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Paul Bloom is the author of Psych.

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Psych Book Summary - Psych Book explained in key points

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Name: Psych
Rating: 4 (44 reviews)
Author: Paul Bloom

Paul Bloom

The Story of the Human Mind

4 (44 ratings)

17 mins

Brief summary

Psych by Paul Bloom explores the fascinating science of the human mind, including how we think, feel, and behave. With engaging anecdotes and research, it challenges our assumptions about free will, empathy, and morality.

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Nature vs. Nurture The Brain Social Psychology Neuroscience

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Psych
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What’s in it for me? Explore human behavior with a modern introduction to the principles of psychology

If you’ve ever been curious about why we do what we do, think what we think, and feel what we feel, you can learn just about all the major theories on these topics in Paul Bloom’s comprehensive guide to psychology, Psych. A highly distinguished professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and Yale University, Bloom expanded his popular Yale course, Introduction to Psychology, into a body of work that more closely examines “the story of the human mind.”

With this story, Bloom starts at the beginning, providing a breakdown of what we know today about the human brain through the lenses of both neuroscience and psychology. After laying out many of neuroscience’s considerable findings about how the brain works in physical terms, he dives into how psychology picks up from there. To do that, he contrasts the work of famous psychologists Sigmund Freud and B. F. Skinner. He concedes that both men held theories that aren’t used much today, yet offers them as endpoints on the spectrum of psychological theory.

On one end, Freud attributed all human behavior to unconscious mental forces. On the other end, Skinner completely dismissed consciousness – and lack thereof. He believed that everything we do is a result of behavioral conditioning with rewards and punishments.

After establishing this baseline, Bloom moves into exploring how minds work in various applications and scenarios, tackling the top questions psychologists continue their work to answer.

For example, do we act and think based solely on what we have experienced or were we born with any of it? What factors motivate us to act, or not? Why do we judge others for better or worse? Is there a scientific way to hack a happy life?

These are among many questions Bloom addresses throughout four sections he categorizes as thinking, appetites, relations, and differences. In this Blink, we’ll cover one key insight from each of these areas to give a glimpse into how the science of the mind can unlock understanding of ourselves and others.

Psychology aims to answer what neuroscience doesn’t

Imagine your car needs maintenance, or worse, it breaks down. Would you call a physicist or a mechanic?

That scenario is one way Bloom addresses the relationship between neuroscience and psychology. Just as physics explains what a car is made up of and the laws of that matter, neuroscience gives similar answers about the brain. And just as mechanics know how the parts and systems of a car should work together to move you smoothly down the road, psychologists go the extra mile by studying thought and behavior.

Throughout history, long before neuroscience developed into what it is today, people debated which part of our bodies impacted our feelings and actions. Now we have maps that show what each part of the brain controls – everything from basic motor functions to sensory and emotional experiences. Many studies confirm this, including cases where trauma to specific parts of the brain impacts corresponding parts of the body and abilities like speech.

Even so, neuroscience stops short of truly addressing how or why these things correspond – what philosopher David Chalmers termed “the hard problem” of consciousness.

Today, examining consciousness is central to modern psychological study when in the not-so-distant past it stayed relegated to the world of philosophers. Why the shift? Well, in a field with so many unanswered questions, our awareness is the only certainty. It also frames our moral decisions, like whether to chop down a tree. If you were suddenly aware the tree could feel pain, would you still cut it down? And then, our consciousness about our own experience creates a benchmark for comparing ourselves to others.

So, what gives us this awareness? Did we arrive at birth as an empty canvas? Or did we already have a concept sketched, ready for our life to fill in the strokes of color? Let’s find out.

Babies and children reveal rich insights

Imagine yourself as a brand-new iPhone, already loaded with some basic apps ready to go. That aligns with nativism, which holds that humans are born with most of their fundamental capacities. On the flip side, consider that you have no apps loaded at all, so a tech has to install everything. That reflects the opposing view of empiricism, in which all knowledge comes from the environment. This is a neat metaphor to introduce the question of nature versus nurture.

Some refuse to acknowledge the debate; for instance, the Intro to Psychology textbook compares the concepts to the length and width of a rectangle, then asks which is more important to determine the area. Both are necessary, and neither is more important than the other.

Motivations for human behavior can be biological, emotional, cultural, or a combination

How much money would it take for you to have a front, upper tooth pulled? How about having a little toe cut off? What about eating an inch-long, live beetle?

Now that you’re completely grossed out, know that these are just three of more than a dozen examples from a 1937 study by behaviorist Edward Thorndike. And just so you know, these examples aren’t the grossest. In Thorndike’s study, people received a long list of situations like this and were asked to give each a price or “no sum” if no amount of money would convince them to do it. In today’s currency, the mean reply for the tooth-pulling was about $80,000 and the loss of a little toe was twice that. Eating a live beetle came in at a whopping $400,000.

Most people have biases which favor themselves and judge others

On a scale of one to three, with one being below average and three above it, how do you rate your intelligence? What about your driving? How well do you get along with other people? How funny are you?

If you scored mostly threes, you’re in the majority! That’s because most of us have biases that start with the tendency to overestimate our excellence at – well – just about everything. That can include gauging how biased we are. One study of 661 people revealed that the majority believed themselves less likely to be biased. A solitary soul admitted they thought they were more biased than average.

The secret to happiness is good relationships – or so it seems

Can psychology provide the answer to hacking happiness? According to Bloom, it depends.

While clinical psychology can help address when things go wrong, like diagnosing and treating mental disorders, there’s relatively less research on what helps people have a satisfying life.

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What is Psych about?

Psych (2023) offers an informed, insightful, and approachable overview of psychology, starting with its origins and earliest thought leaders to the most recent findings in modern practice. Based on the author’s popular Introduction to Psychology course developed for Yale University, it uses lively storytelling and studies to easily relate the complex science of the human mind.

Psych Review

Psych (2021) dives into the fascinating world of psychology, exploring the inner workings of the mind and human behavior. Here's why this book is worth reading:

Packed with compelling case studies and backed by scientific research, it offers a deep understanding of the intricacies of human psychology.
Exploring a wide range of topics such as emotion, morality, and consciousness, the book provides a comprehensive overview of the field.
With its clear and accessible language, it ensures that complex concepts are easily understood, keeping readers engaged and hooked from start to finish.

Who should read Psych?

Anyone interested in the principles of psychology

People seeking scientific explanations for what drives thought and behavior

Those eager to learn how people’s minds differ

About the Author

Paul Bloom is a professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and the Brooks and Suzanne Ragen Professor Emeritus of psychology and cognitive science at Yale University. A highly-distinguished and award-winning researcher and lecturer, he’s written for publications including Nature, Science, the New York Times, and the New Yorker. Other books Bloom has authored or edited include Against Empathy, Just Babies, and How Pleasure Works.

Categories with Psych

Science Psychology

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