General and Social Psychology by Robert H. Thouless – 2nd Edition

The Problem This Book Solves

Students of economics and the social sciences face a unique challenge: they must understand the machinery of human decision-making, group dynamics, and societal behavior without a dedicated background in psychology. Traditional psychology textbooks are either too narrow or too clinical. General and Social Psychology was purpose-built to fill that gap — a unified introduction that treats social phenomena as the natural extension of general psychological principles.

First published in the 1930s and revised for its second edition in 1937, this textbook remains a landmark in making psychological concepts accessible and immediately relevant to future economists, sociologists, and policy thinkers. It answers the core question: How do individual minds create collective behavior?

What Is General and Social Psychology? A Complete Overview

General and Social Psychology is a comprehensive textbook by Robert H. Thouless, published by University Tutorial Press Ltd. This second edition, revised and extended, spans 522 pages and offers a systematic account of psychological theory grounded in social contexts. Unlike a pure general psychology text, it weaves social examples throughout — from crowd psychology to economic motivation — making it an integrated rather than compartmentalized study.

The book is structured to first establish foundational concepts such as perception, emotion, learning, and motivation, then apply them to social interaction, social influence, and group processes. This approach gives students a dual lens: understanding the individual psyche while grasping how it operates in real-world social environments. The revision for the second edition incorporates contemporary research of the era, ensuring its relevance for students of economics and social sciences.

Who Should Read General and Social Psychology?

This textbook is specifically designed for undergraduate students of economics and social sciences who need a rigorous but accessible grounding in psychology. It is also valuable for anyone interested in the historical evolution of psychological thought as it intersects with social theory.

Key audiences include:

• Economics students seeking to understand behavioral foundations of market decisions
• Sociology and political science undergraduates needing a psychological framework for collective action
• General readers curious about the classic integration of individual and social psychology
• History of psychology enthusiasts studying pre-war textbook approaches
• Educators looking for a period-accurate reference to contextualize modern social psychology

7 Key Things You Will Learn

Reading this textbook will equip you with a systematic understanding of the mind as it operates within society. Here are the essential takeaways:

1. The biological and sensory foundations of perception — how we interpret the physical world and why perceptions vary across individuals
2. Emotional dynamics and their social triggers — from basic feelings to complex social emotions like embarrassment and pride
3. Motivation and drive in economic and social contexts — why people strive, compete, and cooperate
4. Learning and habit formation as they apply to social adaptation and cultural transmission
5. Social interaction and the psychology of groups — leadership, conformity, and collective behavior
6. Attitudes, beliefs, and persuasion — how opinions form and change in social settings
7. The relationship between individual personality and social structure — connecting personal traits to societal roles

Why General and Social Psychology Outperforms Every Alternative

Most psychology textbooks of the era either focused exclusively on individual processes (general psychology) or on group behavior (social psychology) with little integration. Thouless’s unique synthesis bridges this gap seamlessly. It treats social psychology not as a separate subject but as an application of general principles, which deepens understanding of both.

Compared to other textbooks of the 1930s, this edition is notably revised to incorporate newer developments and extends coverage of economic behavior — a direct benefit for its target audience. The clarity of Thouless’s writing style also sets it apart; he avoids unnecessary jargon while maintaining scholarly rigor. For students of economics and social sciences, this means fewer conceptual leaps and more direct relevance to their field of study.

Author Authority & Publisher Credibility

Robert H. Thouless (1894–1984) was a distinguished British psychologist and a Fellow of Corpus Christi College, Cambridge. He is best known for his widely used critical-thinking classic Straight and Crooked Thinking, but his academic career focused on experimental psychology and parapsychology. His textbooks were adopted across the British university system for their clarity and practical orientation.

The University Tutorial Press Ltd., founded in the early 20th century, specialized in educational textbooks for university and professional courses. Their commitment to producing rigorous yet accessible materials made them a trusted name in academic publishing. The fact that this book reached a second edition with revisions speaks to its sustained value and adoption in classrooms.

Is General and Social Psychology Worth It? Our Verdict

For any student of economics or social sciences who wants to understand the psychological bedrock of human behavior, Thouless’s textbook is an indispensable historical resource and a still-relevant analytical framework. While modern social psychology has evolved, the core concepts and the integrated approach remain valuable for building a conceptual foundation.

The second edition’s revisions ensure that you are getting the most complete version of Thouless’s work. With 522 pages of carefully organized content, it offers depth without overwhelming the reader. For collectors of psychological literature, it is a significant piece of academic history. For students, it provides a clear and unified introduction that many modern textbooks lack in their hyper-specialization.

Bottom line: If you need a comprehensive yet integrated study of general and social psychology, especially as it applies to economics and social sciences, this is the textbook to own.

Get General and Social Psychology — Your Essential Foundation for Understanding Human Behavior

Whether you are a student of economics or social sciences, or simply someone seeking a classic perspective on how the individual mind shapes society, General and Social Psychology by Robert H. Thouless is the ideal starting point. This second edition from University Tutorial Press Ltd. provides a depth and clarity that has stood the test of time.

Add to cart today and gain a foundational understanding that bridges individual psychology and social behavior. With the revised content of the 1937 edition, you are securing a proven educational resource trusted by generations of scholars. Order now and bring this classic into your library.