Humans may run faster, read less, or type more quickly, simply because someone else is present. The presence of one person affects the behaviour of another; this is known as social facilitation and is one of the oldest topics in social psychology. Despite its importance, this is one of the first book-length studies of the phenomena. Dr Guerin reviews all work in this area from 1898 onwards, looking at both animal and human research, and developing his own theory, based on modern behavioural analysis. The book should be appreciated for its wide-ranging review of previous work on social...

The presence of one person affects the behavior of another: this is known as social facilitation. It is one of the oldest topics in social psychology, first studied in 1898, yet Bernard Guerin's is the first book-length study of the phenomenon. Dr. Guerin reviews all work in the area from 1898 onward, looking at both human and animal research, and develops his own theory, based on modern theory analysis. Through his study of social facilitation, he also reviews the state of social psychology today: its strengths, its weaknesses, and its future.

Based on the author's forty years of experience in psychology, philosophy, and the social sciences, How to Rethink Psychology argues that to understand people we need to know more about their contexts than the dominant modes of thinking and research presently allow. Drawing upon insights from sources as diverse as Freud, CBT, quantum physics, and Zen philosophy, the book offers several fascinating new metaphors for thinking about people and, in doing so, endeavors to create a psychology for the future.

The book begins by discussing the significance of the key metaphor...