2015 Summer Reading Assignments IB Psychology II:
Rising Seniors (Class of 2016) 
Review the google.doc and choose one book from your assigned subtopic. We will be covering all subtopics of Human Relationships & Health Psychology next
year for Paper 2 of your External Assessment. (Just to clarify, you are only responsible for reading one book, but feel free to read more if you want) Please try
to email me with the title of your specific book you chose by July 1st so that I can add them to the google.doc! rainal.keppler@cms.k12.nc.us
HUMAN RELATIONSHIPS:
Social Responsibility:
The Price of Altruism: George Price and the Search for the Origins of Kindness
by Oren Solomon Harman
Survival of the fittest or survival of the nicest? Since the dawn of time man has contemplated the mystery of altruism, but it was Darwin who posed the question
most starkly. From the selfless ant to the stinging bee to the man laying down his life for a stranger, evolution has yielded a goodness that in theory should
never be. Set against the sweeping tale of 150 years of scientific attempts to explain kindness, The Price of Altruism tells for the first time the moving story of the
eccentric American genius George Price (1922–1975), as he strives to answer evolution's greatest riddle. An original and penetrating picture of twentieth
century thought, it is also a deeply personal journey. From the heights of the Manhattan Project to the inspired equation that explains altruism to the depths of
homelessness and despair, Price's life embodies the paradoxes of Darwin’s enigma. His tragic suicide in a squatter’s flat, among the vagabonds to whom he
gave all his possessions, provides the ultimate contemplation on the possibility of genuine benevolence. 24 black-and-white illustrations.
Moral Origins: The Evolution of Virtue, Altruism, and Shame
by Christopher Boehm
From the age of Darwin to the present day, biologists have been grappling with the origins of our moral sense. Why, if the human instinct to survive and
reproduce is “selfish,” do people engage in self-sacrifice, and even develop ideas like virtue and shame to justify that altruism? Many theories have been put
forth, some emphasizing the role of nepotism, others emphasizing the advantages of reciprocation or group selection effects. But evolutionary anthropologist
Christopher Boehm finds existing explanations lacking, and in Moral Origins, he offers an elegant new theory. Tracing the development of altruism and group
social control over 6 million years, Boehm argues that our moral sense is a sophisticated defense mechanism that enables individuals to survive and thrive in
groups. One of the biggest risks of group living is the possibility of being punished for our misdeeds by those around us. Bullies, thieves, free-riders, and
especially psychopaths—those who make it difficult for others to go about their lives—are the most likely to suffer this fate. Getting by requires getting along,
and this social type of selection, Boehm shows, singles out altruists for survival. This selection pressure has been unique in shaping human nature, and it bred
the first stirrings of conscience in the human species. Ultimately, it led to the fully developed sense of virtue and shame that we know today.A groundbreaking
exploration of the evolution of human generosity and cooperation, Moral Origins offers profound insight into humanity’s moral past—and how it might shape our
moral future.
Survival of the Nicest: How Altruism Made Us Human and Why It Pays to Get Along
by Stefan Klein
The phrase “survival of the fittest” conjures an image of the most cutthroat individuals rising to the top. But Stefan Klein, author of the #1 international bestseller
The Science of Happiness and winner of the Georg von Holtzbrinck Prize for Scientific Journalism, makes the startling assertion that the key to achieving lasting
personal and societal success lies in helping others. In fact, Klein argues, altruism is our defining characteristic: Natural selection favored those early humans
who cooperated in groups, and with survival more assured, our altruistic ancestors were free to devote brainpower to developing intelligence, language, and
culture—our very humanity. As Klein puts it, “We humans became first the friendliest and then the most intelligent apes.”
To build his persuasive case for how altruistic behavior made us human—and why it pays to get along—Klein synthesizes an extraordinary array of material:
current research on genetics and the brain, economics, social psychology, behavioral and anthropological experiments, history, and modern culture. Ultimately,
his groundbreaking findings lead him to a vexing question: If we’re really hard-wired to act for one another’s benefit, why aren’t we all getting along?
Klein believes we’ve learned to mistrust our generous instincts because success is so often attributed to selfish ambition. In Survival of the Nicest, he invites us
to rethink what it means to be the “fittest” as he shows how caring for others can protect us from loneliness and depression, make us happier and healthier,
reward us economically, and even extend our lives
Interpersonal Relationships:
Why We Love: The Nature and Chemistry of Romantic Love
by Helen E. Fisher
In Why We Love, renowned anthropologist Helen Fisher offers a new map of the phenomenon of love—from its origins in the brain to the thrilling
havoc it creates in our bodies and behavior. Working with a team of scientists to scan the brains of people who had just fallen madly in love, Fisher proved what
psychologists had until recently only suspected: when you fall in love, specific areas of the brain "light up" with increased blood flow. This sweeping new book
uses this data to argue that romantic passion is hardwired into our brains by millions of years of evolution. It is not an emotion; it is a drive as powerful as hunger.
Provocative, enlightening, engaging, and persuasive, Why We Love offers radical new answers to age-old questions: what love is, who we love—and how to
keep love alive.
That's Not What I Meant!: How Conversational Style Makes or Breaks Relationships
by Deborah Tannen (Author)
In That’s Not What I Meant!, Deborah Tannen, renowned communication expert and author explores how conversational styles can make or break
interpersonal relationships at home, at work, or at play. Fans of her books and the healthily curious reader interested in popular psychology, feminism,
linguistics, or social sciences will be fascinated by Tannen’s remarkable insights into unintentional conversational confusion. That’s Not What I Meant! is an
essential guide to recognizing and adjusting what we say and how we are saying it in order to strengthen or save a relationship.
*Dangerous Passion
by David M. Buss
*The content of this book is for mature readers. If you/your child is uncomfortable with the material, please choose another book
Why do men and women cheat on each other? How do men really feel when their partners have sex with other men? What worries women more -men who turn to other women for love or men who simply want sexual variety in their lives? Can the jealousy husbands and wives experience over real or
imagined infidelities be cured? Should it be? In this surprising and engaging exploration of men's and women's darker passions, David Buss, acclaimed author of
The Evolution of Desire, reveals that both men and women are actually designed for jealousy. Drawing on experiments, surveys, and interviews conducted in
thirty-seven countries on six continents, as well as insights from recent discoveries in biology, anthropology, and psychology, Buss discovers that the
evolutionary origins of our sexual desires still shape our passions today. According to Buss, more men than women want to have sex with multiple partners.
Furthermore, women who cheat on their husbands do so when they are most likely to conceive, but have sex with their spouses when they are least likely to
conceive. These findings show that evolutionary tendencies to acquire better genes through different partners still lurk beneath modern sexual behavior. To
counteract these desires to stray -- and to strengthen the bonds between partners -- jealousy evolved as an early detection system of infidelity in the ancient and
mysterious ritual of mating. Buss takes us on a fascinating journey through many cultures, from pre-historic to the present, to show the profound evolutionary
effect jealousy has had on all of us. Only with a healthy balance of jealousy and trust can we be certain of a mate's commitment, devotion, and true love.
*The Evolution Of Desire - Revised Edition 4
by David M. Buss
*The content of this book is for mature readers. If you/your child is uncomfortable with the material, please choose another book
If we all want love, why is there so much conflict in our most cherished relationships? To answer this question, says noted psychologist David Buss, we
must look into our evolutionary past. Based on the most massive study of human mating ever undertaken, encompassing more than ten thousand people of all
ages from thirty-seven cultures worldwide, The Evolution of Desire is the first book to present a unified theory of human mating behavior. Now in a revised and
updated edition, Buss's classic presents the latest research in the field, including startling new discoveries about the evolutionary advantages of infidelity,
orgasm, and physical attractiveness.
The New Psychology of Love
by Robert J. Sternberg
Love . . . What is it? Can we define it? What is its role in our lives? What causes love, and what dooms it? No single theory adequately answers all our
questions about the nature of love, yet there are many theories that can contribute to our understanding of it. This fascinating book presents the full range of
psychological theories on love—biological, taxonomical, implicit, cultural—updated with the latest research in the field. Robert Sternberg and Karin Weis have
here gathered more than a dozen expert contributors to address questions about defining love, the evidence for competing theories, and practical
implications. Taken together, these essays offer a comprehensive and engaging comparison of contemporary data and theories. As a follow up to The
Psychology of Love, which was published in 1988 and edited by Robert Sternberg and Michael Barnes, this new collection engages with the many changes in
the study of love in recent years. New theories are introduced as are modifications to existing theories. Focusing not on a single point of view but on the entire
range of current theories, The New Psychology of Love provides today’s definitive account of the nature of love.
Violence:
The Bully Society: School Shootings and the Crisis of Bullying in America's Schools (Intersections: Transdisciplinary Perspectives on Genders and
Sexualities)
by Jessie Klein
In today’s schools, kids bullying kids is not an occasional occurrence but rather an everyday reality where children learn early that being sensitive,
respectful, and kind earns them no respect. Jessie Klein makes the provocative argument that the rise of school shootings across America, and childhood
aggression more broadly, are the consequences of a society that actually promotes aggressive and competitive behavior. The Bully Society is a call to reclaim
America’s schools from the vicious cycle of aggression that threatens our children and our society at large.
Heartbreaking interviews illuminate how both boys and girls obtain status by acting “masculine”—displaying aggression at one another’s expense as both
students and adults police one another to uphold gender stereotypes. Klein shows that the aggressive ritual of gender policing in American culture creates
emotional damage that perpetuates violence through revenge, and that this cycle is the main cause of not only the many school shootings that have shocked
America, but also related problems in schools, manifesting in high rates of suicide, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, self-cutting, truancy, and substance
abuse. After two decades working in schools as a school social worker and professor, Klein proposes ways to transcend these destructive trends—transforming
school bully societies into compassionate communities.
Culture Of Honor: The Psychology Of Violence In The South (New Directions in Social Psychology)
by Richard E Nisbett & Dov Cohen
In the United States, the homicide rate in the South is consistently higher than the rate in the North. In this brilliantly argued book, Richard Nisbett and
Dov Cohen use this fact as a starting point for an exploration of the underlying reasons for violence. According to Nisbett and Cohen, the increased tendency of
white southerners to commit certain kinds of violence is not due to socioeconomic class, population density, the legacy of slavery, or the heat of the South; it is
the result of a culture of honor in which a man’s reputation is central to his economic survival. Working from historical, survey, social policy, and experimental
data, the authors show that in the South it is more acceptable to be violent in response to an insult, in order to protect home and property, and to aid in
socializing children. These values are reflected not only in what southerners say, but also in the institutional practices of the South, the actions of Southerners,
and their physiological responses to perceived affronts. In this lively and intriguing account, the authors combine bold theory and careful methodology to reveal a
set of central beliefs that can contribute to increased violence. More broadly, they show us the interaction between culture, economics, and individual behavior.
This engaging study will be of interest to students, educated lay readers, and scholars.
Evil: Inside Human Violence and Cruelty
By Roy F. Baumeister
Why is there evil, and what can scientific research tell us about the origins and persistence of evil behavior? Considering evil from the unusual
perspective of the perpetrator, Baumeister asks, How do ordinary people find themselves beating their wives? Murdering rival gang members? Torturing political
prisoners? Betraying their colleagues to the secret police? Why do cycles of revenge so often escalate? Baumeister casts new light on these issues as he
examines the gap between the victim's viewpoint and that of the perpetrator, and also the roots of evil behavior, from egotism and revenge to idealism and
sadism. A fascinating study of one of humankind's oldest problems, Evil has profound implications for the way we conduct our lives and govern our society.
The Anatomy of Violence: The Biological Roots of Crime
by Adrian Raine
Why do some kids from good environments become mass murderers? Is there actually such a thing as a natural born killer? And, if so, what can we do
to identify and treat those born with a predisposition to criminal behavior? For more than three decades Adrian Raine has sought answers to these questions
through his pioneering research on the biological basis for violence. In this book, he presents the growing body of evidence that shows how genetics and
environmental influences can conspire to create a criminal brain, and how something as seemingly innocent as a low resting heart rate can give rise to a violent
personality. Bristling with ingenious experiments, surprising data, and shocking case studies, this is also a clear-eyed inquiry into the thorny ethical issues this
science raises about prevention and punishment. Passionate, courageous, and at times controversial, The Anatomy of Violence is a ground-breaking work that
will challenge your core human values and perspectives on violence.
Humans Relationships Journaling Assignments:
Due the first day of class 
You must respond to all questions that relate to the topic of the book you chose. For each question, you must respond with a thoughtful response
(10 detailed sentences); please provide evidence from the book to back up your responses! (direct quotes/paraphrasing with page numbers must
be included) I prefer that you type your responses (12 point font, double spaced) however, if you need to handwrite them then that will be
acceptable. Be sure to number and staple all of your questions together and remember to put your name on the front.
Social Responsibility
Interpersonal Relationships
Violence
What causes some people to be willing to risk their
own life to save another person’s life?
Would you be willing to risk your life for someone?
Would there be any specific circumstances that
would cause you to help or not to help?
Do you believe that some cultures are more
empathetic than others? If so, what do you think
causes these differences?
How do social norms impact an individual’s
willingness to help a stranger?
Research the Kitty Genovese case. Explain the case
and the term/concept that relates to this case. If you
were a bystander what would you have done?
Do you think the concept of helping others is a
learned behavior or something that we are innately
born with?
When you see someone in trouble, how do you feel
and what do you do? Why do you feel and act this
way?
Make 5 more journal entries about questions you
may have, ideas/concepts that sparked your interest,
or ideas you may disagree/agree with. Be ready to
share these thoughts on the first day of class 
What causes someone to love another individual?
What causes some people to become violent?
Do you think that everyone is capable of loving
another individual?
What purpose do you think love serves?
Have you ever witnessed violence and how did it
impact you?
Do you believe that some cultures are more violent
than others? If so, what do you think causes these
differences?
Overall, do you think the world as a whole has
become a more violent place? Justify your response
Have you personally been bullied or know someone
that has? How did it impact you/them?
Why do you think some people bully others?
What type of situations makes you angry? Do you
deal with your anger in a healthy way?
Do you think conflicts in relationships are caused
by an individual’s personality or due to outside
factors and situations within the environment?
Make 5 more journal entries about questions you
may have, ideas/concepts that sparked your
interest, or ideas you may disagree/agree with.
Be ready to share these thoughts on the first
day of class 
Do you think that violence can be reduced? If so
what are some ideas/programs that can help reduce
violence?
Make 5 more journal entries about questions you
may have, ideas/concepts that sparked your
interest, or ideas you may disagree/agree with. Be
ready to share these thoughts on the first day of
class 
What do you think allows relationships to last?
Do you think jealously helps or hinders
relationships?
Do you think being in a relationship is a NEED or
a WANT? Justify your response
Health Psychology
Stress:
The Now Effect: How a Mindful Moment Can Change the Rest of Your Life
by Elisha Goldstein Ph.D.
Alleviate stress, ease pain, cultivate emotional freedom, create a healthier brain, and find enlightenment with cutting-edge mindfulness techniques from
The Now Effect. You can calm your anxious mind, have greater focus at work and home, feel more empathy toward yourself and others, approach difficulties
with more grace and less stress, and be aware of what is most important to you. The secret is in the spaces. A leader in mindfulness psychology, Dr. Elisha
Goldstein demonstrates how to use the space between stimulus and response to break free from habitual beliefs and thoughts that don’t serve you. Offering
practical techniques to make deep, permanent life changes, Dr. Goldstein’s techniques will allow you to connect to the present moment to make deep,
permanent life changes and to connect with the good in life and with what really matters. In essence, this book teaches the foundation for how the now—this
very moment—can change the rest of your life
Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers, Third Edition
By: Robert M. Sapolsky
Now in a third edition, Robert M. Sapolsky's acclaimed and successful Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers features new chapters on how stress affects sleep and
addiction, as well as new insights into anxiety and personality disorder and the impact of spirituality on managing stress. As Sapolsky explains, most of us do not
lie awake at night worrying about whether we have leprosy or malaria. Instead, the diseases we fear-and the ones that plague us now-are illnesses brought on
by the slow accumulation of damage, such as heart disease and cancer. When we worry or experience stress, our body turns on the same physiological
responses that an animal's does, but we do not resolve conflict in the same way-through fighting or fleeing. Over time, this activation of a stress response makes
us literally sick. Combining cutting-edge research with a healthy dose of good humor and practical advice, Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers explains how prolonged
stress causes or intensifies a range of physical and mental afflictions, including depression, ulcers, colitis, heart disease, and more. It also provides essential
guidance to controlling our stress responses. This new edition promises to be the most comprehensive and engaging one yet.
The Upside of Stress: Why Stress Is Good for You, and How to Get Good at It
by Kelly McGonigal
More than forty-four percent of Americans admit to losing sleep over stress. And while most of us do everything we can to reduce it, Stanford psychologist
and bestselling author Kelly McGonigal, Ph.D., delivers a startling message: Stress isn’t bad. In The Upside of Stress, McGonigal highlights new research
indicating that stress can, in fact, make us stronger, smarter, and happier—if we learn how to embrace it. The Upside of Stress is the first book to bring together
cutting-edge discoveries on the correlation between resilience—the human capacity for stress-related growth—and mind-set, the power of beliefs to shape
reality. As she did in The Willpower Instinct, McGonigal combines science, stories, and exercises into an engaging and practical book that is both entertaining
and life-changing, showing you:
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

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how to cultivate a mind-set to embrace stress
how stress can provide focus and energy
how stress can help people connect and strengthen close relationships
why your brain is built to learn from stress, and how to increase its ability to learn from challenging experiences
McGonigal’s TED talk on the subject has already received more than 7 million views. Her message resonates with people who know they can’t eliminate the
stress in their lives and want to learn to take advantage of it. The Upside of Stress is not a guide to getting rid of stress, but a guide to getting better at stress, by
understanding it, embracing it, and using it
Substance abuse, addictive behavior, & obesity:
Hijacking the Brain: How Drug and Alcohol Addiction Hijacks our Brains - The Science Behind Twelve-Step Recovery
By Louis Teresi (Author), Harry Haroutunian (Collaborator)
Hijacking the Brain provides the first-ever scientific explanation for the success of Twelve-Step programs. Hijacking the Brain examines data provided
by recent rapid growth in the fields of neuroscience, neuroimaging, psychology, sociobiology and interpersonal neurobiology that have given us new, dramatic
insights into the neural and hormonal correlates of stress and addiction, cognitive decline with addiction, as well as for the relative success of Twelve-Step
Programs of recovery. Addiction is recognized by experts as an organic brain disease, and most experts promote Twelve-Step programs (AA, NA, CA, etc)
which invoke a 'spiritual solution' for recovery. To date, no one has described "why" these programs work. 'Hijack' tells us why. In 'Hijack' the role of 'working The
Steps' for reducing stress and becoming emotionally centered is discussed in depth. A full chapter is devoted to the rewarding and comforting physiology of
meditation and the spiritual experience. The author uses examples from animal sociobiology, as well as sophisticated human brain-imaging studies, to
demonstrate that empathic socialization and altruism are instinctive and 'naturally rewarding' and, along with Step Work, act as a substitute for the 'synthetic
rewards' of drugs of abuse. 'Hijack' does not challenge the Steps or the Traditions of Twelve-Step programs. The sole intention of Hijacking the Brain is to
'connect the dots' between an 'organic brain disease' and a 'spiritual solution' with sound physical, scientific evidence. Avoiding strict scientific language as much
as possible, 'Hijack' is written for the layperson and abundantly illustrated.
Chasing the High: A Firsthand Account of One Young Person's Experience with Substance Abuse (Annenberg Foundation Trust at Sunnylands'
Adolescent Mental Health Initiative
By: Kyle Keegan
Kyle Keegan was like many teenagers: eager to fit in at school, he experimented with alcohol and drugs. Soon, his abuse of these substances
surpassed experimentation and became a ruthless addiction to heroin that nearly destroyed his life. Now in recovery, Keegan tells his remarkable story in
Chasing the High. Starting with the early days of alcohol and drug use, Keegan charts his decline into crime and homelessness as his need for heroin surpassed
all thoughts of family and friends, of right and wrong. He then goes on to use these experiences to offer guidance and practical advice to other young people who
may be struggling with substance abuse. In straightforward, easy-to-understand language and along with the psychiatric expertise of Howard Moss, MD, Keegan
discusses what is known about the neurobiology of addiction in young people, how to seek treatment, and how to get the most out of professional help. He also
covers such topics as therapies which are used to combat addiction, how to talk to families and friends about substance abuse, and how to navigate risky
situations. Both an absorbing memoir and a useful resource for young people. Part of the Adolescent Mental Health Initiative series of books written specifically
for teens and young adults, Chasing the High offers hope to young people who are struggling with substance abuse, helping them to overcome its challenges
and to go on to lead healthy, productive lives.
A Big Fat Crisis: The Hidden Forces Behind the Obesity Epidemic—and How We Can End It
By: Deborah Cohen, M.D.
Obesity is the public health crisis of the twenty-first century. Over 150 million Americans are overweight or obese, and across the globe an estimated
1.5 billion are affected. In A Big Fat Crisis, Dr. Deborah A. Cohen has created a major new work that will transform the conversation surrounding the modern
weight crisis. Based on her own extensive research, as well as the latest insights from behavioral economics and cognitive science, Cohen reveals what drives
the obesity epidemic and how we, as a nation, can overcome it. Cohen argues that the massive increase in obesity is the product of two forces. One is the
immutable aspect of human nature, namely the fundamental limits of self-control and the unconscious ways we are hard-wired to eat. And second is the
completely transformed modern food environment, including lower prices, larger portion sizes, and the outsized influence of food advertising. We live in a food
swamp, where food is cheap, ubiquitous, and insidiously marketed. This, rather than the much-discussed “food deserts,” is the source of the epidemic. The
conventional wisdom is that overeating is the expression of individual weakness and a lack of self-control. But that would mean that people in this country had
more willpower thirty years ago, when the rate of obesity was half of what it is today! The truth is that our capacity for self-control has not shrunk; instead, the
changing conditions of our modern world have pushed our limits to such an extent that more and more of us are simply no longer up to the challenge. Ending
this public health crisis will require solutions that transcend the advice found in diet books. Simply urging people to eat less sugar, salt, and fat has not worked. A
Big Fat Crisis offers concrete recommendations and sweeping policy changes—including implementing smart and effective regulations and constructing a more
balanced food environment—that represent nothing less than a blueprint for defeating the obesity epidemic once and for all.
Health Promotion:
Packaged Pleasures: How Technology and Marketing Revolutionized Desire
By Gary S. Cross & Robert N. Proctor
From the candy bar to the cigarette, records to roller coasters, a technological revolution during the last quarter of the nineteenth century precipitated a
colossal shift in human consumption and sensual experience. Food, drink, and many other consumer goods came to be mass-produced, bottled, canned,
condensed, and distilled, unleashing new and intensified surges of pleasure, delight, thrill—and addiction. In Packaged Pleasures, Gary S. Cross and Robert N.
Proctor delve into an uncharted chapter of American history, shedding new light on the origins of modern consumer culture and how technologies have
transformed human sensory experience. In the space of only a few decades, junk foods, cigarettes, movies, recorded sound, and thrill rides brought about a
revolution in what it means to taste, smell, see, hear, and touch. New techniques of boxing, labeling, and tubing gave consumers virtually unlimited access to
pleasures they could simply unwrap and enjoy. Manufacturers generated a seemingly endless stream of sugar-filled, high-fat foods that were delicious but
detrimental to health. Mechanically rolled cigarettes entered the market and quickly addicted millions. And many other packaged pleasures dulled or displaced
natural and social delights. Yet many of these same new technologies also offered convenient and effective medicines, unprecedented opportunities to enjoy
music and the visual arts, and more hygienic, varied, and nutritious food and drink. For better or for worse, sensation became mechanized, commercialized, and,
to a large extent, democratized by being made cheap and accessible. Cross and Proctor have delivered an ingeniously constructed history of consumerism and
consumer technology that will make us all rethink some of our favorite things.
Globalizing Tobacco Control: Anti-smoking Campaigns in California, France, and Japan (Tracking Globalization)
by Roddey Reid
A tangible aspect of living, working, and traveling in the 21st century is the experience of moving between smoke-filled and smoke-free environments. In
Globalizing Tobacco Control, Roddey Reid examines what lies behind this experience: the revolution in public attitudes and health codes that regulate daily
routines and the life of the body. While the gradual replacement of smoking with non-smoking as the social norm is a global phenomenon, it has not followed the
same trajectory everywhere. Reid compares anti-smoking campaigns in the United States, France, and Japan for what they reveal about the nature of
globalization and liberal arts of government. He explores distinctive national histories of tobacco; evolving global marketing strategies of transnational tobacco
corporations; "social marketing" techniques used to tailor public health messages to particular ethnic communities; and the programs of international public
health organizations.
Mindless Eating: Why We Eat More Than We Think
by Brian Wansink
In this illuminating and groundbreaking new book, food psychologist Brian Wansink shows why you may not realize how much you’re eating, what
you’re eating–or why you’re even eating at all.
• Does food with a brand name really taste better?
• Do you hate brussels sprouts because your mother did?
• Does the size of your plate determine how hungry you feel?
• How much would you eat if your soup bowl secretly refilled itself?
• What does your favorite comfort food really say about you?
• Why do you overeat so much at healthy restaurants?
Brian Wansink is a Stanford Ph.D. and the director of the Cornell University Food and Brand Lab. He’s spent a lifetime studying what we don’t notice: the hidden
cues that determine how much and why people eat. Using ingenious, fun, and sometimes downright fiendishly clever experiments like the “bottomless soup
bowl,” Wansink takes us on a fascinating tour of the secret dynamics behind our dietary habits. How does packaging influence how much we eat? Which movies
make us eat faster? How does music or the color of the room influence how much we eat? How can we recognize the “hidden persuaders” used by restaurants
and supermarkets to get us to mindlessly eat? What are the real reasons most diets are doomed to fail? And how can we use the “mindless margin” to lose–
instead of gain–ten to twenty pounds in the coming year? Mindless Eating will change the way you look at food, and it will give you the facts you need to easily
make smarter, healthier, more mindful and enjoyable choices at the dinner table, in the supermarket, in restaurants, at the office–even at a vending machine–
wherever you decide to satisfy your appetite.
Health Psychology Journaling Assignments:
Due the first day of class 
You must respond to all questions that relate to the topic of the book you chose. For each question, you must respond with a thoughtful response
(10 detailed sentences); please provide evidence from the book to back up your responses! (direct quotes/paraphrasing with page numbers must
be included) I prefer that you type your responses (12 point font, double spaced) however, if you need to handwrite them then that will be
acceptable. Be sure to number and staple all of your questions together and remember to put your name on the front.
Stress
Substance abuse, addictive
behavior, & obesity
Health Promotion
Do you think that nature or nurture has a larger impact on
stress? Explain your response
Do you think that nature or nurture has a larger impact
on addictive behavior? Explain your response
The word “stress” did not appear in dictionaries until about
the mid-twentieth century. Before then, it was called
“nervousness” What do you think caused this word to
come into existence?
Is it more detrimental to one’s health to be addicted to
food or drugs? Of the two, which one do you think
society stigmatizes more? Justify your reasoning.
Do you think that nature or nurture has a larger impact
on whether someone makes healthy choices? Explain
your response
Conduct some research on the internet looking at how
different countries promote healthy living and find some
statistics on whether those countries have healthier lifestyles than in America. Summarize and cite your
findings.
“The function of protecting and developing health
must rank even above that of restoring it when it is
impaired.”—Hippocrates
Do you believe that there is a major or minor difference
between how males and females cope with stress? Where
do these expectations or differences come from?
What are some common stressors—whether simple or
complex—and how many of them do you think we
experience on any given day?
Do you believe that there is a major or minor difference
between why males or females develop an addiction
(drugs or food) Where do these expectations or
differences come from?
In reference to addiction, according to research,
“We (America) spend nearly $1.5 billion a year,
mainly on basic neuroscience research that, while
generating enormous value in terms of
understanding fundamental brain systems, has not
yet generated much that is of direct use in
treatment.” Do you think this money is spent wisely?
Justify your response.
“Stress is nothing more than a socially acceptable
form of mental illness.” ~Richard Carlson
Provide your thoughts about this quote.
A 2005 survey of 1,000 adults revealed that 63
percent of the general public see addiction
primarily as a personal or moral weakness, with 34
percent seeing it primarily as a disease or health
problem. Which side of the argument do you support?
What purpose do you think stress serves/what benefits
does experiencing stress serve?
To what extent do substance abuse/addictive behavior
impact an individual’s social development?
What are some healthy ways people deal with stress?
Unhealthy? Of the two, is it harder to develop a healthy
habit to deal with stress or break an unhealthy habit to
“cope” with stress?
Make 5 more journal entries about questions you may
have, ideas/concepts that sparked your interest, or ideas
you may disagree/agree with. Be ready to share these
thoughts on the first day of class 
From the book you read and from a psychological
perspective, do you believe that it is possible to take
control of one’s own destiny? In your opinion what does
this idea mean?
Make 5 more journal entries about questions you may
have, ideas/concepts that sparked your interest, or
ideas you may disagree/agree with. Be ready to share
these thoughts on the first day of class 
Provide your thoughts about this quote.
According to the CDC, “In fiscal year 2015, states will
collect $25.6 billion from tobacco taxes and legal
settlements but will only spend $490.4 million—less than
2%—on prevention and cessation programs.”
Do you think states should be required to spend more
money on prevention programs or do you believe it is a
“loss cause”
According to the 2009 National Center for Chronic
Disease Prevention and Health Promotion,
“Evidence-based, statewide tobacco control
programs that are comprehensive, sustained, and
accountable have been shown to reduce smoking
rates, tobacco-related deaths, and disease caused
by smoking. YET . . . More than 43 million American
adults (approximately 1 in 5) still smoke.”
Regardless of the publication of health concerns, why do
you think smoking is still an issue among Americans?
According to research, “Numerous gender differences
in health-related behavior are relevant in the
planning of health promotion and prevention. More
men than women consume amounts of alcohol that
are a risk to their health. Tobacco consumption has
fallen slightly among men but has risen among
women. Women eat more healthy food. Man behave
risky in leisure time and traffic, thus their mortality
rates due to accidents are much higher, especially in
young age groups.” What do you believe the major
differences are between genders and the way healthy
life-styles are promoted and achieved?
The concept of health promotion didn’t become part of
the public conversation until the mid 1980’s; what factors
caused this concept to gain popularity within the United
States?
Make 5 more journal entries about questions you may
have, ideas/concepts that sparked your interest, or ideas
you may disagree/agree with. Be ready to share these
thoughts on the first day of class 