Discursive Psychology in Practice

This text shows how to put discursive theoretical and methodological insights to work in the investigation of concrete problems in psychology. A range of traditional psychological topics are examined, from decision-making, memory and attributions to emotions, learning and the self. In the last decade, many diverse streams of thought have come together in an international movement to reject the traditional view that a `scientific′ psychology must rely on an experimental methodology. Underpinning this movement is the principle that the main characteristics of human life are best understood as produced through discourse. This `discursive′ psychology has found adherents across the range of psychological disciplines and has ushered in a completely revised understanding of the subject. This volume shows how to put these theoretical and methodological insights to work in the investigation of concrete problems in psychology. The internationally renowned contributors re-examine a range of traditional psychological topics, from decision-making, memory and attribution to emotions, learning and the self, and in the process map out the foundations of a new psychology.