphabetically and cover basic concepts, relatively well established facts, lawlike and causal relations, theories, methods, standardized tests, biographic entries on significant figures, organizational profiles, indicators and indexes of qualities of individuals and of communities of diverse sizes, including rural areas, towns, cities, counties, provinces, states, regions, countries and groups of countries.
  define adaptation in psychology: Culture and Islamic Adaptation Psychology Malik Badri, Humanology, 2018-03-15 The indiscriminate exportation of Western psychology to Muslim and third world countries can pose serious cultural and ideological dilemmas. When the exported commodity from North to South is physical in nature, the harm done can easily be identified; for example the quick detection of the life threatening birth defects caused by the drug thalidomide when taken during pregnancy or the flaws in the breaking system of a Japanese car. However, when the exported product is ideas and beliefs and ways of life, the indirect and sneaky damage, is often much more malevolent and long-lasting because it attacks the worldview of the recipients and it shakes their cherished beliefs. Because of its technological supremacy Islamic and developing countries got used to wholeheartedly accepting any information coming from the West if it is under the tag of “science”. By presenting itself under this prestigious ‘mantra’ of science, students in Muslim countries swallow the kernel of psychology with its nutshell; the baby with its filthy water. The danger of this approach is greatly augmented by the shortcomings of our educational systems that discourages critical thinking and encourages the submissive acceptance of the words of the teacher and that of printed material.
  define adaptation in psychology: Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems John H. Holland, 1992-04-29 Genetic algorithms are playing an increasingly important role in studies of complex adaptive systems, ranging from adaptive agents in economic theory to the use of machine learning techniques in the design of complex devices such as aircraft turbines and integrated circuits. Adaptation in Natural and Artificial Systems is the book that initiated this field of study, presenting the theoretical foundations and exploring applications. In its most familiar form, adaptation is a biological process, whereby organisms evolve by rearranging genetic material to survive in environments confronting them. In this now classic work, Holland presents a mathematical model that allows for the nonlinearity of such complex interactions. He demonstrates the model's universality by applying it to economics, physiological psychology, game theory, and artificial intelligence and then outlines the way in which this approach modifies the traditional views of mathematical genetics. Initially applying his concepts to simply defined artificial systems with limited numbers of parameters, Holland goes on to explore their use in the study of a wide range of complex, naturally occuring processes, concentrating on systems having multiple factors that interact in nonlinear ways. Along the way he accounts for major effects of coadaptation and coevolution: the emergence of building blocks, or schemata, that are recombined and passed on to succeeding generations to provide, innovations and improvements.
  define adaptation in psychology: Acculturation and Psychological Adaptation Vanessa S. Castro, 2003-01-30 This volume addresses the psychological impact of interethnic contact and acculturation in Latin American settings, focusing on the effects of acculturation on self-esteem among adolescents. Opening with an account of relevant theoretical and empirical literature on interethnic contact and acculturation, this book represents an acid test of the cross-cultural applicability of theory and method largely derived from research on acculturation to North American and European settings. Much research has focused on acculturation processes among ethnic immigrants and ethnic minorities leading to the impression that host or majority groups remain unchangeable during acculturation. By contrast, this volume shows that psychological changes occur in all groups involved in the contact, reinforcing the idea that acculturation is a special case of mutual influence. This book will be of special interest for researchers, scholars or students seeking to understand the acculuturation process outside North America and Europe. Strong evidence is pressented showing the development of positive ties with both one's own and other relevant groups provides a more solid basis for self-esteem than relinquishing ties to the ethnic group of reference.
  define adaptation in psychology: Stability of Happiness Kennon M Sheldon, Richard E. Lucas, 2014-07-08 The right to pursue happiness is one of the dominant themes of western culture, and understanding the causes of happiness is one of the primary goals of the positive psychology movement. However, before the causality question can even be considered, a more basic question must be addressed: CAN happiness change? Reasons for skepticism include the notion of a genetic set point for happiness, i.e. a stable personal baseline of happiness to which individuals will always return, no matter how much their lives change for the better; the life-span stability of happiness-related traits such as neuroticism and extraversion; and the powerful processes of hedonic adaptation, which erode the positive effects of any fortuitous life change. This book investigates prominent theories on happiness with the research evidence to discuss when and how happiness changes and for how long. - Identifies all major theories of happiness - Reviews empirical results on happiness longevity/stability - Discusses mitigating factors in what influences happiness longevity
  define adaptation in psychology: The Hugging Tree Jill Neimark, 2015-09-15 The Hugging Tree tells the story of a little tree growing all alone on a cliff, by a vast and mighty sea. Through thundering storms and the cold of winter, the tree holds fast. Sustained by the natural world and the kindness and compassion of one little boy, eventually the tree grows until it can hold and shelter others. A Note to Parents and Caregivers by Elizabeth McCallum, PhD, provides more information about resilience, and guidelines for building resilience in children.
  define adaptation in psychology: Blackwell Handbook of Childhood Cognitive Development Usha Goswami, 2008-04-15 This definitive volume provides state-of-the-art summaries of current research by leading specialists in different areas of cognitive development. Forms part of a series of four Blackwell Handbooks in Developmental Psychology spanning infancy to adulthood. Covers all the major topics in research and theory about childhood cognitive development. Synthesizes the latest research findings in an accessible manner. Includes chapters on abnormal cognitive development and theoretical perspectives, as well as basic research topics. Now available in full text online via xreferplus, the award-winning reference library on the web from xrefer. For more information, visit www.xreferplus.com
  define adaptation in psychology: Stress and Coping: an Anthology Richard S. Lazarus, Alan Monat, 1991 Evaluated are stress causes and its effects, both physical and emotional. Also studied are coping and stress management techniques.
  define adaptation in psychology: The SAGE Handbook of Industrial, Work & Organizational Psychology, 3v Deniz S Ones, Neil Anderson, Chockalingam Viswesvaran, Handan Kepir Sinangil, 2021-08-04 The second edition of this best-selling Handbook presents a fully updated and expanded overview of research, providing the latest perspectives on the analysis of theories, techniques, and methods used by industrial, work, and organizational psychologists. Building on the strengths of the first edition, key additions to this edition include in-depth historical chapter overviews of professional contexts across the globe, along with new chapters on strategic human resource management; corporate social responsibility; diversity, stress, emotions and mindfulness in the workplace; environmental sustainability at work; aging workforces, among many others. Providing a truly global approach and authoritative overview, this three-volume Handbook is an indispensable resource and essential reading for professionals, researchers and students in the field. Volume One: Personnel Psychology and Employee Performance Volume Two: Organizational Psychology Volume Three: Managerial Psychology and Organizational Approaches
  define adaptation in psychology: The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology Kay Deaux, Mark Snyder, 2018-10-30 The second edition of The Oxford Handbook of Personality and Social Psychology uniquely integrates personality and social psychology perspectives together in one volume. Contributors explore historical, conceptual, methodological, and empirical foundations that link the two fields together. Further, this new edition offers readers comprehensive coverage of new and emerging areas of theory, research, and application, and assesses the fields' growth and development since the publication of the first edition.
  define adaptation in psychology: 13 Things Mentally Strong People Don't Do Amy Morin, 2014-12-23 Kick bad mental habits and toughen yourself up.—Inc. Master your mental strength—revolutionary new strategies that work for everyone from homemakers to soldiers and teachers to CEOs. Everyone knows that regular exercise and weight training lead to physical strength. But how do we strengthen ourselves mentally for the truly tough times? And what should we do when we face these challenges? Or as psychotherapist Amy Morin asks, what should we avoid when we encounter adversity? Through her years counseling others and her own experiences navigating personal loss, Morin realized it is often the habits we cannot break that are holding us back from true success and happiness. Indulging in self-pity, agonizing over things beyond our control, obsessing over past events, resenting the achievements of others, or expecting immediate positive results holds us back. This list of things mentally strong people don't do resonated so much with readers that when it was picked up by Forbes.com it received ten million views. Now, for the first time, Morin expands upon the thirteen things from her viral post and shares her tried-and-true practices for increasing mental strength. Morin writes with searing honesty, incorporating anecdotes from her work as a college psychology instructor and psychotherapist as well as personal stories about how she bolstered her own mental strength when tragedy threatened to consume her. Increasing your mental strength can change your entire attitude. It takes practice and hard work, but with Morin's specific tips, exercises, and troubleshooting advice, it is possible to not only fortify your mental muscle but also drastically improve the quality of your life.
  define adaptation in psychology: The Cambridge Handbook of Successful Aging Rocío Fernández-Ballesteros, Athanase Benetos, Jean-Marie Robine, 2019-01-24 Recent studies show that more people than ever before are reaching old age in better health and enjoying that health for a longer time. This Handbook outlines the latest discoveries in the study of aging from bio-medicine, psychology, and socio-demography. It treats the study of aging as a multidisciplinary scientific subject, since it requires the interplay of broad disciplines, while offering high motivation, positive attitudes, and behaviors for aging well, and lifestyle changes that will help people to stay healthier across life span and in old age. Written by leading scholars from various academic disciplines, the chapters delve into the most topical aspects of aging today - including biological mechanisms of aging, aging with health, active and productive aging, aging with satisfaction, aging with respect, and aging with dignity. Aimed at health professionals as well as general readers, this Cambridge Handbook offers a new, positive approach to later life.
  define adaptation in psychology: The Roy Adaptation Model Callista Roy, Heather A. Andrews, 1999 Compact and consistent, this book focuses on the essentials of nursing practice and theory while integrating the conceptual framework of the Model into contemporary practice. Standardized nursing NANDA diagnoses are used consistently throughout the book.
  define adaptation in psychology: Psychology Ssg Print Cdn Adapt Kelly Bouas Henry, 2007-07-25
  define adaptation in psychology: Stress, Shock, and Adaptation in the Twentieth Century David Cantor, Edmund Ramsden, 2014 This edited volume explores the emergence of the stress concept and its ever-changing definitions; its uses in making novel linkages between disciplines such as ecology, physiology, psychology, psychiatry, public health, urban planning, architecture, and a range of social sciences; its application in a variety of sites such as the battlefield, workplace, clinic, hospital, and home; and the emergence of techniques of stress management in a variety of different socio-cultural and scientific locations. In short, this volume explores what happened when stress entered the discourse around modernity.
  define adaptation in psychology: Adaptation and Natural Selection George Christopher Williams, 2018-10-30 Biological evolution is a fact—but the many conflicting theories of evolution remain controversial even today. When Adaptation and Natural Selection was first published in 1966, it struck a powerful blow against those who argued for the concept of group selection—the idea that evolution acts to select entire species rather than individuals. Williams’s famous work in favor of simple Darwinism over group selection has become a classic of science literature, valued for its thorough and convincing argument and its relevance to many fields outside of biology. Now with a new foreword by Richard Dawkins, Adaptation and Natural Selection is an essential text for understanding the nature of scientific debate.
  define adaptation in psychology: Conceptual Challenges in Evolutionary Psychology Harmon R. Holcomb III, 2012-12-06 This series will include monographs and collections of studies devoted to the investigation and exploration of knowledge, information, and data-processing systems of all kinds, no matter whether human, (other) animal, or machine. Its scope is intended to span the full range of interests from classical problems in the philosophy of mind and philosophical psychology through issues in cognitive psychology and sociobiology (concerning the mental capabilities of other species) to ideas related to artificial intelligence and to computer science. While primary emphasis will be placed upon theoretical, conceptual, and epistemological aspects of these problems and domains, empirical, experimental, and methodological studies will also appear from time to time. Few areas of inquiry have generated as much interest and enthusiasm in recent times as has the discipline known as evolutionary psychology, but its pretentions and its accomlishments have not always been properly understood. This collection brings together important work in psychology, anthropology, and the philosophy of science that contributes toward that goal, especially by emphasizing the role of natural selection and sexual selection as crucial factors in the evolution of cognitive mechanisms for information processing. The methodological studies that are presented here are bound to enhance appreciation for the scope and limits of this fascinating domain. The editor has produced a fascinating volume that should appeal to a broad and diverse audience.
  define adaptation in psychology: Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology , 2004-09-21 The Encyclopedia of Applied Psychology encompasses applications of psychological knowledge and procedures in all areas of psychology. This compendium is a major source of information for professional practitioners, researchers in psychology, and for anyone interested in applied psychology. The topics included are, but are not limited to, aging (geropsychology), assessment, clinical, cognitive, community, counseling, educational, environmental, family, industrial/organizational, health, school, sports, and transportation psychology. The entries drawn from the above-referenced areas provide a clear definition of topic, a brief review of theoretical basis relevant to the topic, and emphasize major areas of application.Also available online via ScienceDirect – featuring extensive browsing, searching, and internal cross-referencing between articles in the work, plus dynamic linking to journal articles and abstract databases, making navigation flexible and easy. For more information, pricing options and availability visit www.info.sciencedirect.com.
  define adaptation in psychology: ADKAR Jeff Hiatt, 2006 In his first complete text on the ADKAR model, Jeff Hiatt explains the origin of the model and explores what drives each building block of ADKAR. Learn how to build awareness, create desire, develop knowledge, foster ability and reinforce changes in your organization. The ADKAR Model is changing how we think about managing the people side of change, and provides a powerful foundation to help you succeed at change.
  define adaptation in psychology: Handbook of Evolutionary Thinking in the Sciences Thomas Heams, Philippe Huneman, Guillaume Lecointre, Marc Silberstein, 2014-11-23 The Darwinian theory of evolution is itself evolving and this book presents the details of the core of modern Darwinism and its latest developmental directions. The authors present current scientific work addressing theoretical problems and challenges in four sections, beginning with the concepts of evolution theory, its processes of variation, heredity, selection, adaptation and function, and its patterns of character, species, descent and life. The second part of this book scrutinizes Darwinism in the philosophy of science and its usefulness in understanding ecosystems, whilst the third section deals with its application in disciplines beyond the biological sciences, including evolutionary psychology and evolutionary economics, Darwinian morality and phylolinguistics. The final section addresses anti-Darwinism, the creationist view and issues around teaching evolution in secondary schools. The reader learns how current experimental biology is opening important perspectives on the sources of variation, and thus of the very power of natural selection. This work examines numerous examples of the extension of the principle of natural selection and provides the opportunity to critically reflect on a rich theory, on the methodological rigour that presides in its extensions and exportations, and on the necessity to measure its advantages and also its limits. Scholars interested in modern Darwinism and scientific research, its concepts, research programs and controversies will find this book an excellent read, and those considering how Darwinism might evolve, how it can apply to the human sciences and other disciplines beyond its origins will find it particularly valuable. Originally produced in French (Les Mondes Darwiniens), the scope and usefulness of the book have led to the production of this English text, to reach a wider audience. This book is a milestone in the impressive penetration by Francophone scholars into the world of Darwinian science, its historiography and philosophy over the last two decades. Alex Rosenberg, R. Taylor Cole Professor of Philosophy, Duke University Until now this useful and comprehensive handbook has only been available to francophones. Thanks to this invaluable new translation, this collection of insightful and original essays can reach the global audience it deserves. Tim Lewens, University of Cambridge
  define adaptation in psychology: Career Adaptability Mark Savickas, 2021-04-28 Academic book that reports research on the psychology of career adaptability
  define adaptation in psychology: Effortless Attention Brian Bruya, 2010-04-09 The phenomena of effortless attention and action and the challenges they pose to current cognitive models of attention and action.
  define adaptation in psychology: Evolution of Human Behavior Warren G. Kinzey, 1987-01-01 This book represents an important meeting ground in the primatology field by exploring the various primate models that have been used in the reconstruction of early human behavior. While some models are based on the proposition that a key behavioral feature such as hunting, eating of seeds or monogamous mating led to the evolutionary separation of apes and humans, other models suggest that one primate species, such as the baboon or chimpanzee, best exemplifies the behavior of our early ancestors. Several contributors to the book take the position that no single primate is a good model and contend instead that a model must be eclectic. One of the more innovative essays suggests that ancestral behavioral states can, in fact, be derived by comparing the behavior of all living hominid (ape and human) species. Additionally, several other contributors analyze and discuss the concept of model-making, noting deficiencies in earlier models while offering suggestions for future development. Although it is true that a powerful conceptual model for reconstructing hominid behavior does not yet exist, The Evolution of Human Behavior: Primate Models suggests ways one may be constructed based on behavioral ecology and evolutionary theory.
  define adaptation in psychology: Resilience (HBR Emotional Intelligence Series) Harvard Business Review, Daniel Goleman, Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld, Shawn Achor, 2017-04-18 How to be resilient in a professional setting. How do some people bounce back with vigor from daily setbacks, professional crises, or even intense personal trauma? This book reveals the key traits of those who emerge stronger from challenges, helps you train your brain to withstand the stresses of daily life, and presents an approach to an effective career reboot. This volume includes the work of: Daniel Goleman Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld Shawn Achor This collection of articles includes “How Resilience Works,” by Diane Coutu; “Resilience for the Rest of Us,” by Daniel Goleman; “How to Evaluate, Manage, and Strengthen Your Resilience,” by David Kopans; “Find the Coaching in Criticism,” by Sheila Heen and Douglas Stone; “Firing Back: How Great Leaders Rebound After Career Disasters,” by Jeffrey A. Sonnenfeld and Andrew J. Ward; and “Resilience Is About How You Recharge, Not How You Endure,” by Shawn Achor and Michelle Gielan. How to be human at work. The HBR Emotional Intelligence Series features smart, essential reading on the human side of professional life from the pages of Harvard Business Review. Each book in the series offers proven research showing how our emotions impact our work lives, practical advice for managing difficult people and situations, and inspiring essays on what it means to tend to our emotional well-being at work. Uplifting and practical, these books describe the social skills that are critical for ambitious professionals to master.
  define adaptation in psychology: Adapting Minds David J. Buller, 2006-02-17 Was human nature designed by natural selection in the Pleistocene epoch? The dominant view in evolutionary psychology holds that it was—that our psychological adaptations were designed tens of thousands of years ago to solve problems faced by our hunter-gatherer ancestors. In this provocative and lively book, David Buller examines in detail the major claims of evolutionary psychology—the paradigm popularized by Steven Pinker in The Blank Slate and by David Buss in The Evolution of Desire—and rejects them all. This does not mean that we cannot apply evolutionary theory to human psychology, says Buller, but that the conventional wisdom in evolutionary psychology is misguided. Evolutionary psychology employs a kind of reverse engineering to explain the evolved design of the mind, figuring out the adaptive problems our ancestors faced and then inferring the psychological adaptations that evolved to solve them. In the carefully argued central chapters of Adapting Minds, Buller scrutinizes several of evolutionary psychology's most highly publicized discoveries, including discriminative parental solicitude (the idea that stepparents abuse their stepchildren at a higher rate than genetic parents abuse their biological children). Drawing on a wide range of empirical research, including his own large-scale study of child abuse, he shows that none is actually supported by the evidence. Buller argues that our minds are not adapted to the Pleistocene, but, like the immune system, are continually adapting, over both evolutionary time and individual lifetimes. We must move beyond the reigning orthodoxy of evolutionary psychology to reach an accurate understanding of how human psychology is influenced by evolution. When we do, Buller claims, we will abandon not only the quest for human nature but the very idea of human nature itself.
  define adaptation in psychology: Encyclopedia of Educational Psychology Neil J. Salkind, Kristin Rasmussen, 2008-01-17 The field of educational psychology draws from a variety of diverse disciplines including human development across the life span, measurement and statistics, learning and motivation, and teaching. And within these different disciplines, many other fields are featured including psychology, anthropology, education, sociology, public health, school psychology, counseling, history, and philosophy. In fact, when taught at the college or university level, educational psychology is an ambitious course that undertakes the presentation of many different topics all tied together by the theme of how the individual can best function in an educational setting, loosely defined as anything from pre-school through adult education. Educational psychology can be defined as the application of what we know about learning and motivation, development, and measurement and statistics to educational settings (both school- and community-based).
  define adaptation in psychology: Lord of the Flies William Golding, 2012-09-20 A plane crashes on a desert island and the only survivors, a group of schoolboys, assemble on the beach and wait to be rescued. By day they inhabit a land of bright fantastic birds and dark blue seas, but at night their dreams are haunted by the image of a terrifying beast. As the boys' delicate sense of order fades, so their childish dreams are transformed into something more primitive, and their behaviour starts to take on a murderous, savage significance. First published in 1954, Lord of the Flies is one of the most celebrated and widely read of modern classics. Now fully revised and updated, this educational edition includes chapter summaries, comprehension questions, discussion points, classroom activities, a biographical profile of Golding, historical context relevant to the novel and an essay on Lord of the Flies by William Golding entitled 'Fable'. Aimed at Key Stage 3 and 4 students, it also includes a section on literary theory for advanced or A-level students. The educational edition encourages original and independent thinking while guiding the student through the text - ideal for use in the classroom and at home.
  define adaptation in psychology: The Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, Or, The Preservation of Favored Races in the Struggle for Life Charles Darwin, 1896
  define adaptation in psychology: Oxford Textbook of Migrant Psychiatry Dinesh Bhugra, 2021-02-04 Migrant psychiatry is an evolving subdiscipline within cultural psychiatry that deals with the impact of migration on the mental health of those who have migrated and those who work with these groups and provide services to them. Stress related to migration affects migrants and their extended families either directly or indirectly. The process of migration is not just a phase, but leads on to a series of adjustments, including acculturation, which may occur across generations. Factors such as changes in diet, attitudes and beliefs, and overall adjustment are important in settling down and making the individuals feel secure. This period of adjustment will depend upon the individual migrant's pre-migration experiences, migration process and post-migration experiences, but also upon an individual's personality, social support and emotional response to migration. Socio-demographic factors, such as age, gender, educational, and economic status will all play a role in post-migration adjustment. In order to understand the impact on individuals, not only the type of migration and different stressors, but also the types of psychological mechanisms at a personal level and the resources and processes at a societal level need to be explored. Despite the number of refugees and asylum seekers around the world increasing at an astonishing rate, the mental health needs of migrants are often ignored by policy makers and clinicians. The Oxford Textbook of Migrant Psychiatry is designed to serve as the comprehensive reference resource on the mental health of migrants, bringing together both theoretical and practical aspects of the mental health needs of refugees and asylum seekers for researchers and professionals. Individual chapters summarise theoretical constructs related to theories of migration, the impact of migration on mental health and adjustment, collective trauma, individual identity and diagnostic fallacies. The book also covers the practical aspects of patient management including cultural factors, ethnopsychopharmacology, therapeutic interaction and therapeutic expectation, and psychotherapy. Finally, the book will examine special clinical problems and special patient groups. Part of the authoritative Oxford Textbooks in Psychiatry series, this resource will serve as an essential reference for psychiatrists, mental health professionals, general practitioners/primary care physicians, social workers, policy makers and voluntary agencies dealing with refugees and asylum seekers.
  define adaptation in psychology: Recognition and Alleviation of Distress in Laboratory Animals National Research Council, Division on Earth and Life Studies, Institute for Laboratory Animal Research, Committee on Recognition and Alleviation of Distress in Laboratory Animals, 2008-04-10 Scientific advances in our understanding of animal physiology and behavior often require theories to be revised and standards of practice to be updated to improve laboratory animal welfare. This new book from the Institute for Laboratory Animal Research (ILAR) at the National Research Council, Recognition and Alleviation of Distress in Laboratory Animals, focuses on the stress and distress which is experienced by animals when used in laboratory research. This book aims to educate laboratory animal veterinarians; students, researchers, and investigators; animal care staff, as well as animal welfare officers on the current scientific and ethical issues associated with stress and distress in laboratory animals. It evaluates pertinent scientific literature to generate practical and pragmatic guidelines. Recognition and Alleviation of Distress in Laboratory Animals focuses specifically on the scientific understanding of the causes and the functions of stress and distress, the transformation of stress to distress, and the identification of principles for the recognition and alleviation of distress. This book discusses the role of humane endpoints in situations of distress and principles for the minimization of distress in laboratory animals. It also identifies areas in which further scientific investigation is needed to improve laboratory animal welfare in order to adhere to scientific and ethical principles that promote humane care and practice.
  define adaptation in psychology: Parenting Matters National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education, Board on Children, Youth, and Families, Committee on Supporting the Parents of Young Children, 2016-11-21 Decades of research have demonstrated that the parent-child dyad and the environment of the familyâ€which includes all primary caregiversâ€are at the foundation of children's well- being and healthy development. From birth, children are learning and rely on parents and the other caregivers in their lives to protect and care for them. The impact of parents may never be greater than during the earliest years of life, when a child's brain is rapidly developing and when nearly all of her or his experiences are created and shaped by parents and the family environment. Parents help children build and refine their knowledge and skills, charting a trajectory for their health and well-being during childhood and beyond. The experience of parenting also impacts parents themselves. For instance, parenting can enrich and give focus to parents' lives; generate stress or calm; and create any number of emotions, including feelings of happiness, sadness, fulfillment, and anger. Parenting of young children today takes place in the context of significant ongoing developments. These include: a rapidly growing body of science on early childhood, increases in funding for programs and services for families, changing demographics of the U.S. population, and greater diversity of family structure. Additionally, parenting is increasingly being shaped by technology and increased access to information about parenting. Parenting Matters identifies parenting knowledge, attitudes, and practices associated with positive developmental outcomes in children ages 0-8; universal/preventive and targeted strategies used in a variety of settings that have been effective with parents of young children and that support the identified knowledge, attitudes, and practices; and barriers to and facilitators for parents' use of practices that lead to healthy child outcomes as well as their participation in effective programs and services. This report makes recommendations directed at an array of stakeholders, for promoting the wide-scale adoption of effective programs and services for parents and on areas that warrant further research to inform policy and practice. It is meant to serve as a roadmap for the future of parenting policy, research, and practice in the United States.