The Mathematics of Behavior
Published on 30. October 2006
Book
Hardback
356 pages
978-0-521-85012-4 (ISBN)
Description
Mathematical thinking provides a clear, crisp way of defining problems. Our whole technology is based on it. What is less appreciated is that mathematical thinking can also be applied to problems in the social and behavioral sciences. This book illustrates how mathematics can be used to understand human and animal behavior, using examples in psychology, sociology, economics, ecology, and even marriage counseling.
Reviews / Votes
'Traditionally, texts on mathematical modeling rarely select topics from social sciences, and this interesting book is a welcome addition to existing literature. It appeals to students and researchers in social and behavioral sciences, natural sciences, engineering, mathematics, as well as to anyone curious enough to patiently go through clearly explained and not very difficult mathematical passages in order to understand the chemistry of marital interactions, residential segregation and genocide, intelligence theories or approaches to learning. Believe me; your efforts will be generously rewarded!' Zentralblatt MATH 'A great book for anyone looking for an introduction to mathematical modelling within the social sciences.' PsychometrikaMore details
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Illustrations
14 Tables, unspecified
Dimensions
Height: 235 mm
Width: 157 mm
Thickness: 24 mm
Weight
669 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-85012-4 (9780521850124)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Earl Hunt
The Mathematics of Behavior
E-Book
11/2006
1st Edition
Cambridge University Press
€44.49
Available for download
Earl Hunt
The Mathematics of Behavior
Book
10/2006
Cambridge University Press
€65.50
Shipment within 15-20 days
Person
Earl Hunt is Professor Emeritus of Psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle. He has written many articles and chapters in contributed volumes and was the past editor of Cognitive Psychology and Journal of Experimental Psychology. His books include Concept Learning: An Information Processing Problem (Wiley), Experiments in Induction (Academic Press), Artificial Intelligence (Academic Press), and Will We Be Smart Enough? (Sage Foundation) which won the William James Prize from the American Psychological Association in 1996. His most recent book is Thoughts on Thought (Erlbaum, 2002).
Content
1. Introduction; 2. Applying probability theory to problems in sociology and psychology; 3. From physics to perception; 4. When systems evolve over time; 5. Non-Linear and chaotic systems; 6. Defining rationality - personal and group decision making; 7. How to evaluate evidence; 8. Multidimensional scaling surveying the geography of the mind; 9. The mathematical models behind psychological testing; 10. How to know you asked a good question; 11. The construction of complexity: how simple rules make the complex organizations; 12. Connectionism: computation connects mind and brain; 13. L'Envoi; References; Index.