Introductory Psychology

The last few years have seen a growth in the number of psychology courses which are being offered as single subject or combined studies options in universities, polytechnics and colleges of higher education. More recently, there has been a marked increase in the number of students in schools and colleges of further education taking 'A' level, '0' level and 'Ala' level psychology examinations. Psychology, too, features much more prominently in professional training schemes, and it is now quite common to encounter the subject in courses for police officers, clergy, teachers, nurses and other paramedical and caring profes- sions. In the past, students had to rely extensively on a diet of psychology texts published in the USA, supplemented by a few modest British contributions, and by a number of specialist books written by scholars reflecting their particular interests. Nowadays, it is possible to point to a significantly larger number of British texts and monographs which deal with major issues in psychology, and a number of general textbooks have been written especially for school and college students preparing for GeE examinations.